Joey Kramer will be sitting out Aerosmith’s upcoming Las Vegas residency at Park MGM’s Dolby Live kicking off this June.
Per USA Today, Kramer “…regrettably made the decision to sit out the band’s concerts in 2022 so he can focus his full attention on his family during these uncertain times.” Filling in for Kramer will be John Douglas, with the band further noting Kramer not taking part in the residency is only a “temporary leave of absence.”
Relations between Kramer and Aerosmith have been complicated for the past few years. In January 2020, Kramer filed a lawsuit against the band accusing them of not letting him back into the band after he recovered from injuries in the spring of 2019. Around the time of the lawsuit, Aerosmith were being honored as MusiCares’ Person of the Year and were receiving Grammy Lifetime Achievement honors.
Kramer alleged that once he recovered from his injuries, he was forced to audition “to prove he was able to play at an appropriate level” before rejoining Aerosmith on stage. The audition consisted of a number of recorded solo rehearsals with a click track, not with the band, and then the band would listen back to the recordings to determine whether he would be allowed back in the band. Kramer says no other bandmember has had to go through an audition process like this in the history of the band, despite each member having to step away from the band at some point during their five decades together.
Despite the very messy back-and-forth, Kramer would rejoin the band in February 2020.
