Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Aerosmith may be on break, but that hasn’t stopped The Joe Perry Project from carving out a super limited streak of shows in support of the guitar hero’s latest long player, “Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII.”

In fact, the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, along with the Des Plaines Theatre, were two of a mere half-dozen dates before the headliner re-boards Aero Force One or turns into a Hollywood Vampire alongside Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp, though he didn’t disappoint when it came to both the band or previous solo projects.

It certainly didn’t hurt that this latest line-up was stacked with Extreme and former Van Halen front man Gary Cherone as lead singer, Aerosmith sideman Buck Johnson on keyboards and vocals, ace drummer Jason Sutter (Cher, Chris Cornell) and longtime collaborator David Hull on bass. 

Together at the Arcada, they tore through nearly two hours of the rare and rebellious, from the leader’s own ballsy “I’ve Got The Rock N’ Rolls Again” and “East Coast, West Coast” to Aerosmith’s adrenalized “Somebody” and “S.O.S. (Too Bad).”

The guys also flexed their chops on numerous covers, including the bluesy likes of the Jeff Beck Group’s “Beck’s Bolero” in honor of the recently departed legend, a double helping of Billy Lee Riley’s rockabilly novelty “Flyin’ Saucers Rock & Roll” and Johnny Thunders’ punk-spiked “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory.”

At 72-years-old, Perry came across as seasoned as it gets, further mesmerizing the full house with the furious fretwork of “Fortunate One,” “Quake” and “Let The Music Do The Talking” from his personal catalogue, alongside “Lick And A Promise,” “Chip Away The Stone” and “Bone To Bone (Coney Island White Fish Boy),” which he of course originated with Aerosmith.

“The Train Kept A-Rollin’” into the encore as the shocking inclusion of “Lightning Strikes,” from the Perry-less “Rock In A Hard Place” era, pierced the sky and the colossal “Walk This Way” whet the appetite for “the Bad Boys from Boston” to get “Back In The Saddle” again.

In the meantime, The Joe Perry Project is as vital as it’s ever been, roaring with technical capabilities, cranking out the riffs and confirming its principal player is amongst the most iconic to ever pick up his primary instrument.

For additional information on The Joe Perry Project, visit JoePerry.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the Arcada Theatre include Winger (Apr. 22); “Girls Night: The Musical” (Apr. 26); Brian Regan (Apr. 28); April Wine and The Sweet (Apr. 29); The Sixties Show (Apr. 30); Hollywood Swinging and Shining Star (May 5); Hairball (May 6); Air Supply (May 7); Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken (May 10); Riki Rachtman (May 11); Jon Anderson (May 12); The Phil Collins Experience (May 13); CTA with Danny Seraphine and Jeff Coffey (May 14); Ugly Kid Joe and Fozzy (May 18); The Gilmour Project (May 19); The Musical Box (May 20); Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras (May 25); Rok Brigade and Poison’d Crue (May 27). For additional details, visit ArcadaLive.com.

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