Review: Tom Petty and Crosby Stills and Nash at the Meadows 8/17

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Crosby, Stills & Nash gave great performances Tuesday night. Both played lots of hits, got the crowd going and showed why they've had staying power, churning out several classics over the years.

CSN got the concert started, and they really felt like a double headliner, not an opening act. The concert was a little later than usual - started at 8 - so there were a lot of people already inside, and it was dark, so CSN could feel like a headliner. They played "Bluebird" and went into "Deja Vu" and got more crowd approval deeper into the set with "Southern Cross" going into "Almost Cut My Hair."

Here's the CSN setlist:
Woodstock (Joni Mitchell cover)
Military Madness (Graham Nash cover)
Long Time Gone
Bluebird (Buffalo Springfield cover)
Deja Vu
Ruby Tuesday (The Rolling Stones cover)
Our House
Southern Cross
Almost Cut My Hair
Wooden Ships
Encore: For What It's Worth (Buffalo Springfield cover)

It took Tom Petty just about an hour to go on after CSN ended, which felt like a really long time. As the crowd grew restless, though, the crew kept sound checking, and I think they may have changed the camera for the big screens because the stage - Tom Petty, mainly - had a soft glow and looked almost holy in the screen picture. It was a pretty cool effect. If it wasn't on purpose, it worked. The set list worked in that it included the more popular, crowd-pleasing hits - I think I felt the cloud form on the lawn during "Last Dance with Mary Jane" - but saved room for some stuff off their new album, Mojo, which sounds like classic Tom Petty except maybe a little jammier, with more guitar riffs and fewer catchy choruses. After the Mojo interlude, the band went right back to playing their hits with a light version of "Learning to Fly," complete with a singalong toward the end. Then they brought the pace back up with "Don't Come Around Here No More" and ended with "Refugee before coming back to an encore of "Running Down A Dream and "American Girl."

Here is close to a complete Tom Petty set list:
Listen to Her Heart
You Don't Know How It Feels
I Won't Back Down
Free Fallin'
(Not sure what song was after this. I was getting really into the concert and didn't know the song off the top of my head and didn't catch lyrics to look it up.)
Mary Jane's Last Dance
(Also not sure on this next song.)
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

On a side note from the concert, I have to say that the worst thing to happen after a concert - with tons of heavy traffic - did. There was a fire right behind the parking lot at the Meadows, now the Comcast Theater in Hartford. Luckily, I got out of the concert pretty quickly and pretty much ran to my car. Strangely enough, there was another fire in Hartford at a three-family house, and that was in the news, but not this fire. So I don't have any other information on this fire. If anyone who reads this finds more info, I'd be curious to know what exactly happened.


(Picture of the fire)

After running to my car, I drove from my parking spot to the line of cars trying to get out and noticed a pretty big fire toward the back of the lot. Nervously, everyone was pushing to get out. Still no sign of fire trucks or sirens, I got to the traffic light and main road by the time the first fire truck came. We opened our windows to ask the other cars in traffic if they were near the fire and could see what happened. One guy said he was two rows away from it and it was on the tracks. Imagine how scary it must have been for people parked in that area. I'd be terrified the fire would spread to my car. Also, it formed a pretty big cloud of smoke, so it was probably hard to breathe right next to the fire. I was glad I got out of there, too, because with the fire trucks coming in, cars would definitely be blocked. I hope everyone who attended the concert had a good time and got out safely without too much delay.

Cool things in our area this week - MGMT tonight, John Williams and the Boston Pops do Film Night Saturday and Tom Petty next Tuesday

Figured I'd do a refresher post for some cool things coming up. (Also, some reviews we have to look forward to this week.)

First, there's MGMT tonight. This post is probably dated 8/10 because that's when I hit "New Post", but because I'm finally writing it after midnight, it's already 8/11, and that's when MGMT is playing at Mountain Park in Holyoke, Mass. Tickets are $30 plus fees still available, and I've heard lots of radio ads for it as of late. Show starts at 7. Here is the Mountain Park link: http://www.iheg.com/mountain_park_main.asp.

Next, we've got John Williams and the Boston Pops performing a Film Night on Saturday at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass. I went to a Film Night two years ago and Spielberg showed up and gave commentary on the music and how it related to his movies. It was super cool. This will be John Williams' 30th summer at Tanglewood, so it's bound to be good. I'm willing to bet that we'll get some surprise guest appearances too. Tickets range from $21 to $121 (we got the $21 lawn seats), and the show starts at 8:30 p.m. The info and ticket link are on this page: http://www.bso.org/bso/mods/content1.jsp?id=42700020.

Then on Tuesday, Aug. 17, I'm going to see Tom Petty with Crosby, Stills and Nash at the Meadows, or Comcast Theater in Hartford. Ticket prices range from $29 to $119 (we got lawn). I saw Tom Petty with Steve Winwood a few summers ago, and it was a lot of Fun. Petty played all his hits, and there's a lot of them - more than you'd think, actually. Also, getting Crosby, Stills and Nash on the ticket is quite the deal. The show starts at 7 p.m., and I'd recommend getting there on time to see Crosby, Stills and Nash since Train started right at 7:30, if not before then, this past Sunday when I saw them with John Mayer. A lot of people were still walking in during Train's set.

Tom Petty tickets on sale today!

(Photo from livenation.com)

Got my tickets Friday through a River 105.9 presale, but tickets for the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Crosby, Stills and Nash Aug. 17 show at the Meadows went on sale officially just a few minutes ago.

Went with lawn seats because they're fun and affordable, but the ticket prices range from $29 for lawn to $119 for closer seats. I saw Tom Petty with Steve Winwood a few summers ago, and it was awesome. This is sure to be just as awesome. I know someone who paid $50 to see part of Crosby, Stills and Nash, so this is quite the deal. Also, with a purchased ticket, you get a download of Tom Petty's new album, and after the show, they're releasing downloads of eight live songs.

The show is Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Meadows, or Comcast Theater, in Hartford.

I had a quick review from the last show here: Summer Concert Reviews

Summer Concert Reviews

Spiritualized 7/27 Terminal 5, New York
This show was great, and I really liked the venue. It was my first time in Terminal 5, but it was a great size with a hip setting with its bar on the side and balconies above a large open floor. Spiritualized came out with two female gospel singers along with the band, and they played some great, ambient music with moving vocals and music that just built up in a way that just made it all exciting. Also at this show, a girl wearing the same outfit as me.

John Williams and the Boston Pops 7/26 Tanglewood, Lenox, MA
This show was pretty rainy, and we were drenched on the lawn, but we were watching John Williams conduct his movie music, and it was amazing. He did a lot of stuff from Indiana Jones because of the summer release of the newest movie, but in the beginning, he played a medley of a bunch of his work, including the Star Wars theme. The Pops also played some music from Close Encounters with movie scenes shown on a screen. For the second half of the show, Steven Spielberg showed up and MCed it. It was pretty amazing. Then a few actresses from the Indiana Jones movies came out. Always a surprise at Tanglewood.

James Taylor 7/4 Tanglewood Music Center, Lenox, MA
This was like a Dave Matthews concert for older people and their families. I couldn't believe the surprises that came out of this show. Well, first, Tanglewood is a great place for a show because of its lawn and the audience's ability to bring in coolers and lawn chairs. Second, that made it perfect for the Fourth of July. Taylor played a bunch of his classics, like "You've Got a Friend," and he brought friends. First, John Travolta came out to wish him a happy birthday. Then, he brought out Yo-Yo Ma to play with him. Then Carole King came out and sang "A Natural Woman" and joined him on a few songs. Then the show ended with fireworks on the other side of the lawn. It was a fantastic night.

Daniel Johnston 6/19 Toad's Place, New Haven, CT
It was pretty exciting to see Daniel Johnston play at Toad's Place. Here's the thing: we saw him in NYC, and it was worth going down there, but Toad's Place is practically in my backyard, and I loved that he was there. There wasn't as much crying as at the last show I saw, but Johnston was perkier in general. He covered couple Beatles songs, which lifted the mood. While Johnston is very much indie and not very popular, his fans are devoted, and they love him because he writes a great song. Many bands cover his music, and it's easy to see why. His lyrics combine everything from hurt to disappointment to hope, and he does it all emotionally, and one can't help but feel or what to feel what he's feeling.

Dave Matthew's Band 6/14 Meadows, Hartford, CT
This show was rainy. It was also hard to find a parking space because of all the kids partying without intending on going to the show. Still, it was a pretty good show, and with how much Dave Matthews I've heard on the radio and around college, the show felt like a pilgrimage I had to make before I graduated.


Tom Petty, Steve Winwood 6/11 Meadows, or Dodge Music Center, Hartford, CT
This show was great. Tom Petty played all of his hits, which was everything I wanted to hear. He got the crowd in, and it was fantastic. Steve Winwood opened for Petty and played "Higher Love," which was a highlight for me, and he ended with "Gimme Some Lovin'," one of my favorite marching band stands tunes, which made me really happy.

Panic at the Disco, Motion City Soundtrack, The Hush Sound, Phantom Planet 5/10 Oakdale, or Chevrolet Theater, Wallingford, CT
Th main act was actually a bit unsettling. Formerly "Panic! at the Disco," the band dropped their "!" because of their new sound. They played their old punky, fast-paced jumpy, dancey songs, but they mixed in some of their new stuff, which is like an attempt at a Beatles-like, poppy, mellow rock sound. Even their stage setup with fake flower vines wrapping the microphones and psychedelic scenery paintings felt like a time travel. Panic!, yes, I'm keeping the "!" in referring to their old sound, was good at what they did. Their old music was different, and it appealed to the masses of tween and teenage girls in their plaid skirts and colorful knee socks. Their new stuff just didn't feel right following their old songs, and the new songs and the lead singer's demeanor felt arrogant, like they were saying, yeah, we got fans, yeah, we can play whatever we want, and you love us. They're just OK at imitating the Beatles, and they don't really come close. The girls still seemed to love them though - the text screen between acts said "SCREAM IF YOU THINK BRENDON'S HOT" about every five seconds.
On the brighter side, Phantom Planet closed their set with "California" and really tried to work up the crowd, and the Hush Sound played a short, but refreshing set of their happy, kind of quirky piano rock with beautiful vocals from both Greta Salpeter and Bob Morris. This wasn't my first time seeing Motion City Soundtrack, and they were just as energized as usual. They look like normal guys in their later twenties, not skinny skinny like other popular bands (Panic at the Disco, cough), and they make the crowd dance. Their lyrics bring the crowd back to their most embarrassing high school moments but remind them that they're not alone.

Blue Man Group 5/1 Mohegan Sun Casino
This was an awesome show. It was my first time at a Blue Man Group show, and I've heard for the longest time that I had to go to one. I hadn't heard much of the music before, so a lot of it was a surprise to me, a really good surprise. The group used a lot of audience interaction in "Rock Concert Movements" and just put on a crazy, colorful and fun show.