Tom Petty Live At Bottle Rock Napa 2017

Ahhhhh...Tom Petty! Love love love him! Its been a growing love over the last 30 years but has definitley gotten to the point where I am honoured and privileged to get to see and hear the man and his music. The first time I saw Petty was in London, opening for Bob Dylan in the winter of 1987 at Wembley Arena. He was awesome then, and even more amazing today! Knowing a little about his character always helps too, and for that we now have the film, "Running on a Dream". I would say its a must see film if you like Petty or even if you simply love music.

So TP took the stage with his usual Heartbreakers, jumping right into, "Rockin around with You", then "Mary Jane". To follow were 17 more TP and the Heartbreakers anthems, ending in "American Girl". Tom Petty is the epitome of cool. His swagger, his polite soft spoken articulate banter. Mr Cool indeed!

When I shot TP in San Jose back in Oct 2014, I was in the photo pit with about 8 other photographers. Petty took the stage inches from my lens, I look up, in awe, he breaks out with "So You Want to be a Rock n Roll Star", and then into "Mary Janes Last Dance"... I'm singing and dancing, in a somewhat musical trance, hypnotized by the man before me, when the photographer next to me elbows me and reminds me that we only get to shoot these first three songs so I better pick up my camera soon and start shooting! I quickly pick up my camera and shoot away! I actually lost my shit when he entered the stage! Never before had the happened to me in the pit, and never since. Great memory, and a truly great Rock n Roll Star is he!

Saturday night of the wonderful Bottle Rock festival couldn't have been better! He's coming back next month, playing at The Greek Theatre in Berkley, and I'm counting down the days!