Arts at the Attucks
By Leona Baker
Tuesday, May. 30, 2006


ARTS AT THE ATTUCKS: Summer usually means more than a few nights of
dark stages at local theaters. But things will be lively at the
restored Attucks Theatre in Norfolk beginning June 26 when they kick
off a new summer arts program open to kids and adults. StageNorfolk,
Suwabi African Ballet, and Maizelle are all involved in the project,
which will include a variety of disciplines such as West African
dance and drumming, improvisational theater, martial arts, story
telling and a variety of visual arts.

You can get a sneak peek at what to expect when the Attucks holds a
free community open house for the program this Saturday from 2-4
p.m. Call 622-4763 for details.


GET YOUR NICKS FIX: It was all hush-hush early last week, but,
according to Stevie Nicks' official Website (www.nicksfix.com), the
secret's out. Nicks will join her friend Tom Petty on stage for a
limited series of engagements on his summer tour. And, yes, the date
range includes Petty's show at nTelos Pavilion in P-town on June 12.
You can count on a rousing version of "Stop Draggin' My Heart
Around" as well as a few other duets. Now, aren't you extra glad you
coughed up $65 for a ticket?


— Leona Baker

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Comment on this story.
Tom Petty celebrates 30 years with the Heartbreakers
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Advertisement

NEW YORK (AP) — Each week, Tom Petty selects some musical gems that
have fallen into obscurity and beams them out on his satellite radio
show, hoping to expose fans to some classic music that deserves
another listen.

The rock legend is planning to apply some of that philosophy to his
own vast catalog this summer, as Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band.

Along with special surprise guests like Stevie Nicks, and supporting
acts like Pearl Jam and the Allman Brothers, Petty is making the
tour special by going back to the band's first album to play some
rarely heard Heartbreaker tunes. They'll also dust off songs they
haven't played in concert for years — though Petty didn't divulge
which ones for this interview.

But he did talk about why this tour may be the last blowout tour for
the Heartbreakers, his new solo album and why he's allowed cameras
to follow the band's every move for the last year.

AP: Over the years, acts have proclaimed that this is their last
tour but then go out on the road again ... is it safe to say that
this may be your last tour?

Petty: Well, never say never (laughs). It might be the last really
extended one. I didn't mean to imply that we were going to stop
playing. Whether or not we'll continue to do the really long ones,
that take up four or five months, I don't know.

AP: What is it about extended tours that you're leery of? Some
people can be on tour all year long.

Petty: Well, I've done that all my life. I'm not weary of playing
music, I'm a little weary of traveling that much, but it's not even
that. It's just that I have so many recording projects I wanna do,
going out for half of the year really eats into my time.

AP: Being that your catalog is so vast after three decades, are
there any songs you wish you could retire — or are there songs that
you wish you could play more of?

Petty: Well, you always want to play as much new stuff as you can,
though it's hard for an audience, especially if it's really large,
to take in a lot of new music, so I don't try and put a lot of those
in. But if we get really tired of something we just retire it and
replace it and maybe if we wanna bring it back later we do.

AP: You also have your radio show. What kind of release does that
give you to play what you want?

Petty: It's a real joy. I'm really pleased that it's gone over so
well. XM (Satellite Radio) tells us it's one of their top shows, and
we get a lot of response, a lot of e-mails from listeners. The nice
thing that I didn't really count about it is so many young people
write in and tell us that they had no knowledge of this music at
all, and are getting turned on to things. I had a girl write in who
never heard of Chuck Berry. And she was in her teens and was
thanking me for discovering Chuck.

AP: Do you have any advice for your good friend Bob Dylan as he does
his own radio show?

Petty: No, he's going to be fine. He's doing a different kind of
show that I do. I've just heard the first one, and I think it's
fantastic.

AP: Looking back at your 30 years, what are some of your
achievements that blow your mind?

Petty: That it's gone on so long is kind of mind blowing, I
certainly never would have thought that.

AP: Does it ever get old for you? Do you need time off to recharge?

Petty: I think it's about time to do that because if you stay on the
road all the time, it's not the most creative place as far as
writing, it's very hard for me to write on the road, and I think if
you do take some time away, you come back with a much better had and
a lot more enthusiasm for it. but I don't get tired. We're in such a
nice position right now, things have gone so well. I have people
approach me on the streets and say, thanks for writing the
soundtrack to my life. I can't tell you how good that makes me feel
as a songwriter.

AP: Peter Bongdanovich is doing a documentary on the Heartbreakers.
Has he been following you around with cameras?

Petty: We've given him a lot more access than we've ever given
anyone. He does follow us around with cameras, interviewing us,
talking to lots of people. He's also filming some concerts. He's
spent a great deal of time going through footage of the last 30
years. There's just a truckload of film that's been shot in 30
years, as you can imagine. So we have high hopes for the movie.

AP: Does being under such close scrutiny ever get uncomfortable?

Petty: (Laughs.) It's a little scary sometimes. I really admire
Peter Bongdanovich, I always have and just the idea that he's doing
this is pretty outstanding to me. But I also trust him. I told him
early on, I'm just going to give you total carte blanche here and
I'm going to trust that you'll make the movie you want, because what
I don't want is for me to make the movie. I don't want it from my
point of view ... sometimes we're miked all day and it's a little
nerve-racking, but I'm really glad that somebody of that caliber
wants to get this story down, because it is quite a story, and I
think it deserves to be archived.

*****************************************************************
Tom Petty draggin' Stevie Nicks on the road By Clover Hope
Fri May 26, 6:25 PM ET



NEW YORK (Billboard) - Rock star Stevie Nicks will open the
first eight shows on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' North
American tour, which kicks off June 9 at the Verizon Amphitheatre in
Charlotte, N.C.

ADVERTISEMENT


Nicks' performances include two shows in Virginia and a June 20 stop
in New York's Madison Square Garden. Her final appearance on the
outing will be the June 21 gig at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield,
Mass.

Nicks and Petty, who had a big hit with "Stop Draggin' My Heart
Around," are scheduled to perform a selection of songs together.
Nicks also appears on the Heartbreakers' 1985 live album "Pack up
the Plantation: Live!" performing "Needles and Pins" and "Insider."

Former Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio will also support the
first eight shows, which will be followed by six double-bills with
Pearl Jam through July 2-3 in Denver.

The second leg of the tour in July and August features the Allman
Brothers Band and the Derek Trucks Band. Opening acts for the third
leg in September, which includes a September 17 headlining
appearance at the Austin City Limits Festival, have yet to be
announced.

Reuters/Billboard
*********************************************************************
NICKS JOINS PETTY FOR LAST TOUR


Also see:
STEVIE NICKS
TOM PETTY
FLEETWOOD MAC


STEVIE NICKS has signed on to join old pal TOM PETTY on the road for
what is billed as the grizzled rocker's last tour. The FLEETWOOD MAC
star, who scored a huge hit with Petty and his band THE
HEARTBREAKERS in 1981 with STOP DRAGGIN' MY HEART AROUND, will
support the rock group on the first eight shows of their upcoming
Highway Companion tour. Nicks will also join Petty and his band for
a handful of duets onstage each night.
26/05/2006 19:42

******************************************************************
Tom Petty celebrates milestone By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music
Writer
Fri May 26, 3:53 PM ET



NEW YORK - Each week, Tom Petty selects some musical gems that
have fallen into obscurity and beams them out on his satellite radio
show, hoping to expose fans to some classic music that deserves
another listen.

ADVERTISEMENT


The rock legend is planning to apply some of that philosophy to his
own vast catalog this summer, as Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band.

Along with special surprise guests like Stevie Nicks, and
supporting acts like Pearl Jam and the Allman Brothers, Petty is
making the tour special by going back to the band's first album to
play some rarely heard Heartbreaker tunes. They'll also dust off
songs they haven't played in concert for years — though Petty didn't
divulge which ones for this interview.

But he did talk about why this tour may be the last blowout tour for
the Heartbreakers, his new solo album and why he's allowed cameras
to follow the band's every move for the last year.

AP: Over the years, acts have proclaimed that this is their last
tour but then go out on the road again ... is it safe to say that
this may be your last tour?

Petty: Well, never say never (laughs). It might be the last really
extended one. I didn't mean to imply that we were going to stop
playing. Whether or not we'll continue to do the really long ones,
that take up four or five months, I don't know.

AP: What is it about extended tours that you're leery of? Some
people can be on tour all year long.

Petty: Well, I've done that all my life. I'm not weary of playing
music, I'm a little weary of traveling that much, but it's not even
that. It's just that I have so many recording projects I wanna do,
going out for half of the year really eats into my time.

AP: Being that your catalog is so vast after three decades, are
there any songs you wish you could retire — or are there songs that
you wish you could play more of?

Petty: Well, you always want to play as much new stuff as you can,
though it's hard for an audience, especially if it's really large,
to take in a lot of new music, so I don't try and put a lot of those
in. But if we get really tired of something we just retire it and
replace it and maybe if we wanna bring it back later we do.

AP: You also have your radio show. What kind of release does that
give you to play what you want?

Petty: It's a real joy. I'm really pleased that it's gone over so
well. XM (Satellite Radio) tells us it's one of their top shows, and
we get a lot of response, a lot of e-mails from listeners. The nice
thing that I didn't really count about it is so many young people
write in and tell us that they had no knowledge of this music at
all, and are getting turned on to things. I had a girl write in who
never heard of Chuck Berry. And she was in her teens and was
thanking me for discovering Chuck.

AP: Do you have any advice for your good friend Bob Dylan as he
does his own radio show?

Petty: No, he's going to be fine. He's doing a different kind of
show that I do. I've just heard the first one, and I think it's
fantastic.

AP: Looking back at your 30 years, what are some of your
achievements that blow your mind?

Petty: That it's gone on so long is kind of mind blowing, I
certainly never would have thought that.

AP: Does it ever get old for you? Do you need time off to recharge?

Petty: I think it's about time to do that because if you stay on the
road all the time, it's not the most creative place as far as
writing, it's very hard for me to write on the road, and I think if
you do take some time away, you come back with a much better had and
a lot more enthusiasm for it. but I don't get tired. We're in such a
nice position right now, things have gone so well. I have people
approach me on the streets and say, thanks for writing the
soundtrack to my life. I can't tell you how good that makes me feel
as a songwriter.

AP: Peter Bongdanovich is doing a documentary on the Heartbreakers.
Has he been following you around with cameras?

Petty: We've given him a lot more access than we've ever given
anyone. He does follow us around with cameras, interviewing us,
talking to lots of people. He's also filming some concerts. He's
spent a great deal of time going through footage of the last 30
years. There's just a truckload of film that's been shot in 30
years, as you can imagine. So we have high hopes for the movie.

AP: Does being under such close scrutiny ever get uncomfortable?

Petty: (Laughs.) It's a little scary sometimes. I really admire
Peter Bongdanovich, I always have and just the idea that he's doing
this is pretty outstanding to me. But I also trust him. I told him
early on, I'm just going to give you total carte blanche here and
I'm going to trust that you'll make the movie you want, because what
I don't want is for me to make the movie. I don't want it from my
point of view ... sometimes we're miked all day and it's a little
nerve-racking, but I'm really glad that somebody of that caliber
wants to get this story down, because it is quite a story, and I
think it deserves to be archived.
******************************************************************