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ENTERTAINMENT
Talk about concerts, movies, theatre and things to do.
Tom Petty in Alpharetta
July 10, 2008 | 12:30 PM
Category: MUSIC
Despite some much needed rain moving through the area Wednesday night, it did little to dampen the spirits of the sold out crowd at the new amphitheatre there to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The consummate showman, Petty put on a marathon show full of his hits, a few deeper tracks and even a couple of surprises.
The hits-heavy first half of the set included such classics as "I Won't Back Down," "Free Fallin" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance." But later in the set Petty and his crew welcomed to the stage Tom Leadon, a member of Petty's original band, Mudcrutch.
That band reformed earlier this year and recorded an album, and tonight they played a couple of selections from it for the first time on this Heartbreakers summer tour. A real treat for sure for the thousands there.
Earlier in the evening English icon Steve Winwood took the stage and treated the crowd with a run-through of his hits from both his solo works and his former band, Traffic. A master of the organ, Winwood got big cheers for tunes like "Higher Love" and "Dear Mr. Fantasy."
I was ecstatic when he busted out Traffic's "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys," one of my favorite songs of all time. Winwood's night wasn't done, however, as he came back on stage during Petty's set to play his other former band Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home," a song from the days Winwood shared a band with Eric Clapton.
All in all it was a very long evening of music, extending almost until midnight, well past the 11 p.m. curfew of many of these shows. Maybe Alpharetta has a later curfew or the Petty people worked out a deal or maybe they just don't care and were willing to pay a fine. I don't know the answer, but regardless, it paved the way for a great night.
Check back later for a photos and a more in-depth review of the show...
Scott Sowers |
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