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Post by Man in Black on Jul 26, 2008 12:13:52 GMT -5
Here is my little photo essay of our trip to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - July 11, 2008 at Charlotte's Verizon Amphitheater - Bella may add the details a little later... I will say this - I know there's a lot of pictures here but if you are a Petty fan and/or a concert goer... let them load... enjoy them. |
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zenobia
Babbling Birdzilla
Posts: 92
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Post by zenobia on Jul 28, 2008 16:03:05 GMT -5
Hey! That must've been a lot of fun!!  |
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Post by blackcat on Jul 28, 2008 17:38:12 GMT -5
Bella looks like she was having a really good time!  |
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Post by BellaSwan on Jul 29, 2008 16:13:43 GMT -5
That's cause she was!!! I'll get a write-up on here after we get done moving. Not much down-time at the moment! For now, here's the set list for that night.
July 11, 2008- Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC
YOU WRECK ME
LISTEN TO HER HEART
I WON'T BACK DOWN
EVEN THE LOSERS
FREE FALLIN'
MARY JANE
CABIN DOWN BELOW
END OF THE LINE
BREAKDOWN
SAVING GRACE
FACE IN THE CROWD
HONEY BEE
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT FEELS
LEARNING TO FLY
DON'T COME AROUND HERE NO MORE
REFUGEE
RUNNIN' DOWN A DREAM
MYSTIC EYES
AMERICAN GIRL
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Post by BellaSwan on Sept 8, 2008 20:53:42 GMT -5
Okay, so here comes the long awaited write-up of the concert. Apologies for the time-lapse!
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - July 12th, 2008
Verizon Wireless Ampitheater, Charlotte NC
Every concert is different. Even if it's the same band at the same venue, it's still different. I know this for a fact. I've seen Tom Petty four times at VWA in Charlotte and every time has been special. The first time, well, that was the first time I'd ever seen him in concert. The second time, he did a different kind of show - he was about to release an album and pulled a lot from the new songs, did a lot of jamming, and put in a couple of oldies as well. The third time, well, it was special. The crowd was really into it and it was a great set. Plus, Stevie Nicks was a special guest and she rocked!
But this time, I don't know. There was just something about it. I know that it had something to do with the fact that my brother was there. See, he's the one that turned me and my mom on to Tom Petty in the first place, and while we had been to see him, my big brother never had gotten a chance. Now my brother is disabled and while he has a lot more time, it's not quite the same. So yeah, a large part was sharing the experience with him, sneaking peeks at his facial expressions during certain songs, and knowing that it was all good.
There was something else that night, though. We all knew that Tom would pull out all the stops. He always does, and besides, this year he wasn't promoting anything. This year, it was about the music and his love of rock 'n roll. And boy, that came through. From the first note of the first song, I was hooked. Tom and the boys hit every note just right. And I don't mean the songs sounded just like the albums. See, Tom Petty was born to perform live, and the small little extras he puts in each song on stage shows what a pro he is. A word strung out a little here, a chuckle put in there... That's what makes it.
He also played a couple of songs that don't normally make it on stage. Cabin Down Below and Honey Bee , both from the Wildflowers album, weren't as popular as some of his songs, but they are two of my favorites. Getting to hear them in person was an added plus to a night that already rocked.
One of my favorite parts of a Tom Petty concert is what I call his "audience participation song" - the one that he might slow down a little bit, where he encourages the crowd to sing along. The past few concerts this song has been Learnin' to Fly. It was the same this time. Now, that's a good song as it is. But to hear Tom do it live, then slow it down at the end and pull the audience in is something pretty cool to be a part of. He gets the audience singing the chorus with the band playing softly behind him. Then he breaks into his own little verse of the song, sung in a hauntingly pitched voice, a little whiny, a little higher pitched. Just him singing a line, then the audience singing: "Learnin' to fly... but I ain't got wings... Coming down.... Is the hardest thing..." I don't know about everyone else, but I always get chills.
An extra surprise for me this year was the band's performance of Refugee. The boys really rocked it out and at the end of the song, they went on a jam lasting several minutes. (Mike Campbell really tore it up in his guitar, earning his own spotlight and getting a slew of fans to rush his side of the stage.) And I have to admit, that in that moment, I was caught up like never before. The mood of the crowd, the dedication of Tom and the rest of the Heartbreakers, sitting there with my family - okay, yeah, a tear escaped. It's not often that I'm moved by just music - words to a song, yeah, but not just music. But that hit me. Right there. Tom has a verse in one of his songs (a lesser known one off the Last DJ album) -
"how about a cheer for all those bad girls
and all the boys
that play that rock and roll
they love it
like you love jesus
it does the same thing
to their souls..."
Since I know he believes in God, this wasn't as blasphemous as it sounds (at least not to me). I know he's not talking about music as saving their souls, or them worshipping music. But I never really got what he meant until that moment. And I thought, yeah, now that touched my soul, that moved me a little bit. And I got that last line.
So when the time came for the encore, as I awaited my favorite song, I was already satisfied. When they launched into American Girl and I jumped and sang, my heart was happy. I sent a thanks Tom's way for his music, his talent, his dedication - and for being something that my family can love together.
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Post by Man in Black on Sept 10, 2008 4:25:45 GMT -5
Aw shit! Carole, now you went and made me cry.
She's right it was special. They didn't do a normal version of a single song and truthfully didn't miss a single lyric or note during a show they rocked as hard as they could. To top it all off it was over a hundred degrees down in the bowl they performed in. I'll agree it was nearly spiritual.
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