Examiner.com
November 25, 2009

Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry’s concert Tuesday night in Hollywood, California at the House of Blues yielded the unpredictable, including a surprise appearance from former Guns N Roses guitarist Slash. The two stood side by side, exchanging leads on their Gibson Les Paul guitars, while playing Aerosmith’s classic rocker “Walkin’ The Dog.” Perry and his band are currently on tour, promoting his recently released fiery solo album, Have Guitar, Will Travel.

Perry, looking dapper in his jet black hair and an intentional grey streak in the front, wore a black vest, shirt, jacket and jeans, as well as glittery black shoes, along with a red piece of fabric tied around his waist, which he humorously explained was part of one of his wife Billie’s dresses. “This is all that’s left of it,” Perry joked. Perry easily stole the spotlight throughout the show, dazzling the audience with his trademark guitar work, interchanging several guitars throughout the evening, a few of which including a left-handed Fender Stratocaster, strung upside down, several Gibson Les Pauls, a gold glittery Strat, a clear Lucite Dan Armstrong guitar, and a custom painted model, featuring his wife’s image painted on it, with the wording “Billie Perry” inscribed on the headstock between its two rows of tuning pegs. Perry, who flaunted several more guitars during the evening, played slide guitar on numerous songs, and dazzled the crowd with guitar calisthenics, including playing his guitar behind his legs, and playing skilfully constructed, proficient licks using his tremelo bar, and other effects. Assaultive riffs, at times augmented with intermittent keyboard playing from guitarist Paul Santo, resulted in what would never be a dull moment.

Perry’s rhythm intensive approach while playing lead, along with his prolifically accessible songwriting, has made him a hard rock icon, who has long earned the respect of his peers.

Perry’s audience seemed be comprised not just of fans, but of devotees. One of them in the front row, Karen Blay, told Examiner.com that she flew from the state of Virginia to see Perry’s Hollywood concert. The fifty-year old woman, who sports a tattoo of Aerosmith’s logo, brought her daughter to the concert. “This is an event that is reminiscent of what we’ve already gone through with the toxic twins,” Blay said, referring to Aerosmith’s lead singer Steven Tyler, whose injuries resulting from falling off the stage at an Aerosmith show in Sturgis, South Dakota earlier this year, led to the cancellation of the Aerosmith tour. Blay added, “They’ve broken up before and they’re stronger when they come back.”

For those who were present at Perry’s Hollywood concert, Tyler’s absence was certainly not an issue at this ascendant show.

Perry’s solo line-up consists of feature bassist Dave Hull, Paul Santo on keyboards and rhythm guitar, lead singer Hagen Grohe and J. Geils Band drummer Marty Richards. Perry told his Hollywood audience that Hagen hails “from the south of Germany.” It would obviously be a daunting feat to serve as the front man next to Perry, given his thirty years performing with Tyler, not to mention the publicity mill and the innumerable resulting rumors stemming from a recent cryptic, or perhaps somewhat indecipherable Twitter message that Perry recently posted, stating, “In the meantime Aerosmith is positively looking for a new singer to work with. You just can’t take forty years of experience and throw it in the bin.” Hagen clearly held his own on vocals, even when taking on Aerosmith numbers. Perry’s audience remained enraptured throughout the show.

The songs performed from Perry’s new album Have Guitar, Will Travel were all well-received. In addition to the unexpected appearance of Slash for one number, another heavyweight highlight of the evening was the instrumental “Wooden Ships,” with its wailing solos, a luscious musical tribute from Perry to the late guitarist, inventor and innovator, Les Paul. The engaging opus “Scare The Cat” was also among the best performances of the night.

The evening included a lengthy bass solo from Dave Hull, whose history has become a bit of a legend. Drummer Marty Richards powerful drumming was extremely laudable, and also upped the ante throughout the evening. The band played songs from Perry’s new solo album including “Long Way To Go,” “Scare The Cat,” “Do You Wonder?” and “Head Kicked In.”

The encore included what Perry called a “Boston version of the blues,” the song “Combination,” which was followed by the Aerosmith mega-hit “Toys In The Attic.”

Clearly, despite whatever the situation is with Perry and Tyler, Perry seemed no worse from the wear, and he was in top form. While Perry was spending the evening off Twitter, he also sang many of the vocals, both with Hagen and alone. When vocalizing together, the two of their voices enmeshed as if they were musically destined for each other.

Perry’s band also kicked in the Joe Perry Project song “East Coast West Coast,” and performed a tantalizing version of the late Woody Guthrie’s “Vigilante Man.”

The appearance of Slash for “Walkin’ The Dog” was not the only surprise of the evening. A surrealistic moment occurred when Joe Perry’s band played a transfixing reggae version of the Aerosmith uber-hit “Dream On.” After playing the song, Perry joked, “We’re never going to play that song like that ever again.”

Set List from November 24, 2009, Hollywood, California:

Let The Music Do The Talking
Walkin The Dog (featuring Slash)
Bright Light Fright
Long Way To Go
East Coast, West Coast
Head Kicked In
Get The Lead Out
Dream On (Reggae Version)
Vigilante Man
Sight For Sore Eyes
Do You Wonder?
Rockin’ Train (with bass solo)
Wooden Ships
Slingshot
Scare The Cat
Combination
Toys In The Attic

ENCORE:
Stop Messin’ Around
Walk This Way