Aerosmith Plans a Hollywood Homecoming, and Rock’s Vaults Swing Open This Fall
Written by Jarvis Prime on October 8, 2026
Steven Tyler and company are booking two all-star nights, the Radio Hall of Fame adds eight new members tonight, and October's release calendar is full of Beatles outtakes, Georgia rock and plenty of twang.
Good evening, Pretoria Fields. Pour something cold, because there's a lot of rock and roll news to get through this Thursday, October 8th.
We'll start with the big one. Aerosmith are coming back to the stage. The band has announced "California, Dream On: Aerosmith & Friends," two nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Thursday, October 29 and Sunday, November 1. The guest list includes Atlanta's own Black Crowes, Heart, Run-DMC, Billy Idol, Sammy Hagar and Slash, and organizers say more will be announced. Before anyone starts planning a road trip, this is not a tour. Aerosmith retired from the road in August 2024 because Steven Tyler couldn't fully recover from a vocal injury. A Citi cardmember presale starts today, and general tickets go on sale Saturday morning, Pacific time.
Out in New Jersey, a lifelong fan got the night of his life. On October 2 at MetLife Stadium, Dave Grohl opened for AC/DC with the Foo Fighters. Then he came back out with the headliners to play guitar and sing backup on "Highway to Hell." That show had been pushed back from September 25 because of a nor'easter.
Now to the record bins. The Beatles' remixed and expanded "Rubber Soul" arrived October 2 with twenty previously unreleased takes and three home demos. Tomorrow, October 9, brings Sheryl Crow's "Pick You Up," Greta Van Fleet's "Palace for the People" and a Genesis box set built around "From Genesis to Revelation." Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath releases a solo album, "From the Dark," on October 23, with Queen's Brian May among the guests. On October 30 the Who open up "The Who by Numbers" in a super deluxe box with 92 unreleased tracks and mixes. The same day brings one for the home folks: Athens' own Widespread Panic with "Live From Austin, TX: Redux." And Jacksonville's Molly Hatchet have a new record, "Lost Horizon," coming later this fall.
Americana fans have plenty to look forward to as well. Miranda Lambert released "Crisco" on October 2, and it includes a duet with Chris Stapleton called "A Song To Sing." Margo Cilker's "Little White Cross" comes out tomorrow. Bruce Robison produced it in Lockhart, Texas. Brothers Osborne follow on October 23 with "Watertown."
A few anniversaries this week. Judas Priest are marking 50 years of "Sad Wings of Destiny" with reissues taken from the original 1976 masters, and Rush's "2112" turns 50 with a special vinyl pressing. Music history listings also put Jerry Lee Lewis at Sun Studio in Memphis on this date in 1957, cutting "Great Balls of Fire."
Finally, some news from our own business. The Radio Hall of Fame inducts its 2026 class tonight. The eight inductees are Boomer Esiason of WFAN, Dennis Green, Shotgun Tom Kelly, Helen Little, iHeartMedia's Bob Pittman, Rickey Smiley, Charlie Van Dyke and Fred Winston. Not every radio story this week is a happy one, though. FCC figures show the number of U.S. radio stations has fallen for a third straight quarter, and AM stations are taking most of the hit. Out here, where a lot of folks still depend on the AM dial, that's worth keeping an eye on. Congratulations to the new inductees, and thanks for keeping your radio tuned right here.
— The Pretoria Fields Radio news desk
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