With Tom Petty, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Sure, he’s made some blunders in his career. There have been some lackluster albums and periods of time with no hit singles. But as was the case with his 30th anniversary tour in 2006, when Petty comes to town nowadays, it’s all about showcasing his whole career. And that’s when his weighty contribution to American rock ’n’ roll becomes obvious.
Last night at the TD Banknorth Garden, Petty and his faithful Heartbreakers played a set that touched on the old, new and just about every-
thing in between. Kicking off with a true fire-starter, “You Wreck Me,” Petty and Co. psyched the capacity crowd into high spirits right off the bat, following up with the one-two punch of “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” and “I Won’t Back Down,” which marked the first appearance of his acoustic 12-string.
Looking sheepish in a wine-colored crushed velvet jacket and jeans, a bearded Petty sounded a tad more nasal than usual. But that didn’t stop him from dusting off the underdog anthem “Even the Losers” and “The Waiting,” the former featuring dreadlocked Mike Campbell’s Chuck Berry-inspired riffs on a double-necked guitar.
Elsewhere, he resurrected “End of the Line” from his stint with the Traveling Wilburys (featuring vocal assistance from multi-instrumentalist Scott Thurston) and a rarity, “Sweet William,” which repeatedly exploded from grimy blues into a blistering torrent of flashy licks.
The big question about Petty’s current tour is whether or not he’d share the stage with opener Steve Winwood. In Boston last night, Petty and Winwood decided to give the crowd a taste of the supergroup treatment, delving into the legendary British musician’s songbook for “Can’t Find My Way Home,” originally recorded with Blind Faith, and “Gimme Some Lovin’, ” his 1967 organ-fueled hit single with the Spencer Davis Group.
During Winwood’s hourlong opening set (a generous length for a support act and still too short), the keyboard and guitar virtuoso touched on his famed work with Traffic with “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” Blind Faith’s “Had to Cry Today,” plus a handful of solo tunes, including the restless “Dirty City” and the blues-dipped soul jam “Different Light.” Throughout, his excellent ensemble supported him with congas, sax and flute in addition to the usual rock ’n’ roll staples.
Both Petty, 57, and Winwood, 60, are long-standing musical mainstays from either side of the pond, but Petty’s raunchy country-blues and Winwood’s rhythmic urban soul are even more potent together than they are separately.
ctreacy2003@yahoo.com
