New York, NY – Nick Perri is not one of the most flamboyant or eccentric guitar players you will ever get to see or hear. But he is one of the most under-appreciated and hardest working musicians and kindest humans that you’ll ever get to meet. While Perri has been known for his time with blues/rock band Silvertide, since then he has worked with countless artists like Shinedown, Perry Farrell, and Matt Sorum, to name a few. He also has his own project that started just a couple of years ago, Nick Perri and the Underground Thieves. TUT, for short, released an album last year entitled Sun Via and are currently scheduled to record their follow-up effort in January. And while it might have only been 36 degrees outside, inside the Rockwood Music Hall – things were really heating up.
Since The Underground Thieves are on a short holiday break before recording their next album, Nick is doing a small intimate solo electric tour. He also brought a familiar friend and another good human with him for this particular date. Former lead singer and songwriter of Silvertide, Walt Lafty. Walt opened up the evening for Nick by performing some of his own material that he has written and recorded. In particular, one song, “Suicide Hill”, a location in Montgomery park in Philadelphia, talked about growing up as a child to a young adult with topics covering love, mischief, fatherhood, and friends lost. The song tugged at a lot of the heartstrings of those in attendance. On a much lighter and comical side, Lafty also spoke about when he was in a car accident, and the other driver sucker-punched him, knocking him out cold. Coming too in an ambulance and asking what happened to the guy that punched him, all he got from the officer was, “So, which way were you traveling..?” While the driver was nowhere to be found, Walt got his revenge by doing what he does best. Writing about the incident and cementing “Joseph A. Fields” in the annals of musical history. Walt is a fantastic songwriter and I look forward to hearing more material from him soon.
When Walt finished his set, Nick Perri was up. If you have never seen him perform live, the man exudes music. There are no pre-planned onstage poses like what you might see from of the more prominent bands while they perform. What he feels onstage while playing the guitar and singing is what you get. A true throwback to Santana, Jimi Hendrix, and Keith Richards, Nick Perri is in the moment up on the stage, with his foot stomping, bouncing up and down, swaying, and even the headbanging during his performance. Whatever he is feeling from his tone, music, and the crowd, feeds into his performance. Perri opened up his set with a few TUT songs, “Excess”, “Feeling Good,” and “I Want You.” While the majority of his set was electric, Nick was able to slide in a few acoustic pieces. This included introducing the crowd to a fantastic new song entitled “Sunset To Sunset.” Of course, since Walt Lafty is opening for him, the crowd was treated to a couple of acoustic versions of Silvertide songs when Nick Perri invited Walt up on stage. Both performed “To See Where I Hide” and “California Rain” from the Silvertide album, Show and Tell. Nick also performed a song entitled, “I Want To Be Free,” about being held back by your mind with self-doubt, and just turning off your brain and going out and doing what you’re passionate about and love, and not worrying about if you mess it up.
Getting to see Nick Perri perform any time live is a remarkable experience. I’ve often counted him as one of the most underrated and underappreciated musicians today. I mentioned that Nick is a true throwback to an age when guitarists performed, and the music flowed freely from them on the stage, and it took over their bodies. Something that I think gets lost with many musicians today who are out trying to write the next hit song or play as fast as they can. Nick Perri is writing and recording music that matters. If he’s coming to a town near you, don’t miss the chance to see it happen.
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Setlist:
Let You Know
Feeling Good
I Want You
Sunset To Sunset
My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue) – Neil Young Cover
To See Where I Hide (Silvertide acoustic cover with Walt Lafty)
California Rain (Silvertide acoustic cover with Walt Lafty)
I Want To Be Free
Excess
Showdate: 12/9/2021
