Photos by Tim Dwenger
Tom Petty brought his 40th Anniversary Tour to Red Rocks for two nights last week and the fans came out in droves for the early season festivities. With the legendary Joe Walsh on hand to open the show, things got off to a humorous start when the longtime Eagle stepped to the mic and said “Good Morning” (in the way that only Joe Walsh can) before delivering a set featuring some of his most famous tunes including “Life’s Been Good,” “Ordinary Average Guy,” and “Rocky Mountain Way.” Midway through the set, Walsh payed tribute to his longtime bandmate Glenn Frey with a take on “Take It To The Limit” that featured his outstanding background singers doing the heavy lifting. Walsh is always entertaining, and this night was no exception.
When Petty and his band, The Heartbreakers, took the stage, the crowd of baby-boomers went wild. Petty, clad in a fringed leather jacket and an almost Bedouin style head scarf, is still looking great after more than 40 years on the road. A moon hung over the amphitheater as Petty thanked the crowd for their support over the years, promised to play “all Rock & Roll all night,” and then introduced “Rockin’ Around (With You),” a deep cut from the band’s first album. From there it was a set dominated by the hits.
Petty delivered “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” “You Got Lucky,” and “Free Fallin'” before a wicked thunderstorm snuck up on the crowd and caused the show to be stopped for about 25 minutes. When the weather passed, the band picked up where they left off and continued the hit parade. “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” “Wildflowers,” “Learning To Fly,” and “Refugee” delighted the crowd and set the stage for a monster encore pairing of “You Wreck Me” and “American Girl.” Over the course of more than two hours Petty proved yet again that his brand shows no signs of tarnishing, and that he’s one of the best in the business.
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