Aerosmith [ tickets ] guitarist Joe Perry told Billboard.com Wednesday (11/12) that despite Steven Tyler's surprise guest appearance at the Joe Perry Project's Irving Plaza concert Tuesday night (11/10)--during which the Aerosmith frontman proclaimed he had no intentions of leaving the band--the status of Aerosmith's lineup is still in doubt.

A quick recap: Tyler had been quoted in the press saying it was time to focus on the "Steven Tyler brand" and work on solo projects; Perry came back saying Aerosmith had no plans to break up and he and his bandmates would find a new lead singer if they had to.

Clarifying things, Perry told Billboard that Tyler wants to take two years off to work on other projects, but Aerosmith doesn't want to remain idle. "We're not going to wait for Steven," Perry said. "The band's been playing together for 40 years. It's a really powerful rock band, and I don't want to see it just go to waste and I don't think any of the other guys do, either. We're gonna work and we're gonna do something--I'm not exactly sure what yet, but the band's too good to let it sit around.."

Perry also said Tyler's appearance at Irving Plaza on Tuesday was totally unplanned. "I was really blown away that he came to the show," Perry told Billboard. "But he showed up and was real anxious to come and sit in and play, so I figured, what the hell?"

The Joe Perry Project is on the road through the end of the month, with plans to resume touring in late January. Perry said he expects to discuss Aerosmith's plans with the other band members in the near future.