MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - w/Petty & the HBs
Plus, submit your photo(s) ! And a gig reminder!
PHOTO SUBMISSIONS WELCOME!
In my post last week, I invited you to contribute photos for inclusion in the music video for my forthcoming single, “You Called Me Kid.” The submissions have been rolling in. I got a little choked up looking through all the heartwarming shots folks have been sharing. If you haven’t already done so, please consider taking part.
GIG REMINDER!
Our gig at Vashon Center for the Arts is fast approaching. Saturday, March 29th, will be here before we know it. Yesterday, Elaine Summers and I finished puzzling our set list. This set has been extra challenging. In addition to the usual factors of musical flow, capo moves and tuning changes, we have a special guest sitting in on a few songs. So, that adds yet another level of complexity. This post from November 1, 2024, gets into our process for crafting the perfect set.
And speaking of tickets…
Thirty years ago today, on March 20, 1995, I played a little joint called Madison Square Garden for the first time.1 It was one of the great honors of my life to open for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers on their Dogs With Wings tour.
The gig at Madison Square Garden was a high point. Whenever you play in a storied venue with that much history, there is an extra feeling of electricity in the air. The backstage walls of MSG are lined with photos2 of the great performers whose music has filled the celebrated hall. So, which notable figure hung outside my dressing room door? John Lennon? Dylan? Jagger? Nope! Hulk Hogan.
My folks traveled to NYC to see me perform on the big stage. My Uncle Dolf and my good pal Diana joined my entourage as well. I can still see my dad kicked back in his special seat at the soundboard with his laminated backstage pass around his neck and a glass of red wine in his hand. He shot me a look and a nod that said, “This is alright, kid.”
It was my dad who really got me hooked on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I had long been a fair-weather fan. I dug the hits I heard on the radio, but it wasn’t until I hijacked the old man’s cassette copy of Pack Up the Plantation: Live! that I became a true believer.
When I pick up3 on my series chronicling the touring cycle that followed the release of Necktie Second, I’ll have much more to say about the unbelievably dreamy time I had chasing Tom and the Heartbreakers around from arena to arena. For now, here is a snapshot of Tom’s daughter Adria and me filming each other backstage on janky old HI-8 cameras.
My footage is buried in a box. Footage Adria shot that day was used for a VH-1 segment called Postcards from the Road. (I didn’t make the cut.)
Peace & Love Songs,
Pete
I would return to the MSG stage in 2003 with The Thorns during a short tour with John Mayer.
You can see some of the photos briefly in Adria’s Postcard for the Road video as Tom and the band head to the stage.
Since the Necktie Second (Deluxe) reissue has been postponed, that series is on hold for the time being
Man, what a double bill! I'm sure both of your tunes are still reverberating in those hallowed halls. And even seeing you snubbed, I miss those paper tickets that you could save.
I remember your Uncle Dolf, too! From when he used to come to your shows at the Tractor sometimes… such a cool looking guy with the feather in his hat. ☺️