Joe Perry is set to return to the road in August, with members of Aerosmith, Black Crowes, and Stone Temple Pilots making up the lineup for his revived and revitalized solo band.
Aerosmith were forced to retire from touring last year in light of Steven Tyler’s ongoing health issues, but Perry has been keeping busy with solo material since, recently revealing the one amp that’s been a game-changer for him as he looks to ignite his post-Aerosmith era.
The Joe Perry Project tour, which starts in Tampa, FL on August 13th and wraps in Port Chester, NY on the 23rd, sees the guitarist making full use of his Rolodex: the band hinges on the classic Aerosmith guitar tandem of Perry and Brad Whitford, with touring keyboardist, Buck Johnson, also involved.
The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson will front the band, while the Stone Temple Pilots rhythm section of bass player Robert DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz rounds out the group.
The eight-date tour is tragically brief for such a superlative group of musicians, but it may yet prove the precursor for a more comprehensive tour further down the line.
It’s unclear what material will be performed across those dates, but with Perry alluding to new solo material, that will likely play a key role alongside cuts from his fairly extensive solo back catalog.
The tour marks the first time the two Aerosmith guitarists have worked together since the band's 2024 tour was brought to a premature end. Perry may also be hoping the new band will help shine a brighter light on his co-guitarist’s talents.
Speaking to Guitar World in 2023, he said, “It's always rubbed me the wrong way when people put Brad down and refer to me as the lead guitarist. Some of the best solos in our catalog are ones Brad did.” So expect solos aplenty from the pair.
Whitford echoed those frustrations in an interview that same year, explaining how many music critics and fans assume Aerosmith's best guitar moments come from Perry's fingers and not his own.
“After Rocks came out, Aerosmith was touring England, and I was sitting in a bar in London reading a review of the album in Melody Maker,” he had said. “And when they got to talking about Last Child, they started talking about how it sounded like Jeff Beck, which was very flattering. But then I kept reading, and they gave Joe credit for the guitar solo and kept comparing it to Jeff Beck. I read that, and I fucking went nuclear.
“I was just so pissed off. It’s like, here I am, having my fucking work being compared to Jeff Beck, and they’re crediting Joe Perry. It was bullshit, and I was so upset.”
Robinson is also no stranger to working with Perry, having featured on his 2023 album Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII. He released his first new music with the Black Crowes in 15 years last year, calling their record, Happiness Bastards, “our love letter to rock n’ roll”.
In related news, Perry has reflected on the band’s hit-and-miss album Done With Mirrors, which saw the group link up with Van Halen super producer Ted Templeman, while the makers of Perry’s new favorite amp have spoken about what his support means for the growing company.
Head over to Joe Perry's website for a full list of upcoming tour dates.
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