Zak Perry & The Beautiful Things
The Missing Check Mark and the Impossible Bio
The first question one asks when being tasked with drafting a web bio for an artist whose career spans 30 years is ‘why would this be necessary?’
Certainly any artist with an ongoing career that is on the cusp of its 30th year and includes life on 2 continents, the release of 14 albums and 1 EP and includes a roster of current and former members that hovers around approximately 37 members (28 of which were bass players) must be suitably well known enough to render the inclusion of some truncated, “quick read” web bio on their website completely redundant, right?
The answer to that is ‘yes, and explains why acts like The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, The Foo Fighters, Z.Z. Top, Pearl Jam, AC/DC, hell any act that already has one (likely several) full length biographies written about them by now, don’t bother to include a bio on their websites.
And yet…here we are.
Because, while the group at the center of this bio checks almost all the boxes of the standard “30 years and still going strong” rock and roll group checklist, the one absent check mark happens to be next to the most important item – “world renowned”. That’s right, while they have no trouble meeting the standards like still having at least 2 original members, actively performing and creating and releasing new material, double digit full album releases (including 2 live albums), multiple former members both living and dead, playing across stages both large and small across 2 continents…few people know who they are.
And so, here I am faced with writing an appropriately “web-site length” bio for a group that has enough suitably important and interesting rock and roll history to warrant at least one full length biography. It is, one may say, an Impossible Biography all due to that 1 missing check mark.
The Long Road to 30 Years
The long and winding road of Zak Perry & The Beautiful Things began in the late ’90s when Missouri-born songwriter and guitarist Zak Perry crossed paths with Jersey born/New York bred guitarist Vern Vennard in New York City. Both had already paid their dues—Zak as a St. Louis club veteran with original songs like Summertime spinning on KSHE and opening slots for Cheap Trick, Rick Derringer and Ace Frehley (among others) a standard occurrence, and Vern as a working guitarist, guitar tech, and audio engineer brushing elbows with everyone from Bo Diddley and Blondie to Aerosmith.
After near-death experiences (no, really…literally both were run over by vehicles in separate incidents prior to meeting), a chance introduction through songwriter and producer Tim Beattie sparked a partnership that still drives the band three decades later. What started as Mad River and became Ma Driver, then transitioning into The Zak Perry Band, finally found its true name and identity in 2015, when Zak floated the idea of calling the band Zak Perry & The Beautiful Things.
Milestones & Highlights
• First Release: Ma Driver (2001), recorded in Austin’s Treehouse Studio, engineered and mastered by Dave McNair (David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen).
• Albums: 14 full studio albums, 2 live albums, 1 EP — reissued under the Beautiful Things name.
• Tours & Festivals: From Memphis in May (2000) to Europe’s Raismes Fest in France (sharing the bill with The Darkness) and a sold-out show at Paris’ famed Trabendo Theater.
• Shared Stages: Opened for acts including Head East, Laura Cox, and Bad Company.
• Recognition: “Mama” reached #1 on Texas Top 40 radio; multiple appearances on Songwriters Across Texas.
• TV/Radio Presence: Appearances on Austin in the Morning and countless radio interviews across the U.S. and Europe (St. Louis, Houston, Paris, Lille, Amsterdam).
Where They Are Now
Thirty years in, Zak Perry & The Beautiful Things remain relentlessly creative. Their most recent album, Miles To Go (2024), was tracked at Houston’s legendary SugarHill Studios, proof that the fire hasn’t dimmed. The band continues to gig across both the U.S. and Europe, with a fully European rhythm section anchoring their overseas tours.
Despite the years, Zak’s songwriting remains the band’s true compass. What began as a natural gift developed in clubs from St. Louis to New York City to Austin, Texas has become honed into a mature, individually unmistakable voice in rock and roll—equal parts grit, melody, poetry and soul. Even after 14 albums, he continues to refine his craft, pushing himself deeper into the art form as if perfection is always just one song away.
Supporting this core facet of the band for the duration, Zak and Vern have kept the ship afloat through a staggering amount of lineup changes (current estimates put the number of bass players at 27), industry letdowns, and the simple insanity of choosing to chase original rock and roll for three decades.
Call it madness. Call it dedication. Call it Beautiful.
Because here’s the truth: very few bands can say they’ve lasted this long, made this much music, and kept their original spark intact. Whether anyone outside the circle of diehards and fellow musicians has noticed is, at this point, irrelevant. Zak Perry & The Beautiful Things are still here, still recording, still touring, and still proving that the material is either that fucking good…or that they’re certifiably insane.
Probably both.