Joe Perry Project Hits the Road While Aerosmith Guitarist Looks Back on Eddie Van Halen’s Impact

The Joe Perry Project kicked off its North American run in Tampa on August 13. These are Joe Perry's first major shows since Aerosmith's farewell news in 2024.

Perry was recently on Rick Beato's podcast, and one of the topics was Van Halen's debut album. "That first record, when I heard that, it was like they used a lot of the old tricks that we all kind of like did it and left behind," Perry said. "And they took it and turned it up to 11, you know. And that first album was f—ing stunning."

Brad Whitford, now playing with the Project, spoke about Eddie's skills during the same podcast: "It was like, damn... [Eddie] was on this [other] stratosphere. Like the equivalent of Jeff Beck. You know, somebody who was just kind of out of reach," Whitford said.

Robinson of Black Crowes handles vocals for The Joe Perry Project, while Robert DeLeo from Stone Temple Pilots plays bass. Buck Johnson, known from Aerosmith tours, is on the keyboard. Jason Sutter took over after drummer Eric Kretz left the tour for family reasons.

Alex Van Halen's book sparked Whitford's memories. "They'd start at dawn, playing together until noon. Every single day," he mused. "Listen to those albums — you'll hear how tight they were. Pure power when they played."  

Next stop on the tour is Hollywood, Florida. Then, they'll join The Who at Boston's Fenway Park on August 26 and play at the Hollywood Bowl on September 17. You can find more info and buy tickets on Joe Perry's website.