Tom Petty delivers ‘rollicking’ rock show - Veteran rocker captivates crowd of nearly 6,000 fans

By PHIL LUCIANO
Journal Star critic

PEORIA - Who delivered that rollicking show at the Peoria Civic Center arena Sunday night?
What with all the blues rock, it must’ve been George Thorogood and The Heartbreakers, right?
But what about the silly dancing, bravura storytelling and countless sing-alongs. Was it Bruce Springsteen and The Heartbreakers?

Then again, the lead guitarist nearly stole the show. So, could it have been Mike Campbell and The Heartbreakers?

It was, exhilaratingly, all those shows rolled into one. And there’s no one better at rolling than Tom Petty, the loopy, flaxen-haired scarecrow who laconically commands one fantastic arena-rock band.

Petty and Co. enthralled a crowd of just under 6,000 - young, old and otherwise - for each of their 110 minutes. That’s no easy chore, especially for someone as laid back as Petty.

After a quarter-century of recording, Petty boasts a mighty set list. But he and the Heartbreakers offer more than solid tunes and precision musicianship - they breathe life and excitement into every song, an achievement the audience can feel, appreciate and celebrate.
Moreover, Petty enjoys his job. With eyelids apparently as heavy as concrete, allowing just tiny slits for sight, he chewed gum and smiled warmly all night. Genuinely impressed by the adulation, he sometimes looked like the cat who ate the canary. Yet he never came off as condescending; after many songs he would go through elaborate, tongue-in-cheek gestures of gratitude, like a jester bowing before a king.

The stage consisted of a tapered, soaring overhang, sort of like the gaping roof of a serpent’s mouth. The backdrop flashed and mixed psychedelic and solid hues, while the lights occasionally sent swirling bursts of color into the crowd. Wow, man.

Petty sauntered onto the stage clad in an aquamarine corduroy jacket, tan trousers, weathered brown boots, a black T-shirt and earth-tone scarf nattily tucked into a brown vest. He and his backing sextet launched into the band’s first hit, "American Girl," and the crowd exploded.

The set list included the title track from last year’s CD, "The Last DJ," which produced perhaps the night’s tightest, layered musical interplay. But most of the show was spent on familiar rock-radio hits - "Free Falling," "You Got Lucky," "You Wreck Me" - and included the fan favorite "You Don’t’ Know How it Feels," which prompted a mass, self-satisfied sing-along to the line, "Let’s roll another joint."

"This is our first trip to Peoria in 20 years!" he chirped to the crowd. Actually, he’s a dozen years off: the band sold out 9,000 seats at the arena in ‘95.

No matter. The spectators on the main floor stayed on their feet the entire performance, applauding not only every tune but also Petty’s playful antics, ranging from his trippy footwork and Phish-fan-like twirling to his sing-and-response calls and anecdotes.

Other highlights of the night included Petty nonchalantly intoning, "A long time ago, there was a band called the Traveling Wilburys" before slipping into "Handle With Care." Later, the band debuted a new song, the Spanish-flecked ballad "Melinda," featuring an intricately energetic yet eerie piano solo by Benmont Tench.

Meanwhile, dropping dynamite throughout the show was guitarist Campbell, who accented "Woman in Love" and "Refugee" by absolutely shredding his guitar. On "The Waiting," Petty got in on the solo act, segueing into a funky riff (was there a wah-wah pedal somewhere on that stage?) that could’ve felt home on the "Shaft" soundtrack.

Near the end of the performance, the band pounded through two meaty covers, The Animal’s "I’m Crying" and Muddy Waters’ "Baby, Please Don’t Go." The rocking blues, pounded out with crash-bang aplomb by the Heartbreakers, had the crowd hooting, hollering and head-bobbing.

The only complaint: The backing vocals often sounded ragged. Worse, on "Mary Jane’s Last Dance" and "Running Down A Dream," harmony vocals from newcomer Scott Thurston, who handles harmonica, guitar and keyboards, drowned out Petty during the refrains. Maybe that’s the sound man’s fault; regardless, Petty’s voice is still full and strong enough to handle all leads.

Opening the evening was Mavis Staples, of the Staples Singers. She delivered a 50-minute set of slow-burn funk and gospel that captivated the audience, much of which was on its feet at the end of her show.