Richmond Times-Dispatch review of Bristow

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Tom Petty rolls out rock classics
With Heartbreakers, Stevie Nicks in tow, he mines his catalog
BY MELISSA RUGGIERI
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Monday, June 12, 2006


MUSIC REVIEW
TOM PETTY
SATURDAY:Nissan Pavilion

TONIGHT: 7:30, nTelos Pavilion in Portsmouth; special guest Stevie Nicks; Trey Anastasio opens. Call (804) 262-8100 or visit www.ticketmaster.com for tickets.

MANASSAS -- To celebrate 30 years in rock'n'roll, Tom Petty and his ever-reliable Heartbreakers are giving fans the type of hit parade few of his contemporaries can muster.

On the second date of the Highway Companion Tour, the effortlessly cool singer/guitarist ripped through a catalog that touched on his tenure in the Traveling Wilburys and his solo work, plus a cover of vintage Fleetwood Mac ("Oh Well") and a vision of later Mac with the appearance of longtime comrade Stevie Nicks.

At 55, Petty looks and sounds terrific. His sharp features framed by his trademark floppy blond hair, Petty spent much of the robust two-hour concert slithering across the stage with graceful spins and frequently blowing kisses to the crowd of more than 20,000.

He's also a sincere, casual host, who, when he drawled "I love y'all out there" in his measured twang, seemed to actually mean it.

Those sturdy Heartbreakers, led by guitarist Mike Campbell, unrecognizable in dreadlocks, buoyed "Free Fallin'" with clean guitar lines, while a woozy harmonica from Scott Thurston coated "Mary Jane's Last Dance" in a lackadaisical haze. Petty's distinctive nasal tones were also in perfect pitch, from "You Don't Know How It Feels," a reluctant sigh of a song that chugged appealingly, to the quiet rebellion of "I Won't Back Down."

With his first album in four years due next month (also called "Highway Companion"), Petty used his platform to debut "Saving Grace," a pumping rocker identified by a scratchy rockabilly riff and piano, a bit of a fresh old sound.

Midway through the concert, the band pulled out a glorious take on the Traveling Wilburys' "Handle with Care," with Thurston ably carrying Roy Orbison's rumbling part. That was the first bonus for the fervent audience much of it a couple of decades younger than the expected baby boomers, and one that rarely sat down.

Introduced as Petty's soul sister, the lovely Nicks, in layers of chiffon, twirled out for a passionate rendition of their 1981 duet, "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," easily one of rock's coolest musical pairings and an undeniable highlight on Saturday.

Nicks, who appeared to have as much fun as Petty onstage, offered a fierce "I Need to Know," playing air guitar and banging a tambourine festooned with ribbons, Stevie-style. The duo also offered the less-known "Insider" as the sliding video screens split into two frames, giving an intimate view of the two singers watching each other with deep, unspoken meaning.

Nicks stuck around to blend in with the Heartbreakers and sing backup on a stripped acoustic version of "Learning to Fly" and the richly melodic "Don't Come Around Here No More," its frenzied coda awash in strobe lights.

With other Petty staples such as "Refugee" and the show-closing "American Girl" included, die-hard fans are sure to grouse about the mainstream obviousness of the set list. It's a silly quibble, because a tour billed as an anniversary should be represented by past glories. If you've got it, flaunt it -- and Petty has enough of it to last another 30 years.


Contact staff writer Melissa Ruggieri at [email protected] or (804) 649-6120.
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