Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers live!

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
United Center, Chicago
Wednesday, July 2, 2008

There’s nothing like getting a jumpstart on Independence Day weekend with a surefire set from one of rock’s quintessential American bands. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers parlayed a juggernaut Super Bowl halftime show into a sold-out crowd at the United Center last Wednesday. Summer, Petty, and the indoors seem like strange bedfellows, but the chilled confines of the stadium were no match for Mike Campbell’s blazing guitar on “Runnin’ Down A Dream” or the cathartic chorus of “Free Fallin’.”

Petty’s solo excursion, 1989’s Full Moon Fever, garnered a prominent spot in the set list with the obligatory, snarling “I Won’t Back Down” and a dusting off of “A Face In The Crowd,” augmented by Benmont Tench’s silvery keys. Except for a chugging “Saving Grace” from 2006’s Highway Companion, the band stuck to crowd favorites (“Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” “Refugee,” and “You Wreck Me”). Is it too much to ask for a track or two from 1999’s Echo or 2002’s The Last DJ?

Prone to flailing a Jesus Christ pose and engaging in a dance move that fully deserves the coinage “The Bird,” Petty recreated a breathtaking version of “Learning To Fly” from those super intimate and classic Vic Theatre shows in 2003. Allowing the audience to take on the chorus while adlibbing mini verses, Petty has no problem stepping out of the spotlight in deference to the songs.

This generous demeanor also peaked through when opener Steve Winwood joined the band onstage for a raucous “Gimme Some Lovin’.” Transforming into the best bar band in town, The Heartbreakers, including the still-blond frontman, backed Winwood with fervor.

Ending with a strung out cover of Them’s “Gloria” and a blistering “American Girl,” Petty and co. proved why director Peter Bogdanovich felt the band warranted a four-hour documentary.

— Janine Schaults

Category: Live Reviews, Weekly