Here's where I get to indulge in some shameless, professional media name-dropping, of which I am most proud.
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Joined Rick Berlin’s Boston-based cult band, Orchestra Luna after only one year at Berklee. Remained with Luna and its later manifestation for eleven years, passing up offers to play with Meatloaf, Split Enz and Jon Butcher Axis. Chose to continue my collaboration with Berlin, producing songs that gained an avid local following, but never quite found their way into their deserved mainstream of popular music. During that time, however, did enjoy recognition as one of Boston’s greatest rock guitarists and singers.
•As Berlin Airlift, the band received extensive local airplay and developed a large following in Boston and New York leading to the release of a self-titled record on Handshake Records (distributed by CBS). The self-released “Professionally Damaged” followed. Three of the band’s songs from that time made it to number one on WBCN’s top 3 local countdown. “Over the Hill” held the number one position for seven weeks.
•As a studio musician, recorded with Karla Devito—backing vocalist in Orchestra Luna and singer with Meatloaf (on tour known as the girl in “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”) on her Epic Record’s release of “Is This a Cool World or What”.
•Played guitar on the Kirshner / CBS debut album of singer Didi Stewart, and numerous other Boston band recording sessions.
•Remained in the Boston area playing with several local bands of my own before joining singer / songwriter John Hiatt’s band.
•Toured North America with Little Feat, and Australia and New Zealand with Robert Cray. Appeared with Hiatt’s band on Late Nite with David Letterman and The Tonight Show.
•Following the John Hiatt tour, joined the Boston band T.H. and the Wreckage and played on that band’s independently released CD “Still Running”.
•Sang lead vocal and played slide guitar on the recording of “Never Say Never” by Tom Beyer & Rossi Kane, winners of Billboard song contest—rock category, performed at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville Tennessee.
•With my band, The Human Condition, debuted at Mama Kin as part of the AIDS benefit "Rock the Block". For the last 7 years, my bands have played at the annual AIDS WALK, the biggest fund-raising event for AIDS ACTION.
•My recording of “Blue Light” which was co-written with a recent collaborator, Johnny Ray, is included on the last release from Varulven Records, Boston Rocks #20. The Boston Phoenix’s Brett Milano wrote “...’Blue Light’ is a moving number by Steven Paul Perry, formerly the ace guitarist in Berlin Airlift. The song describes his ache to pick up his guitar and get back into the spotlight—‘I give my soul to rock-and-roll’ he shouts at the peak. Usually a line like this would be a cliché, but here you can tell that Perry means it, and you’re glad that he’s getting his wish.”
•Fulfilled a lifelong dream of owning a Recording Studio, which is near completion in the basement of my home in the west suburbs of Boston, MA. This is where most of the work will be done on my upcoming CD to be released later this year.
•In September of '03, I played with John Butcher. It was a completion of a long history of us being peers on the scene and not getting to play with each other. I enjoyed it very much, adding my slide guitar abilities to his East Coast band.
