February 7, 2008
Well, the Super Bowl has come and gone once again. My husband thought it was a really exciting game, no matter what side you were on. We aren’t big football fans in our house, but we usually watch the Super Bowl just because everybody else makes such a party day out of it. My 8-year-old granddaughter paid attention to it for the first time this year, because she heard boys in her second grade class talking about the Patriots and Tom Brady. So, my daughter bought a pizza and a little beer and we all sat down to watch it together.
Here’s where I have to admit that the only reason I have any interest in it is because of the half-time entertainment. I’ve watched the past few years when Paul McCartney, Prince, Aerosmith, and of course the famous ‘wardrobe malfunction’ of Janet Jackson was all the rage. This year I was especially enthused to see ‘Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ doing the half-time honors. The four songs they did, “American Girl,” “I Won’t Back Down,” “Runnin Down A Dream” and “Free Fallin'” were some of their classics and everyone seemed to love the performance.
I’ve always been a fan of Tom Petty and the gang, but recently my respect for them has been resurrected. They have a new DVD on the market called "Runnin’ Down A Dream" that documents the entire career of the remarkable band from the beginning until now. I’d forgotten what a prolific songwriter Tom Petty is and never knew his background. The four-hour film fills you in on his life growing up in Gainesville, Fla., in the '50s and '60s, meeting the other members of his band and how they all went to Hollywood with a stack of demos and hit a list of record companies to sell themselves.
I won’t spoil it for you by listing all of his accomplishments, but he has plenty in his three decades in the music business. Filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich describes Petty as “an American troubadour in the truest sense of the word” and gives you insightful interviews and plenty of concert footage. If you like Tom Petty and who doesn’t, check it out. Petty and the Heartbreakers are also going out on a summer tour and the tickets seem to be priced pretty decently.
The Grammys 50th Anniversary show will be on this coming weekend, in spite of the writer’s strike. I guess they struck a deal and the writers won’t be picketing the event. I have probably watched the Grammys for most of my adult life and each year is always different; some years have been memorable, while some are quite forgettable. Seeing the musicians honoring their own is very fascinating to me. Although this year I’m not acquainted with a lot of the nominees' music, I did just get a hold of the new Foo Fighters CD, “Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace” and really love it. They have been around for about 10 years now and it’s good to see them finally be recognized, so I hope they get Album and Song of the Year, which they are nominated for.
Until next time, rock on and be excellent to each other … Penny
Comments
taryterre (anonymous) says...
I too enjoyed Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers halftime show, almost, as much as the commercials!!!
February 7, 2008 at 9:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
debbie (anonymous) says...
Hi Penny,
We always watch the super bowl, I'm an Aries and think sports are pretty. The world gets together every 4 years to play games at the olympics. Some members of my family are NY Giants season tickets holders. And let me say our super bowl party this year was a whole lot of fun, as our team won. Sports are great entertainment, professional athletes are entertainers, and distraction for many people. The half time music and adds are part of the fun. Best, Debbie
February 20, 2008 at 10:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Post a comment
Commenting requires registration.