No glitzy stage decorations. No fantastically elaborate lighting. No jaw dropping special effects. No teenage pop star with a barely-there outfit lip-synching to the latest overplayed single on Z100. Just rock’n’roll.
As I sat on the lawn of the Dodge Music Center in Hartford, Conn. on a warm June evening, it was not the usual distracting extras that held my attention, but rather the music. It was hard not to be fixated on the melodic, smooth and seemingly continuous sound of the Black Crowes.
Perhaps even more captivating was the powerful, bombastic voice radiating from the Crowes’ scrawny front man, Chris Robinson, dressed in an oversized flannel shirt and ripped jeans. Although he looked like he topped out at a measly 150 pounds and was dressed as if he had wandered in after his shift at the local gas station, the voice was undeniably powerful.
In fact, Robinson’s microphone died in the middle of “Paint An 8,” and he simply continued on as if the equipment was working perfectly. It was eventually fixed after the song, after Robinson made a snide comment about the failure of today’s technology, but I would bet half the crowd, including Robinson, didn’t notice it was malfunctioning until well into the song.
Adding to the full sound of the Crowes was a small group of backup singers, soulfully chiming in to thicken the music and produce the almost gospel-esque sound so characteristic of several of the Crowes’ songs.
The band ended with “Remedy,” providing an elaborate jam session for the crowd to enjoy before the band left the stage after the hour -long set.
As a usual concert goer of the New York-New Jersey area, I was unfamiliar with the concept of an intermission between acts. However, after the Crowes left the stage, the lights went on at the Dodge Center the crowd was encouraged to purchase additional overpriced alcohol and wander around the grounds for what seemed like hours until finally, Tom Petty graced the stage.
Like Robinson, Petty was also dressed as a shabby-chic rocker, sporting a leather vest over tattered jeans and a long sleeved shirt. He seemed very relaxed and ready to entertain, genuinely happy to be in front of such an enthusiastic, intoxicated, and diverse crowd.
Nevertheless, he immediately revved the audience up by promising what every fan hopes for most: a good, old fashioned rock’n’roll show. The crowd went wild at the thought.
The set started with “Listen To Her Heart,” which was a considerably mild song to begin with after just promisnig to rock the place out. He followed up with the topical “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” a song wildly appreciated by much of the audience because of its not-so-subtle references to mind-expanding substances.
With the exception of today’s technology, including the big screen monitors, an uninformed onlooker may have believed it was the ’60s or ’70s with the way the crowd was relaxing on the lawn and swaying to the crisp guitar riffs.
A real treat was the rendition of “Free Fallin’,” which included a unique fadeout effect not found on the album version. The sound was flawless, and it was refreshing that Petty strayed from the overplayed radio-edit version so common to adult listening stations.
Another highlight was the Heartbreakers’ version of the Traveling Willburys’ “Handle With Care.” Although he bashfully claimed to not have played the song in years, it was perfect. Of course Roy Orbison and George Harrison were missed, but the song was an unexpected surprise positioned near the center of the set.
What came shortly thereafter was a bit endless. The Heartbreakers decided to do what most established classic rock bands do when presented with the opportunity to play in front of a large gathered crowd: they showcased new material.
Three new songs from their new album due out this fall were played, and particularly painful among them was “Melinda,” a song that crawled along ry slow and boring pace. This provided the perfect bathroom and/or let me pay $12 for a lousy beer break.
What came next was “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” which had interesting and novel echoing guitar effects.
Other classics, such as “Refugee” and “Last Dance for Mary Jane” were also featured., much to the crowd’s delight.
Petty chose to end the show with”Runnin’ Down a Dream,” and jammed the song out a few extra minutes. Sadly, the encore was only one song, but “You Wreck Me” was a fitting choice as it is the perfect, upbeat, drum heavy song to remind the crowd that Petty delivered his good old fashioned rock and roll show, just as promised.
One disappointment was the lack of “American Girl.” However, Petty will be forgiven, since the overall performance more than made up for it.
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