In a few weeks Joe Perry will turn 75 years-old. The Aerosmith guitarist might not know what the future holds for that band, so in the meantime he's doing what he's done since 1979 when he briefly quit the Boston band: take his solo group on the road.
Over the years he has had a variety of frontmen: Ralph Morman (1979–1980), Charlie Farren (1980–1982), Mach Bell (1982–1983), Joe Perry himself (1983–1984, 2018–2019), Hagen Grohe (2009–2010), Gary Cherone (2022).
Front and center this time is Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes, whose raspy, soulful tenor is the perfect fit for the set that's filthy with Aerosmith deep cuts, Perry solo songs, and now favorites from the Crowes' catalogue as well as a pair from Stone Temple Pilots.
Why STP? Initially Perry enlisted its rhythm section (bassist Robert DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz) but Eric had to bounce to attend to a family emergency. He was replaced on the road by veteran JPP drummer Jason Sutter.
Even though they might look as polite nods to the current members of the outfit (which also includes fellow Aerosmith axeman Brad Whitford and Buck Johnson on keyboards), the set is a wonderful collection of rockers and blues.
That's just what the lucky crowd at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom got on Wednesday (8/20) in New Hampshire.
The show kicked off with a subtle reminder that the JPP wasn't just an escape hatch for the rocker when he needed some time away from Aerosmith in '79, it was also a creative sandbox for the veteran musician who wrote "Let The Music Do The Talkin'" during that initial departure.
In 1980, the song was the lead single of his debut solo album and four years later when he and Whitford rejoined Steven Tyler et al, it was re-recorded with different lyrics and became part of Aerosmith's comeback LP, Done With Mirrors.
The song went to #17 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart and has been performed over 250 times by Aerosmith and 115 times with the Perry Project.
If the Aerosmith, STP, and Crowes covers weren't enough, Joe also did a tribute to Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page when the segued from "Get the Lead Out" to "Heartbreaker."
Is it weird not to hear "Livin' Lovin' Maid" afterwards? Of course. But we live in weird times.
When Perry was handed his '69 see-through Dan Armstrong guitar, he added a thick Georgia Satellites-like sound to the Black Crowes' "Twice as Hard," which truly lived up to its name particularly when he shredded the solo thanks to his slide.
It may have been the most animated Robinson, who is a man in motion, was all night. Sweet, because he clearly loves that hit.
"Walk This Way" is an impossible song to try to pull off unless you take it in an entirely different direction, otherwise you'll sound like a weaker version of Tyler even if you sing it as effortlessly as Robinson.
The only victors of this cover were Run DMC and they had Tyler in the mix and Rick Rubin on the dials. If anything it's a tip of the cap to the sidelined Aerosmith singer who Perry says he wouldn't be shocked if he came out of retirement soon for a show or two with the band.
There's only a few more dates left on Joe's schedule including a night opening for The Who at Fenway and then in September at the Hollywood Bowl
Get your tickets on Joe's website.
Joe Perry Project 2025 Tour remaining dates
8/22 Mashantucket, CT
8/23 Port Chester, NY
8/26 Boston, MA with The Who
9/16 Chandler, AZ
9/17 Los Angeles, CA with The Who
