Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Written by Andy Argyrakis
Photos by Niva Bringas
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Even though Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers have
been in business for three decades, its members remain
as insistent as they were during its beginning phases.
They may have aged a bit physically but remained
sonically relevant during a two night stop at
Chicago’s Charter One Pavilion in support of its front
man’s latest solo CD Highway Companion. The release
finds the tunesmith heading in an earthier direction,
though on stage new songs and classic hits came alive
like a rollicking rock n’ roll spectacle. The first
show of the stand began with a bang thanks to two of
the gang’s most popular tunes "Listen To Her Heart"
and "Mary Jane's Last Dance.” Both oozed with guitar
drenched aggression and were smothered in the
audience’s sing-a-long, which reached even more
overpowering degrees come “Free Fallin.’”
Petty’s latest single “Saving Grace” found itselfsm.jpg)
beefed up well beyond its sparse studio arrangement,
though the band’s raucous attitude truly settled in
come the Chuck Berry cover "Too Much Monkey Business."
However he really hit home with original anthems such
as “Don’t Come Around Here No More” and “American
Girl,” while the mellower, acoustically entrenched
“Learning To Fly” served as the show’s emotional peak.
“You Wreck Me” rounded out the evening signifying
Petty & The Heartbreakers as such a vital force that
even the show’s incredibly famous openers were
completely forgotten.
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