I had the great fortune of starting this weekend off seeing one of rocks greatest acts, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the band along with supporting Petty’s latest release Highway Companion, one could tell it was going to be a great show!

Let’s set the scene for you. It’s a beautiful September evening on the Amphitheatre lawns. The crowd is buzzing with excitement and is filled to capacity. Petty has obviously made an impact on all generations. I could see fans in their strollers along with their grandparents. When I arrived at the show, the opening act, The Blind Boys of Alabama, were already in the middle of their set. They are a gospel group consisting of four blind 60+ year old male vocalists. For a bunch of old blind men these guys could wail! The audience was really digging their groove and showed them a lot of support. I have to give them credit for their wicked version of Amazing Grace. If you’re into gospel music I highly recommend checking these guys out.

As for Petty, he and the Heartbreakers were in top form. They opened the show with “Listen to her Heart”, which I felt was an interesting opener since it is a fairly slow tune. It gave quite a relaxed and open feel to the whole show. It really set the mood well. The one thing I did notice right off the bat with this show is just how many hits there are! I’ve been to plenty of concerts now, and lately to a fair amount of “older” established artists such as this. I think this was the first one where every single person in the audience knew every single word to ALMOST every single song. Only the new songs were left unsung. Hit, after hit, after hit. The crowd kept getting geared up for the next. Mary Jane’s Last Dance, I Won’t Back Down, Refugee, Running Down a Dream, they just kept on coming.

Heartbreaker lead guitarist Mike Campbell really blew me away at this show. All of his solo’s were phenomenal. His tone was dead on and really showed off his chops. The slide work on Won’t Back Down was definitely a high point of the show. Overall the band was extremely tight. There were improvised sections that moved fluidly into set pieces that meshed so seamlessly you were glad to be along for the ride. Like most great players the Heartbreakers added some great covers to the set as well. Bo Diddley’s “I’m A Man” and Chuck Berry’s “Too Much Monkey Business” were wonderful additions to the set. The show stopper cover however, had to be Van Morrison’s “Mystic Eyes”. The crowd was also pleased to hear Handle With Care from Petty’s days as a Travelling Wilbury.

Along with all of his hits Petty also showcased some of the new material from Highway Companion. I was actually quite impressed by all of the new songs played. He pulled out three from the new album and if the rest are anything like what was played, then Highway Companion is definitely a worthwhile purchase.

Petty himself was quite impressive. His vocals were top notch and he was very professional on stage. He didn’t have very much to say throughout the evening, rather filling the time with music as it should be. When he did speak he was very humble and seemed very excited to be here in Toronto. One thing I can say is that it’s great to be in a Toronto audience. Musicians get into a great vibe in this city! Petty’s humility was also quite impressive. Thanking the crowd numerous times through the show for it’s applause and support, here is a true artist!

Although a storm rolled in at the start of the encore causing the poor lawn seat attendees to get completely soaked, I would not have missed this show for the world. If you ever have the chance to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers I highly recommend it! Thanks to Tom for the great show and I hope you and the boys keep on rocking for 30 more years!