Joe Perry Previews New Album, Unearths Aerosmith Gems During Solo Stop

“Hold on. I’m gonna get warmed up,” joked Joe Perry on stage last month outside Chicago during a performance at the Des Plaines Theatre. “Let me make sure this thing sounds OK for ya,” he said with a wink and a nod, picking up a guitar.

It did. Perry was in fine form as his Joe Perry Project tore through Aerosmith deep cuts, blues standards and tracks from his latest solo studio effort Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII over the course of about 90 minutes.

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The new project makes the perfect accompaniment to Perry’s sixth solo album Sweetzerland Manifesto. Like that 2018 release, the new record, now available on vinyl and streaming services via Roman Records, was captured largely at fellow Hollywood Vampire Johnny Depp’s home studio during 2017 sessions in L.A., with MKII boasting six new songs in addition to alternative takes and guests like Black Crowes vocalist Chris Robinson, Robin Zander of Cheap Trick and Extreme’s Gary Cherone.

Cherone joined Perry on the most recent run of live dates, stepping in as vocalist alongside keyboardist Buck Johnson and a rhythm section consisting of Jason Sutter (drums) and David Hull (bass).

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Perry was terrific in Des Plaines, giving fans a taste of what’s to come when Aerosmith embarks on its “Peace Out” farewell tour September 2, 2023 in Philadelphia.

The Black Crowes are set to open that closing run and singer Chris Robinson guests on MKII’s outstanding first single “Fortunate One.”

“This song is off the new record. But yer gonna hear it tonight!,” declared Perry of the new single. “That makes you the fortunate ones!” said the guitarist.

Drums kicked in as Johnnie Johnson-like keyboards sparkled, Perry leaning back and to his left into Cherone, ripping a slide-fueled solo during one of the evening’s finest early moments.

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“Fortunate One” opens Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII, a can opener of a track that conjures up a gritty mental image of early Aerosmith.

Vintage Aerosmith cuts like “Somebody” and “Lick and a Promise,” from the group’s self-titled 1973 debut and often overlooked ‘76 classic Rocks respectively, acted as the perfect compliments to the new track during the Joe Perry Project set. Perry kicked his leg out during the former, firing his right hand out in inimitable fashion on the latter, with both tracks delivered beautifully by Cherone in his best Steven Tyler.

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“Oh yeah!” screamed the singer early in the Des Plaines concert, following an opening set by local rockers Enuff Z’Nuff, who tackled The Beatles (“Magical Mystery Tour”) and Paul McCartney (“Jet”) before rolling out their biggest hits “Fly High Michelle” and “New Thing.”

“Are ya feelin’ good so far? We’ve got a long night of music!” said Cherone, the crowd taking over the first chorus for him as Perry and company ripped into Aerosmith’s “S.O.S. (Too Bad).” Cherone held his arms wide, holding the mic up and out from his perch on the drum riser as Perry slayed an early solo, both moving to center stage as the performance drew to a close.

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“This song is actually off the first record. But we decided to put it on the new record too,” explained Perry of “Aye, Aye, Aye’s” placement on both Sweetzerland Manifesto installments. A fan in the front row threw up the horns to Cherone, with the singer leaning straight down to him in response as he belted out the new number, a vocal delivered on MKII by Zander. Windmilling as he jumped from the riser, Cherone landed with his left hand over his heart, bowing for the Chicagoland audience.

Perry delivered his take on Jeff Beck later via “Beck’s Bolero,” picking up a red Gretsch guitar as he took on the lead vocal to Billy Lee Riley’s “Flyin’ Saucers Rock & Roll.” “That’s the sh-t that got me goin’!” exclaimed the guitarist of the influence of the 1957 Sun single.

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“We were working on this record a couple of years ago and a friend of mine said, ‘It’d be cool if you guys covered this song.’ So we put it together,” explained Perry on stage in Des Plaines. “I tip my cap to the suggestion that we cover this song.”

Perry and Depp put their spin upon Johnny Thunders’ “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory,” a tune which appears on Rise, the second studio album from Hollywood Vampires, who launch a European tour May 30, 2023 in Manchester. Outside Chicago, Perry delivered the vocal on stage as he does on the 2019 album.

Back on slide guitar for “Let the Music do the Talking,” Perry and company cruised toward finish with a heaping helping of Aerosmith.

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Since that 1973 debut album, Aerosmith have gone on to move approximately 150 million more around the globe, with few hits looming as large for the Boston rockers as “Walk This Way,” an influential cut which has continually enabled them to rope in new fans, a rare generational appeal reflected in the Des Plaines audience last month.

Following “Train Kept a Rollin,’” Perry hammed it up from the stage’s far left reaches as the Joe Perry Project delivered the classic cut to wrap things up.

“The last time I played in Chicago, I sat in with Jane’s Addiction one night and Jimmy Buffett the next…” mused Perry on stage. “One of those weekends, ya know?”