The Emotional Weight of Stephen Perkins’ ArtistFirst Collection and Its Musical Legacy

Drummer Stephen Perkins has teamed up with ANALOGr to offer a selection of instruments and musical items used throughout his career. The Stephen Perkins ArtistFirst Collection primarily brings together drum kits and percussion pieces connected to Jane’s Addiction, Porno for Pyros, and other projects he has been part of for more than three decades.

The collection includes instruments Perkins took both into the studio and onto the stage. Among them are the drum kit used during Jane’s Addiction’s 1997 reunion tour, when Flea joined the band as bassist, as well as pieces connected to “Strays,” the “Just Because” video, and the NIN/JA tour.

A maple DW drum kit built in 1992, with a bright orange finish and a 24-inch bass drum wrapped in an intense orange marmalade hue, sits at the center of the archive. Perkins used it to record Porno for Pyros’ debut album and later took it on the road. The archive also includes drum kits used during the band’s final tour and sessions held in 2024, while the percussion setup Perkins used to perform “Chip Away” live adds another piece of his long-running connection to the song.

These instruments offer a journey through different stages of a career that began in the Los Angeles music scene in the late 1980s. As a founding member of Jane’s Addiction and the drummer for Porno for Pyros, Perkins developed a playing style in which rock coexists with funk, experimentation, and an expansive approach to percussion.

Each drum kit bears the marks of the years and places it has passed through. Worn finishes, used drumheads, and the traces of repeated performances give each piece a physical record of its history.

A portion of the proceeds from the drum sales will benefit the Watts Conservatory of Music, where Perkins serves as a board member, teacher, and performer. The institution offers free music lessons to people interested in learning to play an instrument and currently operates at Verbum Dei Jesuit High School. The sale will give these instruments new homes while supporting free music education in Watts.

Learn more about the Stephen Perkins ArtistFirst Collection on ANALOGr and follow Stephen Perkins on Instagram.