COURTNEY DEVORES
Special to the Observer
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' 30th anniversary tour kicked off Friday night in Charlotte at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.
Petty and his band came onstage after an opening set by former Phish front-man Trey Anastasio. Flanked by a teardrop shaped Vox guitar and wearing a blank velvet blazer, red shirt and tie, Petty launched into 1978's "Listen to Her Heart." He followed that up with a string of crowd pleasers -- "You Don't Know How It Feels," "Won't Back Down" and "Free Fallin'," which had the audience loudly singing along.
Petty voiced his gratitude after "Saving Grace," a new song from the forthcoming album "Highway Companion" that he said they'd never played live before.
"I'm always scared to play a new song," he said afterward. The John Lee Hooker-style tune received a great response from the crowd that remained standing.
You didn't have to own any of Petty's albums to truly enjoy the show because it was so rich in radio hits.
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