Talkin 'bout Tom Petty

[Shug]

Penny, I'm with ya and weeniebeanie on the Runnin' Down a Dream documentary.  If you get the 4 hour version, it also comes with a CD of a few songs.  Its worth it to hear them do this Hank Williams song, Lost Highway, just off the top of their heads with Campbell on mandolin.  You hear Petty saying he just heard it that morning and wanted the band to play it, so he took it right into rehearsal and it sounds like they've been playing it for years.  Its amazing how they do that.  Amazon has that deluxe version of the film for like $10.  You also get a DVD of a full concert from their later years.  Its really a great package and it will give most folks a far deeper appreciation and respect for what the band has quietly accomplished in 40 years, like you said.

http://www.amazon.com/Runnin-Down-Dream-Limited-Edition/dp/B0059Y7TRE/ref=pd_cp_mov_0

[LBSUNFLWR]

I LOVE Tom Petty. Wildflowers is in my top 10 favorite albums of all time! And besides getting to see MMJ open for Tom Petty in NJ a few years ago, I got (to me) the best combination ever which was The Black Crowes opening for Tom Petty at Jones Beach...maybe Summer of 2006, maybe 2005. Wow!!

Wish I could hit those Beacon shows but I don't live in NJ anymore. He isn't playing too close to me, so he's probably out for my summer.

One of the most fun concerts to bring friends to also because even if they don't know too much, they'll still know several songs.

The Runnin Down A Dream documentary is fuckinawesome. I have to watch that again soon!!

[oistheone]

I loudly echo all the sentiments on Runnin' Down a Dream. The deluxe DVD set is the biggest steal in the entertainment industry -- four discs for what, twenty bucks? Unreal. I'd say the film is solely responsible for taking me from being a Petty appreciator to a full-blown Petty fan.

The whole movie is worth watching for that scene when they are traveling through German customs and are questioned under the suspicion of transporting drugs. Of course, Ron Blair has a bunch of hash on him, so what does he do? HE EATS IT! They get out of customs and go right to the set of a TV show where they play the most rockin' version of "Too Much Ain't Enough" I've ever heard. Of course, Ron is sweating profusely and just looking completely fucked up out there, and it's amazing. And there is footage of ALL of this, from the arrival in the airport, to the interrogation, right up to the performance.

What a documentary, I think it's time for a re-watch. What a Herculean task the producers and editors accomplished by going through the mountains upon mountains of footage and crafting a perfect four-hour film out of it.

[Tired Eyes]

I like Petty a lot and agree that the Bogdanovich film is a great documentary.

Petty is one of only 2 artists that I've seen in 4 different decades (the other being Willie Nelson).

1986 - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers are the first band I ever see at Madison Square Garden.  They were opening for Dylan that night.  They also served as his backing band.

1999 - My friend Mike and I go see them at (then) GM Place in Vancouver, BC, Canada.  We had 4th row tickets and it was a terrific show. 

I then saw them at the Bridge School Benefit in the 2000s...can't remember the year(s) right now.

My last time seeing them was July 2010 when i drove to Cincinnati to see the Drive-By Truckers open for them.  Petty came to Hartford on that tour but CSN opened that show.  I'm not a big fan of CSN without Y so skipped that one.

I highly recommend the box set Playback for both big and casual fans.  It's 6 CDs and you can get it for under 35 bucks on Amazon Marketplace (shipping included).  It has a nice overview of his career up to that time (1995) with both released and previously unreleased material.

I will be trying for tickets to at least one of the Beacon shows.  I'd love to see him in a theater setting like that.  I've only seen him in arenas and sheds before.

[LBSUNFLWR]

The Live Anthology is pretty sweet too!!

[wolof7]

My favorite part of the doc was when Petty was fighting the record company while recording Damn the Torpedoes...The band had a studio tech take the recordings each night to an undisclosed location (even to the band) bc they feared it would be seized....eventually Petty sat with record co. Lawyers and said something to the effect of 'I would rather sing on the street corner for peanuts then ever give you the rights to my songs" the record co. Folded and he set a new precedent for artists right to owning their own music...you root for the guy the whole time so freakin badass....he also won a case around lowering record prices


The live anthology is killer, a must have

[ManNamedTruth]

Agreed about how good the documentary was, borrowed it from a friend a while back. I also liked how badass he was when it came to standing up to what he believed, and fighting the record companies. I liked how thorough it was in all the details - like discussing every album release and lineup change, thought that the PJ Twenty film lacked a little there and could've been better if it was like that.

[weeniebeenie]

Penny, I'm with ya and weeniebeanie on the Runnin' Down a Dream documentary.  If you get the 4 hour version, it also comes with a CD of a few songs.  Its worth it to hear them do this Hank Williams song, Lost Highway, just off the top of their heads with Campbell on mandolin.  You hear Petty saying he just heard it that morning and wanted the band to play it, so he took it right into rehearsal and it sounds like they've been playing it for years.  Its amazing how they do that.  Amazon has that deluxe version of the film for like $10.  You also get a DVD of a full concert from their later years.  Its really a great package and it will give most folks a far deeper appreciation and respect for what the band has quietly accomplished in 40 years, like you said.

http://www.amazon.com/Runnin-Down-Dream-Limited-Edition/dp/B0059Y7TRE/ref=pd_cp_mov_0

I love that version of Lost Highway! Especially at the end when they all start talking about it. That whole soundtrack it great, I listen to it all the time. And that version of Honey Bee with Dave Grohl is so awesome, I feel ten times cooler when I'm listening to it.

[wolof7]

Honey Bee is so f-ing badass I'm surprised more bands don't cover that tune

[Shug]

I just got tix for one night of the LA run, stoked!  Tried for two nights, to no avail.

[parkervb]

AXS TV is a pretty sweet channel for live music and they showed Tom Petty: Live From Gatorville.  It's a great show but I can't get over this version of "It's Good to Be King".  It's a guitar monster with Tom and Mike sharing duties. What a band.

http://youtu.be/6aogOR8c8Q4

[Shug]

I think that is from the concert DVD that comes in the deluxe edition of the Runnin' Down A Dream doc we've been discussing.  Gainesville, FL 1992, a big time homecoming show for Petty.

I'm getting stoked for the show I get to see at the Fonda in LA on June 9th!

[oistheone]

These setlists have been lookin' reaaaaaaal nice so far this tour. Tonight is a big night -- the second night of a residency will go a long way in determining just how much they're capable of shaking up these setlists.

Also, Petty is making for a pretty good Twitter follow for those of you in areas where he's playing shows. Seems like they're giving out at least four or five pairs of tickets a day through Twitter and Instagram contests!

[Shug]

That's awesome to hear about the setlists, O, and its getting me more excited imagining what he might be playing.  In an unprecedented (for me) move, for the second time in a few weeks (first was for the Stones, whom I just saw) I'll be attempting to avoid looking at the Petty setlists until after I see the show in June.  I'm not sure I have the will power, but I'm gonna try! 

[parkervb]

I think that is from the concert DVD that comes in the deluxe edition of the Runnin' Down A Dream doc we've been discussing.  Gainesville, FL 1992, a big time homecoming show for Petty.

I'm getting stoked for the show I get to see at the Fonda in LA on June 9th!

i am pretty sure it was from 2011, at least that's what the Directv description says. Definitely a homecoming show though! Its on permanent keep status on the DVR

[Shug]

You're right, parker, my mistake, not the 90s Gainesville show.  Now I remember that stage set up.  That was the tour with Stevie Nicks as a guest, right?  I'll have to see if I can catch it on TV.  Thanks for the heads up!

[parkervb]

You're right, parker, my mistake, not the 90s Gainesville show.  Now I remember that stage set up.  That was the tour with Stevie Nicks as a guest, right?  I'll have to see if I can catch it on TV.  Thanks for the heads up!

correctamundo! Several songs with Stevie.  I don't see this coming up on AXS soon but here is a link to their upcoming concerts (Fogerty, DMB, Grace Potter, Love for Levon and alot more):

http://www.axs.tv/programs/concert-series/

[parkervb]

if you have Directv, you may have the AXS channel and they are playing this great TPATH show this Sunday at 6pm.

Tom Petty - Live from Gatorville
For Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and fans alike, Live from Gatorville is an emotional and electrifying evening. The band performs songs from their three-decade career, including rarely played gems, influential covers. Highlights include "Don't Come Around Here No More," "Running Down a Dream," "You Wreck Me," plus many more.

[johnnYYac]

if you have Directv, you may have the AXS channel and they are playing this great TPATH show this Sunday at 6pm.

Tom Petty - Live from Gatorville
For Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and fans alike, Live from Gatorville is an emotional and electrifying evening. The band performs songs from their three-decade career, including rarely played gems, influential covers. Highlights include "Don't Come Around Here No More," "Running Down a Dream," "You Wreck Me," plus many more.

AXS is also available on Comcast... at least in Hillsboro, NH. Thanks for the heads up!

[parkervb]

Great news

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/121213/Tom-Petty-and-The-Heartbreakers-Nearly-Done-With-New-Album

wonder if we could get the rumored Lock'n Festival announcement soon...