Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at Wrigley Field
photo by James Richards IV

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers & Chris Stapleton @ Wrigley Field (pics)

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers kicked off their 40th anniversary appearance at a sold-out, rain-soaked Wrigley Field on Thursday by bringing everything full circle with “Rockin’ Around (With You).” The rockabilly-styled rarity, the first track off their debut album, established the tone for a joyous show that celebrated the group’s legacy and stuck to the music. Devoid of frills, the two-hour set doubled as a master class in band chemistry and dynamics…

…The 66-year-old vocalist placed the swagger on the songs themselves. While a barrage of career-spanning hits (“Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” “I Won’t Back Down,” “You Got Lucky,” “Refugee”) provided insight into Petty’s flair for pairing resilient sentiments with massive hooks designed to drive the point home, several deep cuts proved equally rewarding and resonated with heartfelt sincerity. None more so than “Crawling Back to You” and “Wildflowers.” Their faithful, reassuring messages and mellow vibes epitomized the simple, romantic beauty of summer evenings — even when sunset remains hidden behind storm clouds. – [Chicago Tribune]

Rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers whose 40th anniversary tour hit Chicago’s Wrigley Field on Thursday night (6/29). Though their set opened with 1976 deep cut “Rockin’ Around (With You),” the rest of the night was crammed with Petty’s many, many hits. Chris Stapleton opened the show. Check out the setlist below and pictures from Wrigley Field in the gallery above.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ tour, which hit NJ earlier in June, will stop in NYC for two shows at Queens’ Forest Hills Stadium on July 26 & 27 with Stapleton on the bill as well. Limited view tickets are still available.

SETLIST: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers @ Wrigley Field 6/29/2017
Rockin’ Around (With You)
Mary Jane’s Last Dance
You Don’t Know How It Feels
Forgotten Man
You Got Lucky
I Won’t Back Down
Free Fallin’
Into the Great Wide Open
Don’t Come Around Here No More
It’s Good to Be King
Crawling Back to You
Wildflowers
Learning to Fly
Yer So Bad
I Should Have Known It
Refugee
Runnin’ Down a Dream

Encore:
You Wreck Me
American Girl

photos by James Richards IV