Petty shines on forgotten gems

By Eric Lochridge, Journal Copy Editor

RAPID CITY -- If Steely Dan is the band the kills a party, then Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is the one that doesn't let it die.

It took them more than 25 years, but a gracious Petty and the Heartbreakers finally found their way to Rapid City, and the audience Thursday night at an almost-full Rushmore Plaza Civic Center arena clearly was ready for the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers' arrival.

Of course, we knew they couldn't go wrong with an arsenal of classics including "American Girl," "Refugee" and "The Waiting" (and even a Traveling Wilburys tune) included in the set list.

But aside from those must-play crowd pleasers, Petty and the boys ripped through a carefully crafted set that gleaned liberally from 1989's "Full Moon Fever" and otherwise grabbed jewels from throughout the band's unbelievable career.

Petty and the Heartbreakers took the stage in jackets and ties, probably the best-dressed rock band to hit the civic center since Bob Dylan showed up in formal Western attire. But before the show's halfway mark, the jackets were shed and the ties loosened.

Kicking off the show with their signature song, "American Girl," Petty dug in and offered the expected, the forgotten and a few surprises.

The central segment of any Petty show must be "Free Fallin'" as the well-trained audience chimes in and Petty backs off the vocals to take in the sound of thousands of voices in unison.
Petty's "new classics" stood up, too, especially "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and an acoustic "Learning to Fly."

As for forgotten songs, lead guitarist Mike Campbell shredded on "A Woman in Love," from 1981's "Hard Promises," and Petty deftly resurrected the Wilburys' "Handle With Care."
Among the surprises were a new, unrecorded song, "Melinda," which, if it is any indication of where Petty is headed, reveals that fans have much to look forward to. And as if we hadn't gotten enough already, the encore opened with the oft-covered "Baby Please Don't Go."

Add to that excellent selections like "I Won't Back Down," "Running Down a Dream" and "The Last DJ" (the only selection from their most recent CD), and the audience, at least those of us who didn't fall into drunken slumbers or stupors halfway through, got lucky.

Along with a pledge to return here every year, Petty remarked that it was the band's first show in South Dakota. So even though they kicked the tour off in Sioux Falls last week, we cut Tom some slack. After all, many of us west of the river feel the same way about our burgeoning sister metropolis to the east.