The tour came on the heels of the band's platinum album Just Push Play. Aerosmith was riding a wave of popularity, having played the Super Bowl XXXV Halftime Show, been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and scored a Top 10 hit, all within the first half of the year. Just prior to the start of the tour, the band performed a brief promo tour in Germany. They also performed at many radio festivals in the United States, including: "River Rave", "Zootopia" and the "Kiss Concert". Tyler sang the National Anthem at the Indianapolis 500, and the team sponsored a car in the race. As a result, many shows sold out and the band added arena dates through the fall and winter, even after a successful summer amphitheater tour. "If we couldn't get an audiencehaving made a record we truly believe in, then I guess we probably would turn around and say, 'It's been fun, but see ya.' But I tell you this: we wouldn't go without a big fucking fight."
United We Stand
The band played the benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. on October 21, 2001, alongside Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, and other pop stars. The band had been uncertain whether to play the show due to scheduling conflicts and made the decision almost at the last minute. They took the stage in the afternoon, played four songs, then flew to Indianapolis for a concert that same night.
Cancellations
In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the band canceled the three shows after that ; all on the Eastern Seaboard, where the attacks had occurred. These shows were rescheduled. The band canceled a second show at Irvine, California earlier in the tour, due to a scheduling conflict with the filming of the video for "Sunshine."
Stage setup
The stage for the tour had a modern look, reflecting the aesthetic of Just Push Play and its cover. Most striking were the silver and white colors, as well as two curving staircases that met at a platform at the top. There, some of the most exciting moments took place, including the entrance of Steven Tyler and Joe Perryat the beginning of the show, as well as Tyler singing the eerie lyrics that open "Seasons of Wither" The band set up a second smaller stage in the rear of outdoor pavilions to play for those in the lawn section. During the middle of the show, the band members would walk under heavy security to this stage to do a three-song set. Tyler jokingly referred to this tour as the "Back on the Grass Tour": a reference to this auxiliary stage and a jab at those who claimed Aerosmith was using drugs again. Tyler especially targeted former manager Tim Collins, who had accused Aerosmith of relapsing before the band fired him in 1996. However, "Back On The Grass" was not an official name for the tour – just a joke Tyler repeated in interviews.
Song selection
The setlist featured as many as 25 songs. It varied show to show, as most Aerosmith setlists do, but usually included about half a dozen songs from Just Push Play as well a fair balance between their 70s classics and 80s and 90s hits.
Broadcasts and recordings
In January 2002, the band played The Joint, a 2,000 seat venue within the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. This show was recorded and parts of it were released as the band's fifth live album, a Dual Disc CD/DVD entitled Rockin' the Joint, released in 2005.
