TOM PETTY and the HEARTBREAKERS will tour the U.S. this summer, beginning June 26 in Sioux Falls, SD. They will also headline opening night of Bonnaroo NE 2003 festival Friday, August 8 at Enterprise Park at Calverton in Riverhead, New York. For summer tour presale ticket information, visit www.tompetty.com.
TOM PETTY and the HEARTBREAKERS--MIKE CAMPBELL (guitars), BENMONT TENCH (keyboards), RON BLAIR (bass), SCOTT THURSTON (guitars, harmonica, backing vocals) and STEVE FERRONE (drums)—were recently in Chicago to tape a "Soundstage" PBS special, set to air July 3. This will be followed July 10 with a second "Soundstage" special, comprised entirely of footage from a one-time event the band taped last October at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles when they performed THE LAST DJ album from beginning to end (backed on some songs by a 40-piece orchestra).
While in Chicago, the band played a sold-out five-night residency at Chicago's intimate Vic Theatre, varying their sets with hits, rarely performed gems and wide-ranging covers. The band, who once played 20-consecutive shows at The Fillmore in San Francisco, performed over 30 songs each night, including numbers by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, J.J. Cale, The Animals and the Traveling Wilburys. Local station WXRT broadcast 10 minutes live from every show (April 13, 14, 16, 17), with the final concert (Saturday, April 19) broadcast live in its entirety on the station. Fans in attendance were not only seeing shows that ran close to three hours; as they exited, they're were given a free commemorative poster of the event.
Here are some live reviews from the Sunday, April 13 show at The Vic:
"…Petty's most adventurous set of music on a Chicago stage in more than a decade…It's about Petty and the Heartbreakers taking their time, digging deep and mining their pasts as musical appreciators for inspiration. It's a rare opportunity to see Petty not just as a star, which he is, but as a musician and a fan…this week, his roots are showing, and it's a fascinating glimpse into the mind, soul and inspiration of one of the rock 'n' roll greats." -- Greg Kot, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, April 15, 2003
"This was a rare opportunity to see one of the best arena acts in rock up close and personal, stretching out, jamming and taking chances that it could never take in the enormodomes. And the group delivered a truly unique experience…Petty's secret weapons were the amazingly versatile keyboardist Benmont Tench and longstanding lead guitarist Mike Campbell, who was as impressive firing off leads on his Les Paul during the louder numbers as he was while finger-picking an electric mandolin during the 12-song acoustic set…an inspired, energetic, revealing and consistently thrilling performance--a gift from one of rock's greats." --Jim DeRogatis, CHICAGO SUN TIMES, April 15, 2003
"…the band stocked its 30-song setlist with covers that left no influence undone. They included a punk-driven version of The Animals' 'I'm Crying,' the Rolling Stones' early garage rock blues 'Down Home Girl,' Buddy Holly's signature 'Peggy Sue,' Chuck Berry rockabilly gem 'Carol' and Ray Charles' 'I Got A Woman,' with Petty adding Elvis Presley's leg twitch and hubba-hubba inflection…Petty is at an age when most his peers have creatively peaked and are downshifting to take advantage of fan loyalty with through-the-roof ticket prices for nostalgia tours void of adventure but rich in formula…he is continuing a rich career whose legacy is still in the present, not past, tense." --Mark Guarino, DAILY HERALD, April 15, 2003
TOM PETTY and the HEARTBREAKERS tour dates (more to come):
Thu 6/26 Sioux Falls, SD Sioux Falls Arena
Sat 6/28 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest--Marcus Amphitheatre
Mon 6/30 Cedar Rapids, IA US Cellular Center
Tue 7/1 Council Bluffs, IA Mid America Center
Thu 7/3 Rapid City, SD Rushmore Plaza
Sat 7/5 Bozeman, MT Brick Breeden Fieldhouse
Tue 7/8 Bismarck, ND Bismarck Civic Center
Wed 7/9 Duluth, MN Decc Arena
Fri 7/11 Mankato, MN Mid West Arena
Sun 7/13 Peoria, IL Civic Center
Fri 8/8 Riverhead, NY Enterprise Park at Calverton
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