First, let me say that I have officially entered into curmudgeonhood. I realized that last night when the two teenage girls down the row from me were texting furiously during Steve Winwood’s performance. And then again when folks were still wandering to their seats (FOR THE FIRST TIME) as the Heartbreakers took the stage. And finally when I saw that the drunk kids “dancing” in the aisle next to me during “Refugee” may have actually been fucking. There were no pants on the girl, at any rate. Nothing below the t-shirt as far as I could tell. And during “Refugee”? I mean, really and come on. The worst song in the whole set, and that’s what you’re doing the nasty to?

But it is also my observation that routinely the crowds go wild for the worst songs. At a Dylan show, it’s the Deadheads who didn’t know what to do with themselves after Jerry died, getting their patchouli-reeking freak on for “Silvio.” At a Springsteen show, it’s the boys getting all hot for “Candy’s Room” which, hello? is at best, a feeble rewrite of the masterful “She’s the One.” And last night? “Refugee”. Puh-leeze.

Anyway. I was wrong about the seats. I forgot about the extra-special ten rows of members-only, thousand bucks a pop seats, and the even more extra-special auction for charity row. Whatever. We were at most, 20 rows back from the stage, and dead center. Stevie Winwood and his tight little jazz fusion group started with absolutely no fanfare at 8 on the dot. His percussionist and his flautist were both top form. I’m off to buy the new CD, based on the show.  He hasn’t lost his voice, and when he took the powder blue Fender from the roadies, showed why he was a prodigy back in the day. In my notes, I say that Steve breaks the Springsteen rule of “you can’t play guitar with your watch on”, and absolutely shatters it. He can play. Period. I confess to being a guitar god groupie, and it was a sweet, sweet evening.

Sometime after 9, Tom Petty came on with the Heartbreakers. I haven’t seen them live since maybe 1979-80? during the Damn The Torpedoes tour, and then it was at the old Hollywood Snortatorium, and I was in the nosebleed seats. He was wearing a magnificent mulberry purple velvet blazer.

What a dandy that boy is. And I for one appreciate when a band dresses for the show. You know? All the money the Grateful Dead have, and they have to wear stanky cargo shorts and Tevo sandals? Not to pick on the Dead, but…

So here’s the set list:

Wreck Me

Listen To Her Heart

Won’t Back Down

Even the Losers

Free Falling (the velvet jacket comes off & dope smoke fills the hall)

Last Dance With Mary Jane

End of the Line

band intros, and Stevie Winwood comes out for the next two songs

Somebody Must Change

Gimme Some Lovin’ (and my notes say that Steve and Mike swap licks. But that doesn’t do it justice. When Winwood was in the band, the whole arena came to life, and it was the first time that the energy in the hall really started to peak.)

Golden Rose

Breakdown

Honey Bee

Learning to Fly (acoustic)

Don’t Come Around Here No More

Refugee

*Encore*

Running Down a Dream

Mystic Eyes and

American Girl

In concert, it is so much more apparent how much Benmont Tench brings to the sound and soul of the Heartbreakers. And Mike Campbell has to be the most underrated side man since Nils Lofgren joined the E-Street Band. The man is, as I mentioned earlier, a total guitar god. Like the E-Street Band, the Heartbreakers are much more than the sum of their parts, though. It was a good, albeit sort of short, show. And a quick check at the tour page shows that they aren’t mixing up their set lists much, either.

As I gave the stink-eye to the drunken 20-somethings last night, I had a moment of wonder. I wonder how much longer I can keep going to concerts? The RLA had ear-plugs in, but I was wallowing in the happy, deafening buzz for a couple of hours after. My best guess for continued rock show attendance? Until I can’t find anyone to push the wheelchair in.

And a very special thank you to Angie Chestnut for sharing these photos with me, and by extension, you. It was serendipity that had me sitting two rows behind her, and what an amazing artist she is. Check out her site.