The year 2006 saw Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers celebrating their 30th anniversary as a group.  Petty chose to kick off the celebrations with his third solo album (Highway Companion) featuring members of the band and produced with Jeff Lynne -- a satisfying return to form after the disappointment that was The Last DJ. 

The band then toured North America, criss-crossing the land serving up their special brew to the hundreds of thousands of fans who turned out to celebrate with them.  One of these shows, the boys’ hometown gig in Gainesville, Florida, was filmed for a DVD and featured Stevie Nicks who joined the tour for weeks at a time whenever she felt like it.  The release of the DVD however was delayed due to plans for a full length documentary (released straight to DVD) that would accompany the live show in a box-set DVD package.

The documentary film was directed by Peter Bogdanovich, and clocking in at a whopping four hours, it’s wisely spread over two discs.  Bogdanovich chose to shoot in a simple and direct “sit-down” style with the band and several others who had a helping hand in their fortunes including their original manager/producer Denny Cordell, George Harrison, and star-struck fan Dave Grohl.  With all the subjects seemingly at ease, it’s an enjoyable film and is so well edited that when the final credits roll, it really doesn’t feel like four hours have passed at all.

There’s a lot of ground covered from the beginnings of Mudcrutch right up to the present day.  In between there is plenty of laughs and storytelling ranging from Petty’s fight with his label over record pricing, which resulted in the delayed release of the Hard Promises LP, to the coming together of the Traveling Wilburys.  Petty tells the tragic story of his house burning down and expresses his gratitude for the love and support of family, friends, and fans alike. 

Also touched on is the untimely death in 2003 of Howie Epstein who replaced Ron Blair as the Heartbreaker’s bassist in 1982 and ironically was then replaced by Blair following his death.  Original drummer Stan Lynch’s departure in 1994 is covered without any animosity or sour grapes.  Petty himself is an interesting study -- both laid back and charming, his dry wit is ever present and coupled with his no-bullshit attitude it makes for great viewing.  

The star of this show, however, is the two-hour concert film.  Beautifully shot, it finds Petty and his posse in great form and determined to show their home crowd just how great they are.  It’s not exactly a greatest hits show (“Refugee” and “Breakdown” are notably absent), but when a band can come out and blow a crowd away with just their first four songs, it’s sure to be a hell of a gig.

“Listen To Her Heart” opens the show with style and swagger. “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” is given a note perfect rendition that is followed by “I Won’t Back Down” and Petty’s masterpiece “Free Fallin’.” All of the covers are well chosen, especially the blistering version of Van Morrison’s “Mystic Eyes.” 

The highlights are a plenty ranging from the new rocker “Saving Grace” to the old, the majestic closer “American Girl.” The band’s only honorary member Stevie Nicks almost manages to upstage her mates with the slow burning duet “Stop Dragging My Heart Around” and taking the lead for “I Need To Know,” of which Petty proclaims, “You’ve never heard this song until you hear Stevie sing it.”

The second half of the show is just as glorious as the first.  Nicks re-joins Petty for a sublime reading of “Insider” before seeing out the gig on backing vocals.  “Learning To Fly” is given the sing-along treatment by the ecstatic crowd before the group launch into the best version of “Don’t Come Around Here No More” I’ve ever heard, complete with Nick’s tambo freak-out dance. 

Rounding out the package is a nine-track CD of live recordings selected from various TV spots throughout the band’s career, including a rocking version of the bluesy “Honey Bee.” 

The Heartbreakers are without a doubt at their best on stage, and it certainly shows here. Having a frontman who is not only a great singer but possesses enough charisma to fill the arena on its own makes them one of the very best bands in the world.  They are America’s greatest rock band, and Runnin’ Down  A Dream is a very fitting way to celebrate their anniversary.

Rating: A

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