I posted this earlier today on the "KCSN Waking Up" thread but this concert that KCSN put on is big stuff and I didn't want the discussion to be buried on the other thread, which has become quite lengthy, so please forgive the double post.
>>> Hey, Channelflipper..Give Us A Review of the TP & Heartbreakers concert here - I'm jealous. Joe <<<
Well Mrs. Flipper and I went to the show and virtually nothing disappointed! The wife likes "surprise dates" every once in awhile, so I told her for a week that I had scored some ducats from local public radio station KCSN to see Jakob Dylan and Lissie. Of course that was true, I just happen to leave a most relevant detail out. After a nice dinner, we headed over to the Plaza del Sol. Wife doesn't realize who we are really going to see until just before we go into the door and she sees Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers printed on the ticket. She was so surprised and happy. I score major date points. All is good!
Oh wait, just one more thing. Not only is Tom Petty printed on the ticket, so is row C seats 109 and 110. I mentioned before that it is a very nice theater, from both a sight-line and acoustics perspective, and there is not a bad seat in the house at all, but as luck would have it, yes indeed we are freaking 3rd row center! How good were the seats? We were sitting right in front of Mrs. Sky and her friend and during the show and I can count the beads of sweat on Tom's face. Tom makes direct eye contact with us several times during the evening. Wow, our amazing luck! Ok, on to the show.
I need to preface the rest of this piece by saying that I have been a pretty hard core Heartbreakers fan since I was just a small kid and have seen them at least a dozen times before through nearly all phases of their career, hardly missing a tour for years, although I had skipped the last two in support of "Highway Companion" and the latest "Mojo" release. I literally grew up with the band. So I am not the most unbiased of reviewers, but what I say that follows is in my most unbiased frame of mind as possible:
This was simply the best Tom Petty and the Hearbreakers concert I have ever seen; this may be the best rock concert of any kind I have ever attended, and I have attended many. Why? It all had to do with the intimate venue and the free-form spirit of the station for which the concert was in support, which allowed Tom to throw out all of the rules, most of the regular set list, and play what the band wants to play. And what does the band what to play? Their latest album, "Mojo" a blues workout for the band, album cuts which hadn't been played in years, and some very well-chosen, fun covers. Sky told me in another message on this board that the venue notwithstanding, Tom and the band would come to ROCK. and ROCK they did. All night long.
Fans of the band know that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are not really a studio band, although they have many studio albums. The Heartbreakers are a LIVE band that happens to make great records and the fun in attending their shows is not in seeing the band playing "Breakdown" for the thousandth time, but the great covers they choose and their extended tracks that show the true musicianship of the band. Their latest album Mojo comes closest to achieving that live vibe on record, but hearing the those tracks played live is like bringing the songs to life.
The first several songs, kicked off by blues rocker "Jefferson Jericho Blues" sounded like what could easily have been the first block of songs on the Mojo tour, and included "Listen to her Heart" and "Last Dance with Mary Jane". Tom noted to crowd that this night the band would be playing lots of album cuts and songs the band had not played in years, to the hearty approval of the crowd. The first of these cuts was "Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It)" off the first album, which the band played with so much vigor I was for a moment transported back in time to 1976, you know, when I was too young to see the band live, but when they were a burgeoning, hungry up and coming rock band with somewhat of a punk attitude. At this point it was clear, Tom was feeling it, and this was not an ordinary night for the band, they came to ROCK, they came to have fun, and they came to play for themselves and the crowd was welcome to come along, which they did quite enthusiastically.
Later in the set, Tom acknowledged the current week firing of the great Jim Ladd from Cumulus KLOS and how commercial radio "(F-bomb)'s the listener and that if the Heartbreakers were trying in to break in today, the lack of airplay for new bands would prevent them from doing so, while adding "we would not be able to win American Idol". Quite right. Both Sky and Tom noted that Jim would be at Sunday night’s show, so if you’re going tonight, it will be quite interesting to hear what Jim says and if Tom might incorporate all of it into the show. I’m sure he will somehow (and please do share).
And then the show took off from there as Tom took that rant and riffed right into “I Won’t Back Down” which could easily be the lifetime theme song for both Petty and Ladd. No wonder they have such a kinship. After that it was a series of album cuts and covers. My favorite cover of the evening was Muddy Waters “Champagne and Reefer”, which helped inject a dose of levity to the evening (with just a bit of uncomfort for me as well, as I was sitting just near the University President, who I am not sure was quite as appreciative of the track as I was!). In all the shows I’ve seen Tom play, I have never seen him as joyful and having as much fun with his band and his tremendous catalog to choose from. For me other highlights were “To Find a Friend” off the Wildflowers album, “I Should Have Known It” and “It’s Good Enough” from Mojo, and the two encore songs, Chuck Berry’s “Carol” and “You Wreck Me” from Wildflowers.
Tom probably played half of the Mojo album and with the Muddy Waters track, definitely infused the evening with the blues, and Tom and the boys can certainly play them. The musicianship of all the Heartbreakers is really something to behold and of course Mike Campbell on lead guitar is the star, but I am always so impressed with Benmont Tench’s piano playing. He always makes the show for me and last night was no different.
Jakob Dylan and new comer Lissie were the opening acts. Jakob was a late add and he was playing not with his own band, but local band Everest. I haven’t paid much attention to him for a while since his great “Bringing Down the Horse” record, but he is so much a “professional musician”. His songs have an ethereal quality, without being moody, and he has great lyrics that paint a picture so well with his melody (wonder where he got that talent from?). In any case, each song seems to be so well crafted. His set was relatively short, but of course he didn’t disappoint the crowed by avoiding his hits and brought down the house with his last song, the mega-hit “One Headlight” which sounds just as good to me today as it did back in the day.
Lissie is a nice young female singer-songwriter with lots of spunk and passion. Her songs are very good with thoughtful lyrics. But her talent is raw and needs refinement if she intends on breaking off of the KCSN playlist and onto the charts. When performing, audience interaction is key, and it was well past the half-way point in her set before she showed any, spending most of the first three songs looking directly at the ceiling with her eyes closed. One assumes she was trying to get into the groove, but she looked like she was singing to herself. Her band is the most economical I’ve ever seen with a good guitar player and a bass player who plays the drums at the same time. Never seen that before! In any case, Lissie got much better toward the end of her set, and just for a moment, reminded me of another female singer-songwriter hero of mine, Maria McKee of Lone Justice, who I also first got exposed to from her opening act set for the Heartbreakers on their Pack Up the Plantation Tour in 1985.
Again, I can’t over state – this was the best concert ever – a top band, playing at their best, playing what they want to play, in such an intimate venue. This was most likely a once in a lifetime show and I am so glad to have not missed it. I can tell you that this was not just my opinion; my wife and I heard several other people say the same thing on our way back to the parking lot. A great night was had by all.
Thank You Tom, Thank you Sky, Thank you KCSN. You all rock.
>>> Hey, Channelflipper..Give Us A Review of the TP & Heartbreakers concert here - I'm jealous. Joe <<<
Well Mrs. Flipper and I went to the show and virtually nothing disappointed! The wife likes "surprise dates" every once in awhile, so I told her for a week that I had scored some ducats from local public radio station KCSN to see Jakob Dylan and Lissie. Of course that was true, I just happen to leave a most relevant detail out. After a nice dinner, we headed over to the Plaza del Sol. Wife doesn't realize who we are really going to see until just before we go into the door and she sees Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers printed on the ticket. She was so surprised and happy. I score major date points. All is good!
Oh wait, just one more thing. Not only is Tom Petty printed on the ticket, so is row C seats 109 and 110. I mentioned before that it is a very nice theater, from both a sight-line and acoustics perspective, and there is not a bad seat in the house at all, but as luck would have it, yes indeed we are freaking 3rd row center! How good were the seats? We were sitting right in front of Mrs. Sky and her friend and during the show and I can count the beads of sweat on Tom's face. Tom makes direct eye contact with us several times during the evening. Wow, our amazing luck! Ok, on to the show.
I need to preface the rest of this piece by saying that I have been a pretty hard core Heartbreakers fan since I was just a small kid and have seen them at least a dozen times before through nearly all phases of their career, hardly missing a tour for years, although I had skipped the last two in support of "Highway Companion" and the latest "Mojo" release. I literally grew up with the band. So I am not the most unbiased of reviewers, but what I say that follows is in my most unbiased frame of mind as possible:
This was simply the best Tom Petty and the Hearbreakers concert I have ever seen; this may be the best rock concert of any kind I have ever attended, and I have attended many. Why? It all had to do with the intimate venue and the free-form spirit of the station for which the concert was in support, which allowed Tom to throw out all of the rules, most of the regular set list, and play what the band wants to play. And what does the band what to play? Their latest album, "Mojo" a blues workout for the band, album cuts which hadn't been played in years, and some very well-chosen, fun covers. Sky told me in another message on this board that the venue notwithstanding, Tom and the band would come to ROCK. and ROCK they did. All night long.
Fans of the band know that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are not really a studio band, although they have many studio albums. The Heartbreakers are a LIVE band that happens to make great records and the fun in attending their shows is not in seeing the band playing "Breakdown" for the thousandth time, but the great covers they choose and their extended tracks that show the true musicianship of the band. Their latest album Mojo comes closest to achieving that live vibe on record, but hearing the those tracks played live is like bringing the songs to life.
The first several songs, kicked off by blues rocker "Jefferson Jericho Blues" sounded like what could easily have been the first block of songs on the Mojo tour, and included "Listen to her Heart" and "Last Dance with Mary Jane". Tom noted to crowd that this night the band would be playing lots of album cuts and songs the band had not played in years, to the hearty approval of the crowd. The first of these cuts was "Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It)" off the first album, which the band played with so much vigor I was for a moment transported back in time to 1976, you know, when I was too young to see the band live, but when they were a burgeoning, hungry up and coming rock band with somewhat of a punk attitude. At this point it was clear, Tom was feeling it, and this was not an ordinary night for the band, they came to ROCK, they came to have fun, and they came to play for themselves and the crowd was welcome to come along, which they did quite enthusiastically.
Later in the set, Tom acknowledged the current week firing of the great Jim Ladd from Cumulus KLOS and how commercial radio "(F-bomb)'s the listener and that if the Heartbreakers were trying in to break in today, the lack of airplay for new bands would prevent them from doing so, while adding "we would not be able to win American Idol". Quite right. Both Sky and Tom noted that Jim would be at Sunday night’s show, so if you’re going tonight, it will be quite interesting to hear what Jim says and if Tom might incorporate all of it into the show. I’m sure he will somehow (and please do share).
And then the show took off from there as Tom took that rant and riffed right into “I Won’t Back Down” which could easily be the lifetime theme song for both Petty and Ladd. No wonder they have such a kinship. After that it was a series of album cuts and covers. My favorite cover of the evening was Muddy Waters “Champagne and Reefer”, which helped inject a dose of levity to the evening (with just a bit of uncomfort for me as well, as I was sitting just near the University President, who I am not sure was quite as appreciative of the track as I was!). In all the shows I’ve seen Tom play, I have never seen him as joyful and having as much fun with his band and his tremendous catalog to choose from. For me other highlights were “To Find a Friend” off the Wildflowers album, “I Should Have Known It” and “It’s Good Enough” from Mojo, and the two encore songs, Chuck Berry’s “Carol” and “You Wreck Me” from Wildflowers.
Tom probably played half of the Mojo album and with the Muddy Waters track, definitely infused the evening with the blues, and Tom and the boys can certainly play them. The musicianship of all the Heartbreakers is really something to behold and of course Mike Campbell on lead guitar is the star, but I am always so impressed with Benmont Tench’s piano playing. He always makes the show for me and last night was no different.
Jakob Dylan and new comer Lissie were the opening acts. Jakob was a late add and he was playing not with his own band, but local band Everest. I haven’t paid much attention to him for a while since his great “Bringing Down the Horse” record, but he is so much a “professional musician”. His songs have an ethereal quality, without being moody, and he has great lyrics that paint a picture so well with his melody (wonder where he got that talent from?). In any case, each song seems to be so well crafted. His set was relatively short, but of course he didn’t disappoint the crowed by avoiding his hits and brought down the house with his last song, the mega-hit “One Headlight” which sounds just as good to me today as it did back in the day.
Lissie is a nice young female singer-songwriter with lots of spunk and passion. Her songs are very good with thoughtful lyrics. But her talent is raw and needs refinement if she intends on breaking off of the KCSN playlist and onto the charts. When performing, audience interaction is key, and it was well past the half-way point in her set before she showed any, spending most of the first three songs looking directly at the ceiling with her eyes closed. One assumes she was trying to get into the groove, but she looked like she was singing to herself. Her band is the most economical I’ve ever seen with a good guitar player and a bass player who plays the drums at the same time. Never seen that before! In any case, Lissie got much better toward the end of her set, and just for a moment, reminded me of another female singer-songwriter hero of mine, Maria McKee of Lone Justice, who I also first got exposed to from her opening act set for the Heartbreakers on their Pack Up the Plantation Tour in 1985.
Again, I can’t over state – this was the best concert ever – a top band, playing at their best, playing what they want to play, in such an intimate venue. This was most likely a once in a lifetime show and I am so glad to have not missed it. I can tell you that this was not just my opinion; my wife and I heard several other people say the same thing on our way back to the parking lot. A great night was had by all.
Thank You Tom, Thank you Sky, Thank you KCSN. You all rock.