It’s the very end of 1978, verging on 1979. We’re in Santa Monica, CA at a club. The doors open, and we all rush in to get good spots near the stage. It’s New Year’s Eve and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are touring on their second album. They take the stage and start in on their fresh sounding twist on southern rock.
Tom Petty is one of the few things Florida can be proud of beyond beaches and theme parks. He’s from Gainesville, as any good Floridian will tell you. Bad Floridians will tell you he’s the only good thing about Gainesville, but that’s another tale.
I’ve always found that Petty has an honesty that is lacking in so many pop musicians. He has kept it real, so to speak, throughout legal battles with record labels, big success, and superbands with Dylan, Orbison, Harrison, and others. He also has a sense of humor.
Enjoy this show, the band is hot, and don’t forget to have the champagne ready at midnight.
Brand new...
We’d like to play a new song… Refugee : )
Breakdown is pretty good here… would have been a good show to attend.
TP&H's
I saw them in 1982 at Brendan Byrne Arena (I refuse to call it anything else). They were awesome. Hearing them has always reminded me of high school.