Truth Hurts
When he dies, the only people who’ll mourn him are the hateful, greedy, and the willfully misinformed. The rest of us will be glad he’s finally gone.
The worry should be, who and what comes next.
The barbarians are at the gate, and they have a blueprint for hate.
Check out my Suno collaboration here.
See The Breakers in Newport, RI!
I’m not talking about the Gilded Age Mansion located on the posh Bellevue Avenue, but the fantastic Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tribute band, which has built a reputation as one of the most authentic live tributes to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers—no wigs, no gimmicks, just pure rock ‘n’ roll energy and sound.
My younger son and I are true fans of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. We drove from RI to Philadelphia to see the band on their final tour in 2017. We were utterly devastated at Tom’s untimely passing.
When we took our seats for “The Breakers” tribute band at The Park Theatre in Cranston, RI, a few months back, my son and I were both a little apprehensive: “God, I hope these guys don’t do a disservice to Tom and the band.”
Most true music fans are suspicious of Tribute bands. The potential for vaudevillian schmaltz to descend upon the stage is real. But I’m here to tell you there’s nothing schmaltzy or vaudevillian about The Breakers. This band does more than pay tribute to a legendary rock and roll band; they embody the spirit of the band they pay homage to – you can feel it in their performance. The Heartbreaker vibe is palpable.
If you’re a fan of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers or appreciate rock-solid musicianship, check out this band.
Get your tickets on the Jane Pickens Theater website – You won’t be disappointed.
Sing to the tune of “I Saw Her Standing There” by the Beatles
Well, he is just cruel and mean
in his fake orange sheen
his dictatorship has put us in despair
He demonizes the other, oohh
in his fake-ass golden hair
Deporter in Chief
Felonious thief
a piggish fool, with greed beyond compare
He loves Vlady P like no other, oooh
From his cozy White House lair
Collective hearts go boom with a sense of doom
Autocracy is brewiiing!
People snatched from the street
Every word dipped in deceit
And the courts are trying hard to rein him in
Don will not dance with another
Oh, since he saw Vlad standing there
Collective hearts go boom with a sense of doom
401Ks are crashiiing!
Free speech gets denied
and the US courts defied
while oligarchs get rich beyond compare
Don will not dance with another,
Oh, since he saw Vlad standing there
On April 3rd, my son and I attended a concert by The Breakers, a tribute band to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. My son and I are diehard Tom Petty fans – me from when they hit the airways in 1976, and my son through parent-to-child musical osmosis.
The Breakers concert was my first tribute band experience, and to be honest, my expectations were low. I envisioned a cheap and costume-themed knockoff of what I consider to be one of the best Rock and Roll bands of all time. For me, the night was more about spending time with my son than the show itself.
The Breakers started the show with Love Is a Long Road from Tom’s 1989 solo album, Full Moon Fever. That song was an interesting choice because it’s not a Tom Petty “hit, ” and non-Petty enthusiasts might even consider it a deep cut. The Breakers performed a blazing rendition of the song, and when they finished, my son and I just looked at one another, each of us with a “holy shit” expression on our faces.
The Breakers went on to perform brilliantly and passionately. Their musicianship was jaw-droppingly good, and you sensed they were true fans of the band they were paying homage to. Their performance was joyful and soulful with zero pretense. The songs were not “cookie-cutter” versions of Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker albums. There were elements of creativity and artistry in every song they delivered that evening.
At times, I felt myself getting emotional watching and listening to the band play—I’m not sure why. Perhaps that’s the power and mystery of true art—it touches us in ways we can’t put a finger on. Or maybe a spiritually communal experience occurs when the musicians on stage and the fans in attendance connect emotionally through mutual love and respect—in this case, love and respect of Tom and his musical genius.
If you’re a fan of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, see The Breakers, you won’t be disappointed.
It’s been nearly six years (October 2, 2017) since Tom Petty died.
A few months before his passing, my son and I drove from Rhode Island to Philadelphia to catch Tom and the Heartbreakers on the final leg of their 40th Anniversary Tour.
On our way down to the show, we listened to every Heartbreakers album in sequence, amazed at the quantity of quality the band produced over their 40 years.
When Tom made his way to the microphone that night in front of a packed Wells Fargo arena — he seemed a little unsteady. His voice was thin and shaky when he addressed the audience, and I wondered if time had finally caught up to the rock icon.
That show was my sixth Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concert. Like the previous five, I walked out of the arena blissfully. At 66 years old and on a fractured hip, Tom Petty remained true to his craft and the spirit of rock and roll. He and the band were brilliant.
For over 40 years, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers never cheated their audience with half-hearted performances or sub-par albums. They loved what they did, which showed in the studio and on stage.
That show in 2017 has me reminiscing on how and when I got hooked on the Heartbreakers.
The first Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song I heard was Refuge in 1979 as a junior in high school. That song jolted with me the instant I heard it. My reaction to it bordered on chemical, and for three minutes and twenty-two seconds, I felt true clarity, like the music physically pushed shit aside in my head – so it was just me and the song.
I’m not sure why that song resonated so powerfully. Perhaps it was the convergence of Petty’s aggressive-edged delivery frenetically stirred by the tumult of adolescence and teenage angst.
I don’t know “the why,” but I remember “the when” like it happened yesterday.
I’m not sure how it began for my son. Maybe it was musical osmosis from exposure to A LOT OF Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at an early age.
Perhaps my son connected with a specific song or album during adolescence and got hooked like I did.
Or maybe he saw Tom Petty as a musical bridge to span the sometimes-fractious waters between a father and son.
The most intriguing thing about this trip down memory lane is how Tom Petty evolved as an artist and the impact that had on me as a fan.
As much as I loved Refugee as a teenager, listening to that song as an adult was mainly a way of reconnecting with my youth. Sometimes, “reconnecting” is the extent of our relationship with an artist or song.
A more substantive relationship develops when the artist evolves – because that presents an opportunity to connect with them on a deeper level.
As Tom Petty matured, he became a master songwriter. His songs tapped into the complexities of human relationships with sparse and simple language. That’s what kept me tethered to him as an artist.
The way I connect with songs like Wildflowers and Square One is totally different than the nostalgic way I connect with Refugee or Here Comes My Girl – because I evolved as well (thankfully).
Tom’s evolution as an artist allowed his fans to grow with him — and most of us did.
And that’s why the relationship is impactful to so many people.
bendingtheneedle