Amalie Arena
Tampa, FL
May 6, 2017
It’s no coincidence Saturday night’s show at Amalie Arena in Tampa was a special night on Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ 40th Anniversary tour.
Just 130 miles from Gainesville, Tampa is the tour’s closest stop to the band’s old stomping grounds in central Florida, meaning the backstage hallways, hospitality suites and catering would be full of family and friends visiting before the show.
Saturday night’s show in Tampa was the 10th show of the tour, and so the band was well-oiled and raring to go at a venue they are very comfortable in, having played it five times since 1999.
“You Don’t Know How It Feels” got stretched out a bit for an extended jam, and Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench traded Chuck Berry riffs during “Don’t Come Around Here No More.” After an electrifying “Crawling Back to You,” Tom acknowledged how special the night had been.
“It means so much to us to be here with you tonight,” he said, holding his hand over his heart. “We’ve been playing this town for a long, long time, and you’ve kept coming back to see us year after year. We’re so grateful.”
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’
Walls
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
You Wreck Me
American Girl