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Aerosmith set farewell; KAABOO sole 2016 U.S. show

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It was a booking coup when the producers of KAABOO Del Mar announced in April that they had secured Aerosmith to headline the festival’s second edition in September. It is the the Boston band’s sole U.S. show scheduled for this year.

Earlier this week, Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler disclosed that the group will launch its farewell tour in 2017. If so, Aerosmith’s KAABOO performance could end up being a preview of its farewell concert trek — and, should that tour bypass San Diego — it could also be the band’s final area show. KAABOO’s other headliners this year include Jack Johnson, Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band, Lenny Kravitz, Fall Out Boy and Darryl Hall & John Oates.

The most recent Aerosmith tour to play San Diego was in 2006, when the band performed at Coors (now Sleep Train) Amphitheatre. Its sole San Diego appearance since then was at a private show last June at Petco Park, where the group for an invitation-only party hosted by Cisco.

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There have been rumblings, prior to this week, that Aerosmith may be ready to bid farewell after 46 years. But Tyler seemed to make it official during his Tuesday interview on “The Howard Stern Show.”

“I love this band, I really do, and I want to squash every thought that anybody might have about this,” Tyler told Stern, who sounded taken aback. “We’re doing a farewell tour, but only because it’s time. We’ve never done that.”

When Stern asked Tyler to confirm the band will be undertaking a farewell tour, the singer responded: “I think so, next year. Stern then asked if Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry had been apprised of Aerosmith’s pending farewell. Tyler replied: “Mmhmm.”

By coincidence, Aerosmith’s press representatives issued a statement on May 20. The statement was apparently designed to squash rumors the band was seeking to replace Tyler, who is touring this summer without Aerosmith to support his debut country-music album, “We’re All Somebody From Somewhere.”

The May statement read: There’s absolutely no truth to a story circulating that Aerosmith is looking for a new singer. Says lead guitarist Joe Perry: “Any rumor out there about us looking for another singer is completely untrue. All five of us were just on the phone together talking about how excited we are to go to South America and Mexico City.”

Last year’s debut edition of KAABOO was headlined by The Killers, Zac Brown Band and No Doubt.

The festival has not yet announced its daily schedule for this year’s festival, which takes place Sept. 16-18 at the Del Mar Racetrack and adjoining grounds of the San Diego County Fair. However, Aerosmith’s website indicates the band will headline KAABOO’s Sept. 16 opening night, followed by a nine-city fall tour of South America and an Oct. 27 Mexico City show.

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