Tom Petty has retro plans for summer

He’s celebrating 30 years on the road with old friends, old songs and a film in the works.
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY
The Associated Press

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers are marking 30 years of touring this summer on a special trip that will have guests like Stevie Nicks and Pearl Jam, a batch of old Heartbreakers songs going back to the first album and a filmmaker.

“It’s not the most creative place as far as writing,” he said of the road. “And I think if you do take some time away, you come back with a much better band and a lot more enthusiasm for it.
“But I don’t get tired. We’re in such a nice position right now, things have gone so well. I have people approach me on the streets and say, ‘Thanks for writing the soundtrack to my life.’ I can’t tell you how good that makes me feel as a songwriter.”

The filmmaker is Peter Bogdanovich, who is doing a documentary on the band. He’s taping this tour as well as looking at past footage that he’ll piece together for a movie.

“We’ve given him a lot more access than we’ve ever given anyone,” Petty said. “He does follow us around with cameras, interviewing us, talking to lots of people. He’s spent a great deal of time going through footage of the last 30 years. So we have high hopes for the movie.”

“I don’t want it from my point of view ... sometimes we’re miked all day and it’s a little nerve-racking, but I’m really glad that somebody of that caliber wants to get this story down, because it is quite a story, and I think it deserves to be archived.”

Petty is also doing some sidework as a DJ for XM Satellite radio, where he plays vintage rock.
“The nice thing that I didn’t really count about it is so many young people write in and tell us that they had no knowledge of this music at all, and are getting turned on to things. I had a girl write in who never heard of Chuck Berry. And she was in her teens and was thanking me for discovering Chuck.”