An Important Fan In The Family
Hartford Courant, CT
February 7, 2008
It's not easy impressing a guy who has written some of rock music's signature riffs, but every once in a while, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry is struck by the music coming from his own basement.
That's where two of his sons, Tony and Adrian, write and record songs for their own band, TAB, a trio that evokes loud, messy '60s-style rock 'n' roll.
"There's been more than once when I've been sitting upstairs and gone, 'Crap, I wish I'd written that riff,'" Perry says by phone from Sarasota, Fla., before joining his sons on stage Friday at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
The younger Perrys laugh when they hear that.
"The compliments do not flow easily from him; that's just his personality," Adrian Perry, 27, says during a separate interview with him and his brother. "That's the cool thing: When he says something like that, he really thinks the riff is good, and because he's written some good ones himself, when he thinks the riff is good, it must be really good."
Adrian, Joe Perry's son from his first marriage, grew up separately from Tony, 21, but they discovered a musical affinity while jamming in their father's home studio over the years during holiday visits and the like. Last year, they codified it, forming an official band with friend Ben Tileston on drums. They've already released an album, "Pulling Out Just Enough To Win" (NorthStreet), with another slated to come out later this year, and the band is playing next month at the annual South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.
Yet setting aside time to write and rehearse can be challenging: Adrian is in his third year at Georgetown Law in Washingtonand Tony is studying audio engineering at Boston University.
"We just find time," Tony Perry says. "We play on the weekends and fit work in when we can. We try to make it happen because we love doing it so much."
Although the brothers have taken care to distinguish themselves from their famous father, the opportunity to play as his backing band in concert strikes them as a pretty generous endorsement.
"When the opportunity came up to play with Dad on a show, we thought it was cool, because if he thinks we're good enough to play with him, that says a lot," Adrian Perry says.
It's technically Joe Perry's gig, and accordingly, some of the set will comprise songs from his solo albums, along with tunes he sings with Aerosmith, such as "Bright Light Fright." The rest of the show, though, will feature a handful of TAB's songs and a few covers — possibly including an Aerosmith song or two.
"I'd just as soon sit in on their songs because they have some kick-ass songs," Joe Perry says.
Joe Perry performs with TAB Friday [tonight] at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Tickets for the 9 p.m. show are $66 and $55. Information: 800-200-2882.
February 7, 2008
It's not easy impressing a guy who has written some of rock music's signature riffs, but every once in a while, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry is struck by the music coming from his own basement.
That's where two of his sons, Tony and Adrian, write and record songs for their own band, TAB, a trio that evokes loud, messy '60s-style rock 'n' roll.
"There's been more than once when I've been sitting upstairs and gone, 'Crap, I wish I'd written that riff,'" Perry says by phone from Sarasota, Fla., before joining his sons on stage Friday at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
The younger Perrys laugh when they hear that.
"The compliments do not flow easily from him; that's just his personality," Adrian Perry, 27, says during a separate interview with him and his brother. "That's the cool thing: When he says something like that, he really thinks the riff is good, and because he's written some good ones himself, when he thinks the riff is good, it must be really good."
Adrian, Joe Perry's son from his first marriage, grew up separately from Tony, 21, but they discovered a musical affinity while jamming in their father's home studio over the years during holiday visits and the like. Last year, they codified it, forming an official band with friend Ben Tileston on drums. They've already released an album, "Pulling Out Just Enough To Win" (NorthStreet), with another slated to come out later this year, and the band is playing next month at the annual South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.
Yet setting aside time to write and rehearse can be challenging: Adrian is in his third year at Georgetown Law in Washingtonand Tony is studying audio engineering at Boston University.
"We just find time," Tony Perry says. "We play on the weekends and fit work in when we can. We try to make it happen because we love doing it so much."
Although the brothers have taken care to distinguish themselves from their famous father, the opportunity to play as his backing band in concert strikes them as a pretty generous endorsement.
"When the opportunity came up to play with Dad on a show, we thought it was cool, because if he thinks we're good enough to play with him, that says a lot," Adrian Perry says.
It's technically Joe Perry's gig, and accordingly, some of the set will comprise songs from his solo albums, along with tunes he sings with Aerosmith, such as "Bright Light Fright." The rest of the show, though, will feature a handful of TAB's songs and a few covers — possibly including an Aerosmith song or two.
"I'd just as soon sit in on their songs because they have some kick-ass songs," Joe Perry says.
Joe Perry performs with TAB Friday [tonight] at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Tickets for the 9 p.m. show are $66 and $55. Information: 800-200-2882.
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