The Joe Perry Project Open Tour with Aerosmith Rarities, Chris Robinson-Led Stone Temple Pilots Covers and Black Crowes Tunes in Tampa
On Wednesday, August 13, the Joe Perry Project opened its tour at the Hard Rock Event Center in Tampa, Fla. The single-set performance leaned heavily into Aerosmith material, particularly given the participation of Brad Whitford, Perry’s fellow guitarist from that lauded rock group, which allowed for a steady stream of familiar tunes and rarities. Chris Robinson is on board as lead vocalist for the Project, and he sang a couple of Black Crowes songs as well as a pair of Stone Temple Pilots selections, as STP bassist Robert DeLeo also is in the band.
Stone Temple Pilots drummer Eric Kretz had been slated to perform with the Project, however on Monday, Perry released a statement announcing that “Unfortunately, due to a family emergency, Eric Kretz will be unable to participate in the upcoming Joe Perry Project tour dates. Longtime JPP drummer Jason Sutter will join the band for the immediate future and Eric looks forward to rejoining the tour as soon as he is able.”
The Joe Perry Project began the night with “Let the Music Do the Talking,” the title track from Perry’s 1980 release, which Aerosmith also recorded five years later. “My Fist Your Face” followed, which Perry has played a few times with the JPP but Aerosmith hasn’t performed since 1989. After Aerosmith staple “Same Old Song and Dance” and Perry’s “East Coast, West Coast,” the group delivered “Get the Lead Out” which last surfaced in an Aerosmith setlist back in 2003.
Midway through the evening, Robinson revisited “Fortunate One,” which he sang on Perry’s Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII album after debuting it live at a memorable JPP Roxy gig in 2018. During a recent interview with Relix, Perry looked back on that performance while discussing his current personnel and observed, “Chris sang with us at that show, but as far as this tour goes, it was more just me being a fan of Black Crowes. I always dug the way he sang and he was on my wishlist when I’d ask around to see who was available. I also go back with Robert a long ways.”
As a result, Robinson led the band through two Black Crowes’ songs: “Twice as Hard” and “Jealous Again.” He also delivered lead vocals on a pair of Stone Temple Pilots classics, first “Interstate Love Song” and later “Vasoline.”
The JPP revisited some additional rare Aerosmith material throughout the night. For instance, “Combination” last appeared in an Aerosmith show back in 2013, while that band had played “Bright Light Fright” in 2023 but otherwise not since 1994. The Project also paired “Mama Kin” with “Get It Up,” a tune that Aerosmith last performed in 1998 but previously not since the 1970s.
For the evening’s encore, Perry, Whitford and Aerosmith touring keyboardist Buck Johnson nodded back to their roots on “The Train Keeps A-Rollin’” and 1970s chart-topper “Walk This Way.”
After opening their tour in Tampa, the Joe Perry Band will follow up tonight, August 14, in Hollywood, Fla. Tickets remain on sale.
Read our latest interview, Fortunate One: Joe Perry Keeps the Train Rolling with Brad Whitford, Chris Robinson and Robert DeLeo.
