Michael Washburn is the author of Southern Accents, a 33 1/3 Series book which explores a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album of the same name. Released in 1985, the concept album was intended to be a musical immersion into the American South. Released well after the band had notched hits like “American Girl” and... Continue Reading →
It is easy to take the little things for granted. Even ones we enjoy daily. Great songs or the right cup of coffee become ordinary when they are always around. Music is important to me. Elton John is one of those musicians. Tom Petty was another. When Petty died a year ago, I learned to treasure artistry. That lesson came full circle on Elton John’s Farewell Yellowbrick Road Tour.
Petal has recorded a cover of Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky.” The band cut the single in a collaboration with Brooklyn artist Kevin Devine. In their version, Petal cut the signature synthesizer sound and decreased the tempo of the Long After Dark classic. The change altered the song's tone completely, creating a somber contrast to the original.
After Tom Petty passed away last October, the Heartbreakers existence as an incredible band was unfortunately cut short. Anyone who attended their 40th Anniversary Tour could see that the band still wielded incredible musical ability, yet they were suddenly without their leader. Music with a different singer would not be right. Any new music would have to come from their archives. Last week Petty’s family released the first posthumous song of the musician’s career, “Keep A Little Soul.”
Music is often a vehicle for healing for listeners, but how do musicians find solace through those same songs? In the instance of Mike Campbell, it looks like he is starting to find a cathartic relationship with Heartbreakers music that he was a critical part of for over forty years through his side project, The Dirty Knobs.
If you live on the Northeast Corridor like I do, chances are that you are snowed in today. You have also probably had enough of winter. Whether you are working from home or just kicking back and wondering how long you can procrastinate shoveling all this snow, it never hurts to have a little live music to brighten things up. Here are five YouTube concert videos from bands that will blow you away with their live performances and make your snow day more fun.
Art allows life to be exceptional. The artists who deliver the music, performances, and words that illuminate our lives also create an extraordinary connection between themselves and their audience. Even if you never meet them, an artist can feel like a friend because they were there on the lonely nights and during the good times... Continue Reading →
You know that you have seen a band too many times when you accidentally hand the security guard a ticket for that group’s last show at the venue from 28 days earlier. (That is also when you know that you have to clean out your wallet.) Since 2008, I have seen Tom Petty and the... Continue Reading →
Two songs into a Friday evening set at Newark’s Prudential Center, Tom Petty peered into the packed arena. The 66-year-old singer referenced a vinyl record and said that he and the Heartbreakers would drop a needle at different points of their career as they brought their 40th Anniversary Tour to New Jersey. Petty and the... Continue Reading →
Long After Dark 