The greatest concert experience of my life: Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Greek Theatre, June 13, 1986

By Steve Newton

As far as rock concerts go, I’ve been a very lucky mofo. My 40-some-odd years as a music journalist have provided me with scores of awesome memories. But the one that stands out as tops is seeing Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California, on June 13, 1986.

It wasn’t just the concert itself, but the circumstances involved. Back in ’86 the music industry was not on its deathbed. There was money floatin’ around. And the promoters of the Dylan/Petty Tour, Westwood One, were willing to spend some in order to get advance press that might help sell tickets for the tour’s upcoming stop at Vancouver’s B.C. Place Stadium.

They flew me out to Berkeley and put me up in a fancy hotel for the night, but the coolest thing was that it included unlimited limo service. So before the show I hopped in the fancy wheels, said “Nearest liquor store please!”, and proceeded to live the high life.

To me, that merely meant scoring a bottle of Jack Daniels and sipping it while cruising around Berkeley. And when it approached concert time, the limo got waved through the barriers and drove directly backstage. Call me a hick from Chilliwack, but I ain’t never been driven directly backstage before.

While I happily hung out in my JD-infused stupor, I remember seeing Dylan walking down a hallway just a few yards away, and giving somebody he ran into a big hug and a big smile. He was clearly in a great mood. I could relate.

What I remember most about the show was being able to go wherever the hell I wanted with that pink and purple backstage pass, so for the longest time I stood right at the side of the stage and watched Dylan rock out amazingly with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. God damn were they impressive.

When I got back to Vancouver I wrote the review below, which I’ll admit is pretty lame. But it was 30 years ago, so who cares? I still say it was the greatest concert experience of my life.

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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 20, 1986

It was a gorgeous, sunny day in Berkeley, California. Outside the Greek Theatre, on this mid-June Saturday, scores of music lovers were lazing on the grassy knolls, or strolling to the end of the long queue that would eventually put them in the presence of the legendary Bob Dylan.

Long-haired, bead-heavy hippies, relics of the Summer of Love, mingled with the upwardly-mobile disciples of Jerry Rubin. The crowd was more youthful than is usual at Dylan shows, mainly due to co-headliners Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, an act with more contemporary roots.

Once inside the 7,000-seat outdoor amphitheatre, fans climbed to their chosen spots and anchored themselves for the night. The Greek Theatre is a concrete, semi-circular Roman coliseum-type structure, and in no time the grey cement was a flurry of bright colours. From backstage, it was just one huge, high wall of people, and for the next two hours that wall was alive with fans dancing and waving. After six years, Dylan was on the road again. (His tour comes to B.C. Place August 1).

Although he is homing in on the 50-year mark, Dylan is rocking harder than he ever has before, and a lot of it has to do with his backup band. Apart from the few tunes that he did alone, Dylan always had the heady musicianship of the Heartbreakers–guitarist Mike Campbell, drummer Stan Lynch, bassist Howie Epstein, and keyboardist Benmont Tench–driving him on with hearty rhythms and slick leads. Petty played guitar and sang alongside Dylan on many of the tunes, looking like a young apprentice egging on the old pro. Between the two of them, they managed to give new life to songs that must have been performed a thousand times before.

The concert kicked off with three songs from Dylan’s Empire Burlesque album, along with “Shot of Love” and his ’60s classic “Masters of War”.

“This is one of my favourite singers,” Dylan said upon introducing Petty. Then he headed backstage and Tom and the boys played three of their best-loved songs, “Fooled Again”, “The Waiting”, and “Breakdown”. The latter tune elicited a huge response from the crowd, and a large number of Petty fans sang along on the chorus. The Heartbreakers then left the stage and Dylan took over with an acoustic guitar and a set that included “Hard Rain”, “To Ramona”, and “Just Like a Woman”. He didn’t spend a lot of time introducing the songs, or chatting up the crowd. It was one song after another, and the performance just kept getting better.

The Heartbreakers came back to join Dylan on “Lonesome Town”, and “Ballad of the Thin Man”, during which Bob got to play guitar hero a bit with some raunchy lead licks. He left the stage again and the Heartbreakers rocked out on the Byrds’ “So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star”, their hit “Refugee”, and “Bye Bye Johnny B. Goode”.

Dylan came back sporting a black muscle shirt and led the band in sinewy versions of last year’s “Seeing the Real You at Last” and “I and I”, a track from his ’83 album Infidels. Then he slipped a little further back in time for a few songs, including “Like a Rolling Stone”. Dylan shared the lead vocals with Petty on those and “Rainy Day Women” before shuffling offstage to a healthy volley of cheers and screams.

Before long, Bob and Tom were back, giving the older Dylan fans  what they came for with killer versions of “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “Unchain My Heart”, “Rock ‘Em Dead”, and the grand finale, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”.

 

Sadly, I’ve never managed to score an interview with Bob Dylan or Tom Petty, but to hear the full audio of my 1999 interview with Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell subscribe to my Patreon page, where you can eavesdrop on over 650 of my uncut, one-on-one conversations with such artists as:

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple, 2006
Joss Stone, 2012
Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest, 2005
Jack Blades of Night Ranger, 1984
Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard, 1992
Colin James, 1995
Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown, 1998
Tom Cochrane of Red Rider, 1983
Ed Roland of Collective Soul, 1995
Taj Mahal, 2001
Tom Wilson of Junkhouse, 1995
Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, 2003
David Lindley, 2002
Marty Friedman of Megadeth, 1991
John Hiatt, 2010
Nancy Wilson of Heart, 2006
Jeff Golub, 1989
Moe Berg of the Pursuit of Happiness, 1990
Todd Rundgren, 2006
Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, 2001
Steve Earle, 1987
Gabby Gaborno of the Cadillac Tramps, 1991
Terry Bozzio, 2003
Roger Glover, 1985
Matthew Sweet, 1995
Jim McCarty of the Yardbirds, 2003
Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars, 2001
John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls, 1995
Steve Hackett from Genesis, 1993
Grace Potter, 2008
Trevor Rabin of Yes, 1984
Albert Lee, 1986
Yngwie Malmsteen, 1985
Robert Cray, 1996
Tony Carey, 1984
Ian Hunter, 1988
Kate Bush, 1985
Jeff Healey, 1988
Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, 1993
Colin Linden, 1993
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, 1995
Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, 1986
Elliot Easton from the Cars, 1996
Wayne Kramer from the MC5, 2004
Bob Rock, 1992
Nick Gilder, 1985
Roy Buchanan, 1988
Klaus Meine of Scorpions, 1988
Jason Bonham, 1989
Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers, 1991
Joey Spampinato of NRBQ, 1985
Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers, 2003
Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash, 2003
Steve Kilbey of the Church, 1990
Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde, 1990
Dan McCafferty of Nazareth, 1984
Davy Knowles of Back Door Slam, 2007
Jimmy Barnes from Cold Chisel, 1986
Steve Stevens of Atomic Playboys, 1989
Billy Idol, 1984
Stuart Adamson of Big Country, 1993
Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, 1992
Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule, 1998
John Bell of Widespread Panic, 1992
Robben Ford, 1993
Barry Hay of Golden Earring, 1984
Jason Isbell, 2007
Joe Satriani, 1990
Brad Delp of Boston, 1988
John Sykes of Blue Murder, 1989
Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, 1998
Alice Cooper, 1986
Lars Ulrich of Metallica, 1985
Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon, 1992
Myles Goodwyn of April Wine, 2001
John Mellencamp, 1999
Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, 1999
Kenny Aronoff, 1999
Jon Bon Jovi, 1986
Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers, 1992
Little Steven, 1987
Stevie Salas, 1990
J.J. Cale, 2009
Joe Bonamassa, 2011
John Petrucci of Dream Theater, 2010
Alex Van Halen, 1995
Eric Johnson, 2001

…with hundreds more to come