Home > Atlanta Music Scene > Archives > 2008 > July > 10 > Entry
Tom Petty’s Wayback Machine
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“We got a song here from 1979,” Tom Petty said, introducing “Even the Losers” from his “Damn the Torpedoes” album.
A young woman in the audience turned to her boyfriend and piped up: “We weren’t even born then!”
In a typical Tom Petty crowd, people who can’t legally drink yet stand and dance alongside people who could legally drink when Petty and his Heartbreakers had their first hit in 1977.
And every one of them sings every single word of “Free Fallin’.”
Petty, a touring machine, plays Atlanta with the regularity of ozone alerts, but Wednesday was his first time at Alpharetta’s new super shed, Encore Park. The evening started with a downpour that soaked early arrivers; some women who had dressed to impress instead had knee-high mud spatters, and many people stayed hunkered down in their ponchos even when the weather cleared.
Steve Winwood, who was a star even before some of the crowd’s elders were radio-aware, opened with a very strong jazz-rock backing band, sampling hits from throughout his long career: “I’m a Man,” “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” “Higher Love.”
Petty brought Winwood back partway through his headlining set to sing a high, feathery “Can’t Find My Way Home,” the biggest hit for his supergroup, Blind Faith, back in 1969. Then they set the Wayback Machine even further, for 1966, and launched into “Gimme Some Lovin’,” with Winwood on keyboards. Petty and his band turned into the world’s highest paid frat-house party band for about five minutes, chewing on that song’s great, greasy riff while the audience went nuts.
When it comes together, on a damp cloudy night with a couple of classic rockers having fun, a little geezer rock is a beautiful thing.
Comments
By rocker
July 10, 2008 10:48 AM | Link to this
Well, I was a junior at Berkmar high-school in Lilburn in 1977 when Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers had their first hit. I’ve never seen them live but I certainly want to (I have seen many, many other Classic Rock acts though,and I hope to make it to a Petty concert soon).
I’m just glad there are some younger folks that recognize good music in this era of TV produced pop stars, narrow radio programming formats, hip-hop/rap, depressing non-melodic hard rock, and hardly any new blues based rock on the radio.
By Sam
July 10, 2008 11:58 AM | Link to this
I was shocked that T Petty wasn’t the opening act for Steve Winwood. Winwood was way cool before TP knew anything about the word. That voice of Winwood’s! And he is a virtuoso on the piano and plays a mean guitar. I hope TP fans look into SW’s music and realize what a genius Winwood is. Look into pre-1980’s Steve Winwood music for REAL rock n roll! Thanks!
By Mark
July 10, 2008 4:03 PM | Link to this
Steve Winwood is an exceptional artist, a rock n roll hall of fame inductee —and deservedly so. That being said, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are the premier American rock n roll band out on the road today. They are the tightest band around, they are armed with a plethera of material to choose from, are rock n roll hall of famers themselves —and deservedly so.
This was a superb show from a band who, although they have played some of these songs a few thousand times during their long career, still present them with the professionalism, craftsmanship and energy that a great rock band should. They’re happy to be there, that translates to the crowd and everybody has a great time —band and fans.
This was the case last night. Steve Winwood opened up with a set which included cuts from his new album, Nine Lives, including the hit, Dirty City, along with such gems as I’m A Man, Dear Mr. Fantasy, Low Spark of High Heeled Boys and Empty Pages.
Petty & his Heartbreakers have an enormous catalog to choose from, but it’s still incredible to hear a crowd sing along to over half af a bands set list —as was the case. You Wreck Me, Listen To Her Heart, I Won’t Back Down, Even The Losers, Free Fallin’, Mary Jane’s Last Dance —how’s that for an opening six-pack!? Rebels was tossed into the set list as the tour headed south, and thr Traveling Wilbury’s End Of The Line was a pleasant surprise.
Steve Winwood came out to perform Can’t Find My Way Home and Gimme Some Lovin’ with the band. After Saving Grace, the lone cut played from the most recent Petty release, Highway Companion, fellow Mudcrutch member Tom Leadon came out to perform two Mudcrutch songs with the band. Mudcrutch was where TP & the HB’ers had their humble beginnings. Deep album cut from Wildflowers, Honey Bee, was followed by learning to Fly, Don’t Come Around Here No More, and Refugee, with the two-song attack of Runnin’ Down A Dream and American Girl closing out what was to be an exceptional night of rock n roll from one of the best rock n roll outfits in the entire history of the genre.
Thanks Tom, Mike, Belmont and company!
By TP fan
July 10, 2008 4:09 PM | Link to this
Where is the ajc review of this incredible concert from one of the premier bands in rock n roll?
http://tompettyandtheheartbreakerstour2008.blogspot.com/
This link provides set lists and dozens of well written reviews of the current TP & the Heartbreakers tour. Is this ‘blog’ blurb supposed to suffice for a review of the show? What a freakin’ joke —but it’s not like I didn’t expect it.
Thanks to the above poster, Mark, for writing what is ten-times better a review than the ajc writer.
By Paul DeVan
July 10, 2008 4:49 PM | Link to this
This was our 6th Petty concert and each one gets better! Tom Petty loves being Tom Petty on stage and his band is the top “classic” act America has bar none! The wife and I usually get 4 tickets and this time we decided to get 10! Good move as our 17-yr old son and his friends all said it was the best R&R show they’d ever seen…..I hope they take their kids to see TP and Heartbreakers someday and maybe they’ll drag us along too….
By marty
July 10, 2008 4:52 PM | Link to this
Petty was great when he played but Stevie Winwood played way too long and to bring him back out during Petty’s show was over the top ludicrous. I paid big bucks to see Petty perform all his hits and he only played for about 1 hour and 45 if that. In contrast the Eagles played for well over 3 hours. Because of all the time given to Winwood, Petty didn’t get to play some great hits like Kings highway, Good to be King, Last DJ and about 2 dozen other hits. Don’t waste your money if you expect to hear all his hits. Don’t get me wrong, he was great. Just didn’t get anywhere near enough of him.
By marty
July 10, 2008 4:55 PM | Link to this
Petty was great when he played but Stevie Winwood played way too long and to bring him back out during Petty’s show was over the top ludicrous. I paid big bucks to see Petty perform all his hits and he only played for about 1 hour and 45 if that. In contrast the Eagles played for well over 3 hours. Because of all the time given to Winwood, Petty didn’t get to play some great hits like Kings highway, Good to be King, Last DJ and about 2 dozen other hits. Don’t waste your money if you expect to hear all his hits. Don’t get me wrong, he was great. Just didn’t get anywhere near enough of him.
By marty
July 10, 2008 4:55 PM | Link to this
Petty was great when he played but Stevie Winwood played way too long and to bring him back out during Petty’s show was over the top ludicrous. I paid big bucks to see Petty perform all his hits and he only played for about 1 hour and 45 if that. In contrast the Eagles played for well over 3 hours. Because of all the time given to Winwood, Petty didn’t get to play some great hits like Kings highway, Good to be King, Last DJ and about 2 dozen other hits. Don’t waste your money if you expect to hear all his hits. Don’t get me wrong, he was great. Just didn’t get anywhere near enough of him.
By marty
July 10, 2008 4:56 PM | Link to this
Petty was great when he played but Stevie Winwood played way too long and to bring him back out during Petty’s show was over the top ludicrous. I paid big bucks to see Petty perform all his hits and he only played for about 1 hour and 45 if that. In contrast the Eagles played for well over 3 hours. Because of all the time given to Winwood, Petty didn’t get to play some great hits like Kings highway, Good to be King, Last DJ and about 2 dozen other hits. Don’t waste your money if you expect to hear all his hits. Don’t get me wrong, he was great. Just didn’t get anywhere near enough of him.
By joesizzle
July 10, 2008 7:22 PM | Link to this
the setlist was predictable, but still rockin’. the venue was nice, but the parking sucked balls. i’ll never, ever park in lot n again. it took us over an hour to get back to our ride when the show was over. what a nightmare.
By Lazy Writers Inc
July 10, 2008 8:41 PM | Link to this
TP Fan, you called it.
The AJC is not known for doing much original thinking or writing on anything local of any musical significance, until it gets written up elsewhere like the NYTimes or Rolling Stone. Then they are all over it. If its on Billboard with a bullet, then and only then do they love something local. And worse yet, most of the interesting music stories or reviews about artists in general they publish are syndicated from other news services. Check it out.
This has been the case for years and continues to be the case. You think they ever wrote something big about REM or The Indigo Girls or The Georgia Satellites before they had hit records? Ditto more recent breakthroughs like John Mayer or OutKast.
Lazy lazy clueless and more lazy.
By breakdown
July 11, 2008 1:10 AM | Link to this
Been to 12 Petty concert over the years and these boys are just the very very best!!!!! Last nights show was just the most amazing ever and I thank them with all my HEART!!LOVE YOU TOM!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!
By TP fan
July 16, 2008 3:54 PM | Link to this
Another review of TP that is light years ahead of the crappy Atlanta review.
Review : Palm Beach Post by Leslie Streeter
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Two Solid Hours of Incredible
What’s the loudest noise you can make, baby?”
The “baby” in question was the collective throng of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers fans Tuesday night at Sunrise’s BankAtlantic Center, pumped up from two hours of solid sing-along rock and roll. The person asking was Petty himself, his long thin face breaking into a teasing smile as the crowd, knowing that that the next thing they were about to hear were the distinctively jangly opening chords of “American Girl.”
And while it’s hard to recreate that loudest sound in words, it was something like the audible combination of anticipation, joy and appreciation. And rest assured…it was very, very loud.
Last night’s show, the first that the Gainesville-bred Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have done in their native state on this tour, was actually two shows in one. The first was a sprawling ’70s blues jam courtesy of Steve Winwood and his remarkably unchanged, elastic soul pipes. Winwood would figure prominently in some of the best moments of the Heartbreaker’s set as well, and while the two were markedly different - one psychedelically breezy with a Latin blues kick and the other straight-ahead rock and roll, their common denominator was their shared genesis in American roots music.
And the results? It was all demonstrated in that loud, righteous sound.
Petty’s strength as a performer, and as a songwriter, seems to be his earnestness. You know he means what he’s saying, whether he’s singing about the effects of a powerful woman (set opener “You Wreck Me”), about wearily accepting responsibility for breaking an innocent heart (the always emotionally galvanizing “Free Fallin’”) or just wanting an unpleasant woman out of your face (“Don’t Come Around Here No More,” which was delivered stripped down and erupted into an insistent jam.)
You might not always like what Petty has to say, particularly if you’re the chick he’s telling not to come around anymore. But at least you know he means it.
Early in the show, Petty had the techs bring up the house lights over the audience.
“That’s a good-looking crowd!” he said, in that distinctive, reedy drawl. “That’s a Florida crowd!”
The Heartbreakers have fans everywhere, obviously, but there’s no denying the affection for them in their home state. When Petty introduced the band, guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboard player Benmont Tench got the loudest applause, maybe because they’re original members and maybe because their introductions were proceeded with “and from Gainesville!”
The band works like a well-oiled machine, with even the newer members forming a tight, impenetrable force that delivered some of the Heartbreakers’ signature moments. Drummer Steve Ferrone, for instance, provided the brisk snare drum backdrop to the final verse of “Free Fallin’,” where the narrator prepares to abandon his love, regretting every step away from her but knowing he can’t stay. That drum line always gave me chills, and when the tall Ferrone leaned over to play it, it sounded even more to me like “Taps,” like the beginning of mourning.
That’s good stuff.
Also good was the aforementioned opening set by Winwood, which would have been a disappointment to casual fans only familiar with his 1980s’ comeback “Back In The Highlife.” But if you were in the mood for thoughtful, long jazz passages that melded Santana-like Latin rhythms into a couple of his biggest hits (a stripped down, mellowed-out “Higher Love” and a funkier, punchier “I’m A Man”). And they set the stage for Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” a big, gorgeous trip into psychedelic swirliness.
Later, Winwood returned to the stage to play “Gimme Some Lovin’” and “Can’t Find My Way Home” with the Heartbreakers, probably making a lot of fans very happy that he didn’t just stick to the swirly stuff, and making the usher in our section burst into a happy dance, swinging a couple of ladies on their way to the bathroom around and beaming. When his time on stage was over, Winwood hugged each of the Heartbreakers and seemed reluctant to leave just when the groove was getting good.
And even though the evening was a collective four hours of solid music, and it was time to let the Heartbreakers go sit down after putting in such an impressive effort, when it was over I kind of knew how Steve felt.