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It Was Great to See Tom Petty Again in Nashville

by Rich and Laura Lynch

On Thursday, October 17, 2024 we had the opportunity to see one of our favorite yet departed classic rock icons once again in Nashville when we caught a showing of the lost 1983 cult classic documentary - TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY - on the big screen at Regal Opry Mills in the Music Valley.


Tom Petty returns to Nashville at Regal Opry Mills.

Directed by renowned Rolling Stone journalist and Academy Award-winning director Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) - and notable for being the first project with him at the helm - the film screened in cinemas worldwide for two special nights only on October 17 and October 20 (on what would have been Tom Petty's 74th birthday). Fans experienced Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers like never before with a new introduction from Crowe himself and an all-new 20-minute cut of unreleased outtakes from the movie. Pre-show we overheard echoing through the theater many fond recollections about Tom and his band in a scene that was surely replicated around the nation.

I know for myself that the leader of "Gator Nation" was very influential - especially during his noticeably rich period from 1981 to 1989. His back to back releasees to begin the 80's made him a superstar and a darling of the fledging MTV network. I would play Hard Promises and its quick follow-up Long After Dark repeatedly while singing their content through a P.A. much to the chagrin of the rest of my family and neighbors on that suburban street in New Jersey. Still, I wouldn't change that experience for the world.



Long After Dark Deluxe edition; and, "You Might Hear a Heart" by Rockin' Rich Lynch.

Listening to a large percentage of Tom Petty's considerable body of work through the decades has certainly impacted my artistry - so much so that in 2022 I recorded and released a tribute of sorts to him in the form of my song "You Might Hear a Heart" that tried to answer the question of "What Would Tom Petty Do" as the five year anniversary of his passing approached.

Today, the Long After Dark (Deluxe Edition) is now out featuring the newly remastered original album from the original analog master tapes, plus 12 rediscovered bonus tracks newly mixed by Petty's longtime engineer Ryan Ulyate and boasts packaging designed by Grammy Award-winning designer Jeri Heiden, liner notes by legendary rock journalist and Tom Petty Radio host David Fricke, with commentary from Jimmy Iovine and Cameron Crowe and iconic archival photographs by Dennis Callahan, Neal Preston and Aaron Rapoport.



Tom Petty with Mudcrutch at the Ryman Auditorium.

The set - of which TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY served as a companion promotion for - will be released in a variety of configurations, highlighted by a limited edition TomPetty.com 2LP pressing on 180-gram red with black splatter color vinyl, housed in a numbered foil tip-on jacket with an exclusive lithograph; a 3-disc set featuring 2 CDs, and a Blu-ray audio disc with additional hi-res stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes of the album and bonus tracks, also mixed by Ulyate; a variety of additional vinyl options includes a 2LP on 180-gram black vinyl; a limited edition 1LP 180-gram turquoise color vinyl pressing (main album only) with double-sided lithograph of Blaze Brooks' illustrations.

Watching the documentary at Regal Opry Mills was not the first time I have observed Tom Petty in action not in the least. I bought tickets to see him though the years more than a dozen times mainly back east with my favorite remaining an outdoor show at the Orange Country Fairgrounds in Middletown, New York in 1989. But, the final two time memorable concert experiences for me occurred in Music City.



Tom Petty's ominous attire and his longtime right-hand man - Mike Campbell in Nashville.

The first was when Mudcrutch rolled into town for an appearance at the Ryman Auditorium in 2016. This hallowed venue offered a vantage point that was about as up-close and personal a fan could get. Becasue, Petty was a mostly a certified big arena act for the whole of his career. The presence of two Heartbreakers and a slightly ominous wardrobe choice by Petty made this date one to remember for sure. Still, the night I will never forget came only less that a year later when Petty and the boys returned to Nashville on their 40th Anniversary Tour in April 2017. It was shocking to learn just a few days after that outing wrapped that Tom Petty was gone. It's taken a while to get over it. But, a steady stream of music from the archives like the Cameron Crowe documentary and Long After Dark Deluxe Edition has made it somewhat easier to bear for this longtime supporter.

LONG AFTER DARK DELUXE EDITION—TRACKLISTING | DISC 1 | 1. "A One Story Town" | 2. "You Got Lucky" | 3. "Deliver Me" | 4. "Change Of Heart" | 5. "Finding Out" | 6. "We Stand A Chance" | 7. "Straight Into Darkness" | 8. "The Same Old You" | 9. "Between Two Worlds" | 10. "A Wasted Life" | DISC 2 | 1. "Stories We Could Tell (French TV)" | 2. "Never Be You"* | 3. "Turning Point (Original Drums Version)" | 4. "Don't Make Me Walk The Line"* | 5. "I'm Finding Out (French TV)"* | 6. "Heartbreakers Beach Party (Extended Version)" | 7. "Keeping Me Alive (French TV)" | 8. "Straight Into Darkness (French TV)" | 9. "Ways To Be Wicked (Denver Sessions)"* | 10. "Between Two Worlds (French TV)"* | 11. "One On One"* | 12. "Wild Thing"* | * previously unreleased



Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Bridgestone Arena in 2017.

Related Links: For more information on TOM PETTY and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links - Tom Petty | Heartbreakers Beach Party | Regal Opry Mills | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Hit the Ground Running in Nashville | Mudcrutch is Clutch in Rare Appearance at the Ryman


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