The iconic songwriter and his band are still at the top of their game
Classic rock legends Tom Petty & The Heart Breakers are in the midst of their 2014 tour in support of their newest album, Hypnotic Eye. The band’s 13th studio effort debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 via Warner Bros. Records, marking the first time one of the band’s LP’s claimed the top spot. This tour is another of many go-arounds for Petty and Co., and the boys are still at the top of their game. The songs are crisp and loud, and the band looks like their having a blast on stage.
They opened with a cover of The Byrds’ “So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star?”, which is very appropriate given that the band are the epitome of ‘rock star’ status at this point in their career. After the second song, their seminal “Last Dance with Mary Jane”, next came a new track, “American Dream Plan B” – Petty’s look at the American landscape in 2014.
I can’t help but think it’s a sequel of sorts to their classic hit “Runnin’ Down a Dream,” which they rocked out later in the set. Then Petty took a moment to address the packed PPL Center and set the tone for the evening. “I hope you all don’t have anywhere to be for the next two hours or so, because we have a lot of songs to play and we don’t have anywhere to be.”
From there, Petty and the Heartbreakers played three more songs of their new LP and plenty more fan favorites including “Refugee”, “Free Fallin'”, “I Won’t Back Down”, and others.
They closed out the stellar 18-song set with their signature hit “American Girl”.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers debuted in 1976 with their self-titled LP. Just three years later, they released Damn The Torpedoes which stands as arguably the band’s best overall effort. Throughout their career, the band has sold over 80 million records worldwide and produced some of the greatest classic rock anthems of all-time. Their current tour concludes on October 10 at The Forum in Los Angeles, CA.