Steven Tyler’s annual Grammy Awards Viewing Party took place on April 03, 2022, after a 2021 pandemic pause. As always, the evening benefited the iconic rocker’s Janie’s Fund, a partnership with Youth Villages aimed at helping girls overcome abuse and trauma. The evening raised massive funds to support the cause, which included Aerosmith’s touring “Dream On” piano being auctioned off for a whopping $700,000 and a fan bidding $100,000 to have his photo taken with Tyler on-site by celebrity photographer Andy Gotts.
Tyler toasted from the crowd and later took the stage to talk about the important work Janie’s Fund is doing to make a difference in the lives of girls across the nation. He thanked his loyal supporters, then made his return to the stage with his first public appearance in two years, sitting at the piano and mesmerizing the crowd with “Dream On.”
Jessie J filled in for Miley Cyrus, and performed a short set. Tyler joined her on stage to close out the night with “Walk This Way,” which brought the entire crowd to its feet.
Tyler’s performance was met with excitement and enthusiasm from the event’s attendees, but criticised by online fans complaining about his apparent lack of energy and allowing the background singers to take over the high notes on both songs. Attendees reported that the performances were great, but that the audio mix and PA system were not.
We at the BackBurner think Steven did a great job, especially at his age (74), and we are not surprised that he chose to take it easy after two years away from the stage, and save his voice for the new dates of the Aerosmith Las Vegas residency.