The Soundtrack to My Life

Tom Petty's Music Inspires Generations

“We’d all get so excited when John would give a show…To hear him play that music / It spoke right to my soul / Every verse a diamond / Every chorus gold / The sound was my salvation / It was only everything”- “Money Becomes King”

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers brought their songs to life to a sold out show at the Post-Gazette Pavilion in Pittsburgh last week.

It was obvious this audience worshipped Petty as they chanted his name. “Petty! Petty! Petty!” Thousands of arms waved in the air with cell phones and digital cameras lighting the outside arena like the glow of candles at an altar.

The characters Petty creates in song, from the good girl in Reseda (“Free Fallin’”), to Eddie, who played from the heart (“Into the Great Wide Open”), through Mary Jane, who had a good-looking mama (“Mary Jane’s Last Dance”), has allowed fans to get a glimpse into Petty’s world of timeless lyrics and catchy guitar riffs, which continue to inspire generations of fans.

He smoothly sailed through hits and fan favorites amid a sea of tie-dye and clouds of smoke. Each audience member became a Heartbreaker for the eighteen-song set list, adding a chorus of background vocals to every hit song, including “Free Fallin’,” “I Won’t Back Down,” and “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.”

Petty directed 23,000 fans to sing on his 1990’s hit “Learning to Fly,” the audience sang; “I’m learning to fly / But I ain’t got wings / Coming down / Is the hardest thing.” He responded to our chorus with a grin, but quickly joined in to bring the song home and was met with deafening applause as the audience begged for more.

The show’s feature performance was Petty’s psychedelic-themed 1985 hit, “Don’t Come Around Here No More.” During the crescendo, Petty pointed his guitar neck toward his audience, lifted his arm up in the air, and with one strum, sent the music into a frenzy, with strobe lights flashing, the audience thumping, and guitarist Mike Campbell’s fingers dancing over his six string as Petty thrashed his blonde hair in the bursts of white light.

Petty made smooth transitions from songs such as 1979’s “Even the Losers” to 2006’s “Saving Grace.” Each lyric represented a chapter in the life of both Petty and his fans –reminding us of a simple time while delivering messages filled with hope, and giving his listeners a sense of freedom that rang through each jingling guitar riff.

As the show came to an end, Petty sang one of his first hit singles, “American Girl,” which has since become an anthem among his fans. Every young girl in the audience sang along with Petty and for that brief moment became that American girl who was “raised on promises.” As the last line was sung, “God it’s so painful / When something that’s so close / Is still so far out of reach,” thousands of outstretched arms reached for the promise that Petty created over thirty years ago.

Share:

Facebook  MySpace  Digg  Stumble    Mixx  Fark  del.icio.us   LiveSpaces

 

Member Comments

View Comments: | Post a comment

mikedclovis
06-30-08 7:17 PM »Report Abuse	If you like TP's music, you might like to listen to his radio show, Buried Treasure on XM radio. XMX, Ch 002 plays the shows for 24 hours on Thursdays. TP, Bob Dylan (Wednesdays on XMX) and Marty Stuart (Friday XMX) make the $13 per month worth it. Besides terrestrial radio has lost more than it's mortal soul!

You must first login before you can comment.

Existing Member Login
Not a Member?	Create a Member Account
*Your email address:		<--Email REQUIRED!
*Password:	Forgot Password?	<--Password REQUIRED!
	Remember my email address.