TomFest

Drums are sitting in the corner of the living room, I'm still deciding on hardware and cymbals. I already have 2 set of drums, so I have hardware and cymbals, but I think I'd like to upgrade to new cymbals and hardware so all 3 sets can be set up at the same time. I'm definitely buying A. Zildjian cymbals, just have to go out and try sizes and weights for the sounds I want and decide on regular or brilliant finish. I'm leaning towards Gibraltar heavy duty hardware at the moment, I'll have to go out and look around before ordering them too. After shopping around, I'll most likely order everything from Sweetwater Music, they do a fantastic job and have what you order at your door the next day. Gonna try to post a picture or two of the drums in the corner of the L/R. Hope it works!

 

Regarding the 1977 Yakima date. My little brother Bob attended (he was 16). That night I asked what he thought. He said "J. Geils sucked,"  they left before the band finished, "...but the opening act was great, Tom Petty."  We'd never heard of him but Bob bought Petty's debut album the next day. A few years later we started our own band and covered American Girl.  Bob continued, "I felt badly for him.  He was a little laid back and some people started booing and screaming J. Geils!"
Hahaha. 

I felt like playing some vinyl today so I started to look through some of my Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers collection and I came across this album. I don't think I ever played it before but I put it on the record player today and it sounds amazing!  I think it might have been one Johni brought me from England but I'm not sure. Heck, I might have bought it on EBay way back when.  It's just so cool and just what I needed today, a little Tom Refugee and The Beach Bums!  LOL!!  

 

I get it.  It's a Tommy gun.

This is very cool, thanks.  I don't think this is the same recording that has been available for years on Mudcrutch outtake bootlegs.  This one is in a different key (G -vs- F#) although that could be because the tape speed was messed with on one or both of them.  But I think I just hear other differences in the performance.  I really like this song.  
Regarding the photo - who is the guy above Tom, and who is on the far left. I assume one is Danny Roberts.

11/3/17
TPATH
 

10/27/17
TPATH
 

10/26/17
TPATH & Stevie Nicks
 

10/28/17
TPATH
 

Thanks, nice!
 
Also from the same source:
http://innocentwords.com/tom-petty-by-lucinda-williams-rebels/
 

Here's Lucinda and Tom at one of the Hollywood Bowl Shows:

So the tennis shoes with no laces were a thing with Tom. This is a different pair than he wore to the Oval Office, but no laces again.  What's that about?  Too lazy to be bothered tying them?   Or is it just a style thing?  How do you keep them on your feet?  I guess move slowly and shuffle your feet?
But........ nice guitar.  And cool song.  

^ There you go - The Black Crowes might be my all-time favorite opener for Tom Petty.  Back to back shows and they didn't repeat a song.  Another great one was Joe Cocker.  Tremendous performance by Joe Cocker. 

The Black Crowes

I don't know the number, but it's gotta be at least 20.

10/15/17
TPATH
 

10/14/17
TPATH
 

10/13/17
TPATH
 

as been reported, this was kinda nice.. goosebumps
 

I was actually coming to post this. This is especially meaningful and touching to me, as Wilco is, next to TPATH, my second favorite band of all time. I have seen them 20+ times, and am just as obsessive with them as I am with TP and co. I have met members of Wilco in the audience at TPATH concerts... twice. So to see this bittersweet intersection of my two favorite bands is, like everything else this week, surreal.

I am on the same loop with Dreams of Flying, Room at the Top and Crawling Back to You. 

Don't know the story, but I'm going to venture a guess that Tom is the only person that ever wore his Converse all-star Chuck Taylor tennis shoes with no laces to a meeting with the President in the Oval Office. LOL