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Ain't no messin' around

Joe Perry
House of Blues
Chicago, IL
November 18, 2009
Joe Perry Joe Perry Joe Perry

Story and photos by Rob Grabowski

The House of Blues played host to one of Boston's original bad boys last Wednesday night when Joe Perry rolled into town supporting his latest CD, Have Guitar, Will Travel. Kicking off the evening with his most famous solo song, "Let The Music Do The Talking" which set the tone for a truly heavy weight rock show. Wasting no time, Joe pleased the salivating crowd and ripped into the bluesy Aerosmith song "Walkin' the Dog." It was apparent that the evening was going to be filled with heavy guitar riffs and the crowd ate up the intensity that Joe Perry delivered so effortlessly.

While everyone knows Joe as the lead guitarist in Aerosmith, it was refreshing and insightful to hear Joe strangle notes from his guitar like a brawler in a street fight, which leads to the appropriately named "Somebody's Gonna Get (Their Head Kicked In Tonight)." Followed by the melodic "Do You Wonder" and the groaning "Vigilante Man," Joe made light of getting all sorts of job offers to play birthday parties and bah mitzvahs. He told a story of how a cruise ship company wanted them to play and he was considering it until they said "you have to play one song a certain way" and he said absolutely not and wouldn't even consider it. So after turning them down, he said he would play it for tonight's crowd only this one time. With a smile on his face, Joe went into "Dream On" in a very Jamaican Reggae funk style which was well received by a swaying and bouncing audience singing along.

Finishing out the set Joe put the crowd in a wild mood playing an extended version of the Aerosmith classic "Toys in the Attic." Returning for an encore, Joe payed homage to legendary bluesman Lonnie Brooks, who was in attendance, with "Stop Messin' Around" and finished the night off with "Walk This Way."

Joe delivered an unadulterated bluesy-rock show with his legendary piss and vinegar style of guitar playing. While there has been much controversy over the state of Aerosmith recently, it was refreshing to have Joe put the BS aside and deliver a musical onslaught that proved how much he loves playing music as well as confirming that he is a true guitar legend.


House of Blues Set list:
Let The Music
Walkin' the Dog
Bright Light Fright
Long Way To Go
East Coast, West Coast
Head Kicked In
Do You Wonder
Vigilante Man
Rockin' Train w/ Bass Solo
Dream On
Slingshot
Get the Lead Out
Scare the Cat
Combination
Toys

Encore

Stop Messin'
Walk This Way

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Joe Perry

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