Tom Petty Weekend 2025
Last weekend in Gainesville played like a homecoming of sorts at the Heartwood Soundstage — for friends and fans of Tom Petty, for Gainesville’s local-music scene, and for live-music lovers who appreciate the musical history of the town and its roots.
For a small university town, the number of well-known artists who were born or spent time in Gainesville is pretty astonishing: Bo Diddley, Minnie Riperton (and her daughter Maya Rudolph), Stephen Stills, two Eagles (Bernie Leadon and Don Felder), Less Than Jake, and Sister Hazel, to name a few. And while all are celebrated in Gainesville, Tom Petty is Gainesville’s native son. When Petty died unexpectedly at the age of 66 shortly after completing his 40th anniversary tour with the Heartbreakers, sorrow was palpable in the town. Tom Petty was born in Gainesville, and everyone watched the skinny kid grow up, putting bands together, the first a neighborhood band called The Sundowners, and later a better-known band called The Epics, which morphed into Mudcrutch. Originally including Bernie’s brother Tom Leadon and guitarist Mike Campbell, Gainesville native Benmont Tench and bass player Danny Roberts joined in 1972 when Leadon left the band. Mudcrutch was a legendary band in Florida, playing regularly enough to relocate to Los Angeles in 1974, finally signing with Leon Russell’s Shelter Records label. After their single “Depot Street” didn’t do well, the record company kept Petty alone under contract. Within months, Petty, Tench and Campbell added Gainesville’s Stan Lynch on drums and Ron Blair on bass, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were born and history made. His career needs no review here; his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, working with Dylan, Roy Orbison and George Harrison in The Traveling Wilburys… he was a star. Petty wrote songs about his hometown and many local points of interest, including one simply titled “Gainesville” that was made into a video; included are many of his home movies and photos from the town.
In 2007 Mudcrutch reunited with Petty, recorded an album, and toured briefly. A follow-up record in 2016 also sold well. Many in Gainesville saw these reunion albums as a measure of gratitude to some of the musicians whom he had worked with before his fame spread.
Since his death, Gainesville has named a city park for Petty, supported the painting of a number of murals around the town, and for the last seven years has celebrated his music and his birthday with a festival.
This year’s effort took place over three days, with a mix of storytelling, a great collection of local, regional and national acts, and a lot of nostalgia for many that knew Tom. The Mudpies included two of his classmates at Gainesville High, and bandmate Danny Roberts did two sets, telling stories about how things unfolded for Petty after they moved to LA.
The Wallflowers were the headliners, and as Jakob Dylan pointed out, his family had a lot of connections to Tom Petty. Not long ago I watched Dylan’s documentary Echo in the Canyon, and Petty was the first interview in the film. Dylan also pointed out that Mike Campbell from The Heartbreakers played on one of The Wallflowers’ albums and that his guitarist Chris Masterson was up to the task of covering his break (which he was). The Wallflowers played a long set, including four Petty covers, including a blazing version of “Refugee,” and included a bunch of their most popular songs, including “The Passenger,” “Sleepwalker,” and “I’ve Been Delivered.”
Young phenom Jake Thistle and musician/writer Jeff Slate have been regulars at the Petty Weekend shows. They did solo and joint shows, and Jake has developed a large fan base in Gainesville, far from his home base of New Jersey.
Some of the standouts for the weekend included the Atlanta-based Ain’t Sisters, who did a great early set with their usual dynamic stage presence. Harber Wynn and the Nancy Luca Band generated a lot of heat. Newcomers Nolia Joy and the Ramblers were tasked with starting things off on Friday and did a fine job, along with home-based band The Shambles. Blueswoman Shine and her band The Shakers did a great set outdoors, and Shine did a solo indoor set as well.
Also enjoyed some sets by Atlanta- and New York-based Robin Shakedown (also known as Robin Vincent), who lit up the inside stage with just her guitar and vocals, and some nice harmonies and vocals from Shiloh and Richey Stano and Chelsea O, as well as local legends Mic Marino and Don David. We even got to hear Petty songs played by a bell choir, the Hoggtowne Bell Choir.
Ronnie Gregg and Blackie Rie are members of the Petty tribute band Southern Accents and did several fine sets with some deeper cuts from Petty’s catalog. And we got hear a lot of that catalog over the weekend. Some songs are both fan and musician favorites, and we got to hear them several times from different artists: “Crawling Back to You,” ” Walls,” ” I Won’t Back Down,” several great covers of “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” ” Last Dance with Mary Jane,” and of course “Wildflowers.”
Heartwood is a great venue for this weekend, and, with both indoor and outdoor stages, there was a constant flow of opportunities. And the weekend felt like a gathering of people who share a love of both Petty’s music and the local scene. Fans mingled, artists seemed relaxed, and the schedule allowed for discovery. Bands played a mix of Petty covers and their own originals, which kept things current. The crowd was enthusiastic, the weather was perfect, and the venue was perfect for the event; if you’re a Petty fan, this is something to put on your calendar for next year. You won’t be disappointed.
(click on photos for full size)
Website
