Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers at MSG

A perfect show. 2 of my all-time favorites, Tom Petty and Steve Winwood, on one bill at the worlds most famous arena. After a fabulous opening set from Winwood, where he's showing how he's quickly becoming one of the world's best guitarists as well as keyboard playing, TP and company took the stage and wailed through 2 straight hours.
There's not many shows you can attend these days where you know and love every single song the band plays, but after 22 years of non-stop hits this is what their shows delivers. SO many classic tunes. Tom Petty is just an institution at this point, a desert island that you can spend months on end listening to alone. And I can't complete this without noting how truly ridiculous Mike Campbell is on the guitar. The Heartbreakers and arguably Tom Petty wouldn't be what they are without him. Man I wish these guys played every weekend.
As for the best of the night, even though every classic Heartbreakers song rocked the house, I have to go with this, when Steve came out and joined the band to render one of his rock hey-dey classics. The guitar playing!!! Check the way Campbell and Winwood lock into each other around 3:58 and just let it unfold. Also notice how TP backs off to sideman and lets these 2 take the wheel. Ridiculously good.

Steve Winwood V

Rounding out the focus on Steve we come to his solo career which he concentrated on fully from 1982 onward. Somewhat oddly it was in this period that Steve achieved his greatest success, at least commercially. Great material here from the Roll With It, Back in the High Life and Chronicles albums. So many songs to choose from but in the end I always go to "Higher Love".
Just an incredible song, can't help but smile everytime you hear it.
Steve is one of the many artists' whose career received great benefit from the power of video, however looking back at this clip it was just too painfully dated. Check out a full length stream here, it's definitely meant for listening on your own....

Steve Winwood IV

After Traffic Steve went on to found BLIND FAITH whose initial members included Eric Clapton before he departed for another band. With a new set of collaborators Steve again seemed to top his earlier work with some diamond material that will listeners will forever cherish. I'm fond of so much of their work but have to pick this, probably their most popular hit, as my favorite.
Musically, a great example of less being more. How can you not love this?

Steve Winwood III

From the SPG Steve went on to form TRAFFIC, a power-house quartet that created some of the grooviest music ever made. With classics like "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and "Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys" it was very tough to find a cut to play here today, but I had to go with one of my all-time favorite, desert island tracks that's fueled countless parties and air-keyboard sessions, and will always continue to....

Steve Winwood II

I've read that when Winwood's genius first debuted via the Spencer Davis Group people thought "Gimme Some Lovin" was a new song from Ray Charles. There was just no way to believe this voice was belting out of an 18 year-old white kid from the UK. Makes sense!!
What a tune. If this song was a movie it would open with a chase scene. From the moment the first bass riff hits you're immediately hooked, and when Steve falls on the Hammond and hits that first vocal the spell has been fully cast.
And talk about timeless: this sounds just as incredible today as it did when it hit the airwaves 42 years ago.

Steve Winwood

Last night at the Blender Theater in NYC I stood 20 feet in front of greatness.
How can you begin to talk about Steve Winwood's career? A prodigy who scored his first global hit at 18 years old with the Spencer Davis Group, and then went on to quarterback Blind Faith and Traffic, two bands at the top of any conversation about great classic rock. And then there was his solo stuff.

That amazing voice from another world is out touring in support of this new album NINE LIVES, and you're definitely going to want to check out both. More info on Steve's website., but the first single is "Dirty City" and features Eric Clapton on guitar. The first 5 seconds sets the tone here, just listen to that incredible guitar sound. Really enjoying this album, and will be taking a look at Steve's incredible career all week here at FM.