Platter Chatter
By Gordon Dalman
Coe Cosmos - September 11, 1981

Tom Petty in Concert | Rating: ★★★★
The best night of last summer was August 14, when Tom Petty played at the Met Center in Minneapolis. The quality of the music was the best I've ever heard, with the exception of Maynard Ferguson at Orchestra Hall.

T.P. started things off with "American Girl" from his 1976 album. The five men that stand behind Petty on stage (yes, T.P. added another Heartbreaker since Hard Promises) were all dynamite and used their solo time to prove it. Mike Campbell was at his bet.

It was obvious that Petty's favorite albums are Hard Promises and Damn the Torpedoes, but he didn't neglect his fist two albums. Needless to say, the crowd went wild the moment they heard the first chord of "Breakdown."

Tom Petty's stage performance is among the best in the business. He had the crowd on their feet singing on almost every song. During "Here Comes My Girl" he stopped singing each time he reached the chorus and let the audience show what they're made of.

It was obvious that Petty fans didn't lost interest during the two-year wait before Hard Promises came out. It was also obvious that his fans will be around for many albums to come. But, the waiting is the hardest part.