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Running Down A Dream...Again and Again |
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Written by and photos by ANDREW GOODMAN
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Tuesday, 16 September 2008 |
Tom Petty just knows all the tricks. Wearing a gristle beard on a cool night in Irvine, Petty and his Heartbreaker friends didn’t leave anyone disappointed. Coming out to “You Wreck Me”, standing next to Mike Campbell and his dreads, Petty looked right at home. The set sounded like a greatest hits compilation but also included the Traveling Wilbury’s tune “End of the Line.” The stage was beautifully lit but at times it was too busy for the eye. The coolest elements were the small screens that hung above the stage with obvious attention on Mr. Petty.
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Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers with special guest Steve Winwood
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 Entertainment
Art
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Irvine, CA
August 22, 2008
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I hadn’t seen Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in a few years but the set sounded the same. But there’s nothing wrong with that when you and your closest few thousand friends can sing along to almost every single song and hum along to every Mike Campbell solo. “American Girl” never gets old and neither does Petty. He expertly mixes his newer singles into the show and never lets up. As he ages, you would think that his energy would go down, but all signs show the contrary. With age, Petty sings with a different heir of life experience, knowledge and rugged confidence.
Steve Winwood was the opener on this co-headlining bill for classic rock enthusiasts. He rocked behind the keyboard with his jazzy band and whipped out classics like “Higher Love” and “Dear Mr. Fantasy.” After memories of Winwood and Petty’s collaborative “Gimme Some Lovin’” from the Hollywood Bowl show from earlier in the year, hearing Steve Winwood perform it solo was exciting but a partial let-down. There is no question that much like Petty, Steve Winwood has decades of different music, bands, and songs to pull from. On this night, all of the songs had a meringue or jazz flare but the crowd of mostly baby-boomers didn’t seem to care. They moved and (what looked like) “danced” along eagerly awaiting for Petty.
Although it is unfortunate that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers directly duplicated the set list from performances earlier in the year that took place at the same venue, Tom Petty is always reliable and the songs always sound good. But, I for one am excited for new material from the current Heartbreaker, ex Mudcrutcher and secret Wilbury. Every few years, without fail, Tom Petty continues to work with new talented musicians, produce multi-layered records and always creates something worth listening to. Until then, I am going to listen to “Honey Bee” on loop for a while.
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petty is the man
Written by Guest on 2008-09-12 01:17:09
Tom Petty and his band are the best live band out there! Always have been! They never fail to put on a perfect concert. They're better every tour! Keep it up guys!!!! We LOVE you!
FOUR +++ stars | yer words are makin' me ...
Written by Guest on 2008-09-12 11:49:56
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