Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers play Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on May 6, 2017. Credit: Chris Rodroguez

Just before his death, Tom Petty was mapping out an intimate tour celebrating his second solo album Wildflowers. He even got Norah Jones to agree to appear at a few shows. Florida’s patron saint of Americana was also working on a reissue of the Rick Rubin-produced record (which emerged in 2020), that would display Petty’s original, double-album vision that Warner Brothers Records rejected.

Some of us had $75 saved for those tour tickets on Oct. 2, 2017, but at the very least, WMNF Tampa 88.5-FM continues to host an annual, locally-built birthday tribute to one of the truest rock stars of all time.

Though Tommy’s birthday isn’t until Oct. 20, the demographic may widen at the Skipperdome this weekend thanks to “Love Is A Long Road” making waves in the recent “Grand Theft Auto 6” trailer.

Tickets to WMNF’s Tom Petty tribute concert at Skipper’s Smokehouse in Tampa on Saturday, Oct. 5 are still available and start at $20.
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This article appears in Best of The Bay 2024.