The Joe Perry Project kicked off their 2025 tour on Wednesday at Tampa, Florida’s Hard Rock Event Center with a vigorous and eclectic 19-song set featuring Perry deep cuts, Aerosmith classics and a handful of songs from the all-star lineups’ other bands.
You can see the full set list, UCR’s exclusive photos and fan-shot video from the show below.
Perry blasted off with tried-and-true Project classic “Let the Music Do the Talking,” but lead singer Chris Robinson opted for the Aerosmith lyrics. The band started loose — Robinson improvised his way through Aerosmith deep cut “My Fist Your Face,” and Perry’s guitar was in the wrong tuning during “Same Old Song and Dance.” But when they locked in and hit their stride, the results were exhilarating.
Joe Perry Project Picks Up Steam on ‘Fortunate One’
The Project really picked up steam during “Fortunate One,” the Perry-Robinson collaboration off 2023’s Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII. Perry took a jab at streaming services before playing the song, joking that fans could buy it on “Apple Records — what is that, pay-per-view, where you pay for the music and we get fuckin’ stiffed?”
“Or you could go to a record store and just steal it,” Robinson deadpanned in return.
READ MORE: Joe Perry, ‘Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII’ Album Review
Bassist Robert DeLeo got his moments of glory with a pair of Stone Temple Pilots covers as well. While “Vasoline” could have used a bit of its titular product to shake off the rust, “Interstate Love Song” received a rootsy, laidback facelift that allowed Robinson to reinterpret the song in his bluesy cry, rather than emulating Scott Weiland‘s baritone croon.
The band also stomped through the Black Crowes‘ “Twice as Hard” and “Jealous Again,” the latter giving Perry room for a freewheeling outro solo that got the crowd roaring. But despite the supergroup nature of this year’s Project, the band sounded best when it focused on songs written by its leader.
READ MORE: Top 15 ’80s Aerosmith Songs
Aerosmith Classics Work Joe Perry Project Crowd Into a Frenzy
The one-two punch of Aerosmith’s “Combination” and “Get It Up” marked a mid-set highlight, with Perry digging deep into the song’s swampy, swaggering riffs and nailing vocal harmonies with Robinson and longtime Aerosmith keyboardist/backing singer Buck Johnson.
Fellow Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford brought fans to their feet with his longtime showcase “Last Child,” and a volley of Aerosmith classics — “Chip Away the Stone,” “Draw the Line,” “Train Kept A-Rollin'” and “Walk This Way” brought it all home.
Perry was fired up by the end by that point, slinging his guitar low, playing solos with youthful vigor and even dropping his instrument on the floor and bashing it with his shirt.
The guitarist lamented in a recent interview that large-scale touring “takes it out of you, especially an Aerosmith tour.” But in this more intimate setting, Perry could still let it rip like the good old days.
Despite a few night-one missteps, the Joe Perry Project’s 2025 tour kickoff delivered a live, raw, unrefined smorgasbord of great songs and prodigious talent, and it reminded why Perry is one of rock’s most celebrated and effortlessly cool guitarists.
Watch the Joe Perry Project Perform in Tampa
The Joe Perry Project — Aug. 13, 2025, Tampa, Florida Set List
1. “Let the Music Do the Talking” (Aerosmith version)
2. “My Fist Your Face” (Aerosmith cover)
3. “Same Old Song and Dance” (Aerosmith cover)
4. “East Coast, West Coast”
5. “Get the Lead Out” (Aerosmith cover) / snippet of Led Zeppelin‘s “Heartbreaker”
6. “Twice as Hard” (Black Crowes cover)
7. “Fortunate One”
8. “Interstate Love Song” (Stone Temple Pilots cover)
9. “Combination” (Aerosmith cover)
10. “Get It Up” (Aerosmith cover)
11. “Vasoline” (Stone Temple Pilots cover)
12. “Won’t Let Me Go”
13. “Jealous Again” (Black Crowes cover)
14. “Bright Light Fright” (Aerosmith cover)
15. “Last Child” (Aerosmith cover)
16. “Chip Away the Stone” (Aerosmith cover)
17. “Draw the Line” (Aerosmith cover)
18. “Train Kept A-Rollin'” (Aerosmith / Tiny Bradshaw cover)
19. “Walk This Way” (Aerosmith cover)
The Joe Perry Project Live in Tampa — Aug. 13, 2025
Perry kicked off his 2025 solo tour with an all-star lineup and eclectic set.
Gallery Credit: Bryan Rolli
