Joe Perry Project
Irving Plaza
New York City, New York
November 10, 2009
When Aerosmith’s tour came to an unexpected close this summer, guitarist Joe Perry shifted into high gear. He reassembled his solo band, the Joe Perry Project, created another work of art with “Have Guitar, Will Travel”, and is now on an extensive US tour, with the Irving Plaza date being the first of many to follow.
Perry’s band consists of long-time friend and part-time fill-in bassist with Aerosmith David Hull, vocalist Hagen, drummer Ben Tileston who plays with Perry’s two kids in TAB, and Willie Alexander on keyboards. The set list spanned Perry’s entire career, both with Aerosmith and as a solo artist. The show commenced with the slide-driven rocker “Let the Music do the Talking” from his first solo album of the same name, and was followed by another slide-heavy song with “Vigilante Man” from Perry’s last solo effort in 2005. Several songs were lifted up from “Have Guitar, Will Travel” including “Long way to go”, the rag-top sleaze of “Slingshot”, the could-be “Honkin’ on Bobo” outtake that is “Somebody’s gonna get their Head Kicked in Tonite”, the ballady “Do you Wonder” where Hagen sounds uncannily like Steven Tyler, and “Scare the Cat.” You should do yourself a favor and pick it up, as it is a strong reflection of Perry’s eclectic tastes without compromising his passion for sleazy, blues based rock. It was also great to hear long-lost solo gems such as “Discount Dogs” and “East Coast, West Coast”. With so many great compositions to choose from, other stellar pieces were sadly left out such as “Buzz Buzz”, “Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker”, “Walk with me Sally”, and “South Station Blues”.
Of course, his fans wanted to hear some classic Aerosmith and got it in the form of the seldom played “Get the Lead Out”, a reggae-fused “Dream on”, “Other Side”, “Communication” from “Rocks”, a pulverizing “Toys in the Attic”, a blues rip-up in “Stop Messin’ Around” and closer “Walk this Way” where none other than the man himself Steven Tyler joined the band onstage! Before launching into an absolutely scorching version of the aforesaid “Walk this Way”, Tyler emphatically stated that he was in good health and had no intentions of leaving Aerosmith.
Perry and his band delivered in aces at the Irving Plaza, and it was a real treat witnessing him without the blown out, amped up, larger than life shows observed on Aerosmith tours. The stripped down, intimate, no frills, ‘kick the doors down and let’s rock’ Joe Perry is far more preferable to me and I’m sure others as well!