Staff Blog
Tom Petty, June 5, Wachovia Center
posted by mike rapa
Workin’ on a mystery. Goin’ wherever it leads.
Tom Petty gave the crowd exactly what they were looking for: a straight up rock show. He didn’t spend much time telling anecdotes or introducing songs; this was a no-sense hit parade from all eras of his career, from Breakdown (1976) to Saving Grace (2006). Actually, it was more of a sing-along than a concert. The crowd helped out with almost every song, at times directed by Mr. Petty himself like full fledged backup singers. The moment they detected the opening cords to Free Fallin’, you got the sense everyone was clearing their throats. It’s this level of participation I think helped to counteract the distant, anonymous vibe of typical arena rock shows. After noticeably long break, the encore included crowd-pleasing familiars like “Running Down a Dream" and "American Girl.”
