"The band is about the music"...that's why it took a lawsuit for them to do the right thing.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

WAILUKU, Hawaii — Free tickets to see Aerosmith in Hawaii? Dream on, unless you happen to be one of 8,300 people left in the cold when the band canceled a sold-out concert in 2007.

Aerosmith has agreed to perform on Maui to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by fans who alleged the band pulled out of the show in favor of a larger concert in Chicago and a more lucrative private performance for Toyota dealers on Oahu.

The suit claimed the cancellation cost Maui ticket buyers between $500,000 and $3 million in travel costs, handling fees and other expenses.

"Everyone who bought a ticket to the original concert will receive a free ticket, and all out-of-pocket expenses will be reimbursed regardless of the amount," said Brandee Faria, an attorney representing the would-be concertgoers.

The date for the new Maui concert has not been set, but Faria said it will likely be in September or October, after Aerosmith wraps up its North America tour.

Aerosmith attorney Jay Handlin said the band was glad to reach the settlement.

"The band is about the music," Handlin said. "So they are glad to be able to resolve this in a way that really focuses on connecting or reconnecting the people of Hawaii with the band and its music."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/27/aerosmith-settles-classac_n_191817.html