Review: Tom Petty & My Morning Jacket
Tom Petty & My Morning Jacket @ Izod Center, August 24
Every old generation likes to tell the new generation that things used to be better back in the day. This especially rings true in rock where many of those in their 50s and 60s like to tell me I totally missed out on the likes of Zeppelin, Hendrix and The Band and that no artist of the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s could ever compare. Last night at the Izod Center was the rare evening when the best of the old school and new school came together as current rockers My Morning Jacket and classic rockers Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers showed that rock music is in good hands over the course of three hit-heavy hours in East Rutherford, NJ.
My Morning Jacket came on exactly at the 7:30PM ticket time so that they could play for as long as possible before The Heartbreakers took the stage. The quartet opened with a little taste of Rollin’ Back before quickly segueing into The Way That He Sings. Despite only having an hour to perform, Jim James and his band mates made the most of each minute and packed the set with their best material. Near me, many of the patrons were clearly at the venue to see Petty and sat with arms folded through the first few songs. As MMJ tore through Off The Record and Gideon I could tell they were connecting with even the most jaded of Petty fans. Bopping heads turned into full body thrashing by the time One Big Holiday closed out the set. It’s always great to see people won over by good, honest music.
As the MMJ set progressed I started feeling bad for Petty. How do you follow one of the best bands in rock who is at its peak? James has great stage presence as displayed during his Wordless Chorus antics which included hiding underneath his cape while still singing loudly and proudly. The band’s newest song, Circuital, fit into the set nicely – quite the compliment considering the gems MMJ threw down on this night.
READ ON for more on Tom Petty & MMJ in New Jersey…
I loved the pace of the performance, for instance the wistful Smokin’ From Shootin’ leading into the bounce of Wordless Chorus before a powerful One Big Holiday closer. Drummer Patrick Hallahan emptied the tank during the final sequence and impresses me more with each subsequent MMJ concert I attend. By the end of the set the venue filled in nicely and the band received a hearty round of applause. They clearly subscribe to George Costanza’s methods of “going out on a high note” and “leaving them wanting more,” as the My Morning Jacket faithful scattered around the Izod couldn’t have been satisfied with the hour-long taste of their band.
After a quick turnover, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers came on around 9PM and lit into Listen to Her Heart. The Heartbreakers aren’t just a backing band, they are a force to be reckoned with. Benmont Tench came up with one gorgeous fill after another on a variety of vintage keyboards. His electric piano work on Breakdown and synth stylings on Don’t Come Around Here No More were highlights of the show. Guitarist Mike Campbell can shred and knows how to lay back when the situation calls for it. New tune Good Enough found Campbell laying into his guitar with fiery passion and verve.
Speaking of the new tunes, considering the band put out Mojo not too long ago, plenty of new material was expected. Petty and the Heartbreakers handled the new material well, breaking up two “greatest hits” sequences with the four best cuts from the album. Running Man’s Bible was one of the high points of the evening thanks to the interplay between Campbell and Petty and all of Mojo’s blues-based numbers wailed in concert. Tom even guided the audience through the Mojo mini-set telling us the name of each song and letting us know the hits would be back soon.
Mojo’s first single, I Should Have Known It, brought the Mojo segment to a close and another hits sequence started with Learning to Fly. Just as quickly as it started Petty’s 90-minute set concluded with Don’t Come Around Here No More and Refugee. Everyone who likes the Heartbreakers has a favorite Tom Petty song and mine is Don’t Come Around Here No More. The sextet delivered a impassioned take on the tune that featured a cool laser display and showed off the moving trusses that made up the backdrop. Tom and the boys extended Don’t Come Around Here No More and Petty took the opportunity to wave his arms slowly like the Pope to his fans.
If there was one thing I didn’t like about Petty’s performance it was the “pope hands.” We know you’re a rock star and everybody loves you, but he almost made it seem like he felt he was a deity with the way he interacted with the audience. Actually, I have a couple more complaints. Considering the exorbitant ticket prices for the show and massive size of the venue, they should’ve had high-def screens on top of the stage instead of small, standard-def ones. I’m sure they spent plenty of money for the lasers that were only used for a few songs, the cash would’ve been better spent on screens from which you could actually make out what the band was doing. Finally, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers usually deliver marathon performances – a 90-minute set and a 10-minute encore felt way too short. Plenty of Petty’s best songs like Even The Losers, Wildflowers and The Waiting were left unplayed.
Despite the complaints, this was a fantastic double-bill and one of my favorite concerts of the summer. I shouldn’t have doubted Tom Petty as the show wasn’t as one-sided as I expected after MMJ left the stage. Both bands are exceptionally tight and neither of ‘em relied too heavily on older material. Rock and roll may have been better back in the day but last night’s concert showed it’s still alive and kicking.
MMJ Setlist:
Rollin Back intro, The Way That He Sings, Off The Record, Gideon, Golden, Magheetah, I’m Amazed, Circuital, Tonight I Want to Celebrate With You, Smokin From Shootin’, Wordless Chorus, One Big Holiday
Tom Petty Setlist:
Listen to Her Heart, I Won’t Back Down, Free Fallin’, Oh Well (Fleetwood Mac), Mary Jane’s Last Dance, King’s Highway, Breakdown, Jefferson Jericho Blues, Good Enough, Running Man’s Bible, I Should Have Known It, Learning To Fly, Don’t Come Around Here No More, Refugee
Encore: Runnin’ Down a Dream, American Girl
Scott Bernstein
Scott Bernstein co-founded Hidden Track in October 2006 and was managing editor until taking over as EiC in January 2008. Scotty also writes for Relix Magazine and curates YEMblog.com.
Follow Me:
an amazing evening of music no doubt. even the 12 year old loved every minute of music :)
I also noted the lack of video screens (as I was about 5 rows above the nosebleeds) also the sound seemed better during MMJ up high. Luckily once Petty took the stage it was pretty easy to move closer. I was really excited at how well MMJ and Petty complimented each other – as you mentioned perfect mix of old and new.