Joe Perry

Transcribing Is a Bitch: The Collected Craig Hlavaty Interviews

My last official day at the Houston Press is tomorrow, so these past two weeks I have been sifting through my body of work here at Rocks Off, almost seven years of words. I've been gleefully overdosing on nostalgia here at my desk, and I have (almost) no regrets. I'll have some more words on my depa ... More >>

Top 10 Kitschy Pop-Related Gift Items to Give This Year

Thanksgiving is in ten days, and then we'll all be fully immersed in the holiday season. While shopping recently, I noticed that Taylor Swift now has her own greeting-card line featuring her photography and sweet words. If you were to receive one such card from a loved one, would you swell with fuz ... More >>

Last Night: Aerosmith & Cheap Trick at Toyota Center

Aerosmith, Cheap Trick Toyota Center July 30, 2012 It always happens. I go into an Aerosmith show full of hate and distrust of laser-lips Steven Tyler and the Aero Posse and end up half-enjoying myself despite all the reservations that the rest of the world pumps into my head. It's like when you a ... More >>

Aerosmith Returns with New Album

Band turns 42 years old.

Friday Night: Linus Pauling Quartet at Fitzgerald's

Linus Pauling Quartet, Modfag, From Beyond, Hearts of Animals Fitzgerald's June 22, 2012 Local long-running psych-rockers Linus Pauling Quartet have got a new album for us to inhale, and on Friday night, the city took its first rip. The performance was the first of three pre-release shows across th ... More >>

Years of Refusal: 8 More '80s Icons Who Should Follow Morrissey Into Retirement

Morrissey announced this week that he plans to retire in two years. That's tragic news in some circles, but we think it's a good move. In 2014, he'll turn 55, and the Smiths thing is never happening. How much longer is he supposed to do this? Another ten years 'til he's 65? He's Morrissey, not a Chi ... More >>

Bad Beef: 4 Examples Of Musical Feuds Gone Wrong

Competition is a good thing. It pushes people to work harder and be more creative. That drive to prove to the world that they're the best has lead musicians to some incredible heights. After all, competition gave us Pet Sounds and "Ether." Yet in the '10s, that competitive spirit has been pushed as ... More >>

Aerosmith & Cheap Trick Rock Toyota Center July 30

This morning Aerosmith, the band that wouldn't die (or refuses to go away), announced a Houston stop on this summer's "Global Warming" tour at Toyota Center Monday, July 30. Taking a break from the casino/state-fair circuit, Illinois power-pop heroes Cheap Trick open. Aerosmith is still be rumored ... More >>

Steven Tyler's National Anthem: Not Enough Zoobie-Dee-Dah Or Zippa-Doobie-Sha-Bop?

​I have now watched Steven Tyler's rendition of the National Anthem, that he performed before yesterday's big New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens championship game, about five times straight. I enjoyed it, because it's Steven Tyler and Steven Tyler is crazy as shit. Just read his recent ... More >>

Print Industry Troubles, As Analyzed by Chronicle Street Vendors

The newspaper industry hasn't been in the best of shape for a while now, and layoffs and buyouts and declining subscriptions are common. Besides the employees directly affected, hard times have also hit the people who will sell you the Houston Chronicle while you're waiting at intersections across ... More >>

Idol Beat: If You're Going To San Francisco, Try Not To Be A Beardo In A Sports Coat

​The surest way to piss off Steven Tyler - apart from being Joe Perry - is to butcher a Beatles song, which is the sin Dave Combs committed last night. But let's be honest, he didn't do *that* horrible a job. The former(?) Aerosmith front man is just a lot more forgiving if you profess your l ... More >>

Mullets & More: 17 Signature Musical Hairstyles

​If you have hair, Craig's Hlist hates you. Not in a "you shot my whole family" or "you are the serial killer who dissolved my sibling in a vat of acid" way, more in a "you got the last sausage and cheese kolaches at the office" way. Our hair loss began sometime in high school, when we were ... More >>

Last Night: Aerosmith At Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Ed. note: See a slideshow from Thursday night's concert with Aerosmith and Sammy Hagar here. Photos by Groovehouse​Aerosmith Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion August 5, 2010 Remember when you were little and would watch your parents fight around the house? Everyone can relate, unless you grew ... More >>

Train Keeps A-Rollin'

Aerosmith expects first album in nine years.

Pop Rocks: Katy Perry -- Boob Job

​There are a lot of musicians with the surname "Perry." There's Joe Perry, venerable (and occasionally addled) guitarist for venerable rock group Aerosmith; Steve Perry, still the only vocalist of any distinction for Journey; Lee "Scratch" Perry, the possibly insane creator of dub music; Linda ... More >>

Whoa! 21 Famous Musicians' High-School Yearbook Photos

Willie Nelson, the LAST time he had his hair short.​While Rocks Off was seeking out the best rock star yearbook photos for this blog, we came to a conclusion: Everyone was ugly in their yearbook photos, except Gwen Stefani and Beyonce Knowles. Everyone else looks weird as hell, or nothing like the ... More >>

Dave Mustaine, Johnny Ramone, ZZ Top And A Few Other Right-Wing Rockers

​ Most people wouldn't associate right-wing conservative politics with dirty rock and rollers, but you would be surprised. Not all rock cats are card-carrying communists and lily-livered liberals trying to save the sacred animal of the week and converting their buses to biodiesel. In fact, many ol ... More >>

The 11 Stupidest Events from the World of Music, 2009 Edition

Hi there, 2009. Please have a seat. Are you comfortable? Would you like some coffee, or perhaps a cigarette? No? Okay, good. Let's just cut straight to the point, then. You suck, and frankly we're sick of your bullshit. You were an awful year, filled not just with economic collapse, scary right-wi ... More >>

Buyer Beware: Bands With Different Lead Singers Are Almost Never Up to the Original Standards

A few Saturdays ago, Rocks Off was in the grocery store a few blocks from our house, slumming around Oak Forest wearing sandals and an old Misfits T-shirt when a group of junior-high punk rockers approached and applauded us for our good taste. We got to talking about the band, and they remarked tha ... More >>

"Rock Your World" Hot Sauce, Anyone? Like Kenny "Roaster" Rogers, Musicians Will Give Their Name to Anything

​This is how we want to remember you, Kenny.​Kenny Rogers brings his vast collection of hits and the plastic-surgery disaster he calls a face to Jones Hall to perform with the Houston Symphony tonight, and obviously Rocks Off's extremities are sweating profusely in anticipation. Not because he c ... More >>

Pink Floyd, Dr. Dre, Velvet Underground and Other Artists We're Glad Discovered Drugs

It was 45 years ago this past Friday... that Bob Dylan met the Beatles for the first time and, more importantly for Rocks Off's purposes, introduced them to marijuana. While this meeting of musical titans would never lead to any actual musical collaboration or "Monsters of Hippie Rock" series of co ... More >>

Aftermath: ZZ Top and Aerosmith at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Photos by Mark C. Austin Make all the Guitar Hero jokes you want. Whatever it is that's kept ZZ Top and Aerosmith in the public eye for almost four decades - video games or beards-n-babes videos, Back to the Future cameos or Michael Bay ballads, bee-stung lips or cheap sunglasses - they've never for ... More >>

Last Call for ZZ Top/Aerosmith Lookalike Contest

Courtesy Tom Degler Rocks Off is a little disappointed we haven't gotten more response to our call for ZZ Top and Steven Tyler lookalikes - we are giving away a four-pack of lawn tickets to Friday's ZZ/Aerosmith show, after all. Yes, it's a little hot for all that facial hair, but we're fairly sure ... More >>

Things the Devil Should Have Done Besides Go Down to Georgia

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the release of the Charlie Daniels Band's "The Devil Went Down To Georgia." The song, which climbed all the way to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and lives on today as a "boss battle" in Guitar Hero 3, made its first appearance on the group's 1979 album Million M ... More >>

Discounted Woodlands Lawn Seats All Day

Craig HlavatyUntil midnight tonight, the folks over at Live Nation are selling all lawn tickets to shows way out in the woody, mall-y expanses of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion for just $24.99. The concert conglomerate has been running deals on Hump Day for about the past month to alleviate all ... More >>

ZZ Top, Aerosmith Hit Woodlands July 17

Mark C. AustinMonday morning, word came down from Aerosmith and ZZ Top's respective camps, via Billboard, that the two boogie-rocking bands are teaming up for a massive world tour. After some digging, Rocks Off found out the tour makes its Houston-area stop Friday, July 17, at the Cynthia Wood ... More >>

Aftermath: Toby Keith at RodeoHouston

Photos by Mark C. AustinIt's easy to see why Toby Keith is so popular... until he opens his mouth to sing. The 47-year-old singer, actor and tireless Ford pitchman has the kind of easygoing, big-galoot charisma that would make him an ideal drinking buddy. No doubt that's why so many of his so ... More >>

Tonight: "Live In Texas" Photo Exhibit at Cactus Music

Stephanie Alexander ZZ Top, alive and well in Grand PrairieCool photo, huh? That's the work of Cy-Fair native Stephanie Alexander, who now has one of the choicest jobs any music-loving camera hound could hope for - even if it is in Dallas: house photographer for American Airlines Arena, the ... More >>

Starry Lullabye

Ailing Houston-area native David Schnaufer has taken the Appalachian dulcimer to the mountaintop

Adieu, Monsieur Mojo

...And other SXSW adventures

Damn, That DJ Made My Day

Jam Master Jay, 1965-2002

Racket

Pinpointing when Texas music jumped the shark

Static

Steven's Lament

The Tesh Touch

So John Tesh was a TV star? Hey, don't blame him -- he didn't want it.

Live Shots