Tom Petty Review

Winston-Salem, NC -- I don't have much time to post an in-depth concert review of the Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers show from last Saturday. I've seen some "ol' timer" bands in my day -- Stevie Nicks, The Allman Brothers, Bruce Springsteen, and U2 (of course) -- but I have never seen an ol' timer play as many of their greatest hits than Tom Petty. Usually, these oldies are trying to promote a new album and they'll mix in some classic tunes into the set list. Anyway, here is the (short) 18-song set list from Saturday night's show in Raleigh:

• You Wreck Me
• Listen to Her Heart
• I Won't Back Down
• Even the Losers
• Free Fallin'
• Mary Jane
• Sweet William
• End of the Line
• Breakdown
• Saving Grace
• Honey Bee
• You Don't Know How It Feels
• Learning to Fly
• Don't Come Around Here No More
• Refugee
• Runnin' Down A Dream*
• Mystic Eyes*
• American Girl*

* = Encore.

As you can see, these are pretty recognizable songs, even for the casual fan. The only ones that I wasn't familiar with were Sweet William and Mystic Eyes. Mystic Eyes, featuring some "talk-singing" (what is the technical name of that?) was unimpressive. Learning to Fly was done acoustically. Don't Come Around Here No More had the signature opening drum beat, which was cool. My favorite song was I Won't Back Down. I'm a big fan of drums and bass together in live acts, and you get just that in this hit. Petty paid a tribute to his Traveling Wilbury days with a cool rendition of End of the Line. And finally, Saving Grace, a neat hit from his most recent album in 2006, was expanded into a 7-minute piece. Great song if you've never heard of it.

My mom mentioned to me that when she saw him two years ago, Petty would leave the stage for several minutes during solo acts to puff on the ol' tobacco. I didn't spot any such sightings on Saturday night. Perhaps he gave it up... on Tobacco Road?

All in all, a fantastic show -- check him out the next time he comes around here.