With a 12-album back catalog behind them, Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are not the kind of band anyone would expect to fluff out their set with covers.
But from the moment they opened up last night’s show at the Beacon Theatre with a vibrant cover of the Byrds’ “So You Wanna Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” it was obvious that this was not going to be a by-the-numbers gig.
“We’re planning to go pretty deep into the album tracks for you,” explained Petty early on, partly as a cautionary declaration as much as an exciting promise. Hits they’ve got by the dozen, but this intimate residency at the Beacon (which continues with four more shows throughout the week) has evidently been designed as a different kind of showcase.
For Petty nuts, it was like every birthday and Christmas all at once. For the attentive if uneducated follower, it was a chance to delve deeper into a great American songbook. For the casual fan however, it was probably the kind of night to get well acquainted with the bartender.
Those in the latter category were definitely outnumbered. The vast majority of the sold-out crowd soaked up tracks like “Billy the Kid” and “Cabin Down Below” (dedicated to the exclusive bar in Alphabet City) with unbridled glee, and even though the Heartbreakers are rarely required to play some of them, these obscurities were delivered with the skill and style that has been their hallmark for the best part of 40 years.
The solos of guitarist Mike Campbell were, as ever, crucial to proceedings, particularly during the cascading finale of “Good Enough.” Keyboardist Benmont Tench also got his moment in the spotlight during “Melinda.”
Petty’s voice, meanwhile, is still a wonder. At 62, he sings as smoothly and sleekly as ever, but he also packs enough punch to bring the anguish of “Woman in Love (It’s Not Me)” home.
But while these individual subtleties are impressive, there is nothing quite like hearing Petty and the boys roar together as one, and for the last half-hour, the Floridians hit top gear in unison.
The hit-seekers finally got their fill through versions of “Refugee,” “Runnin’ Down a Dream” and, of course, the ever-spirited “American Girl.” But anyone planning to catch the rest of this run of concerts should consider themselves warned. Don’t be that person who incessantly shouts for “Free Fallin’ ” and “You Don’t Know How It Feels” throughout the show, because the only ones listening to you will most likely be the bartenders.