There is absolutely no denying the fact that Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers are indeed rock stars. I've photographed many bands in my time, but these guys are part of the aging group of people who defined rock, which made shooting these guys last Tuesday particularly great. Does Petty walk around like a rock star? Um yes, but quite frankly, he deserves it. Not only has his music managed to keep fans from 30 years ago, but it's managed to reach an exceeding amount of younger generations. And all of these people, I'm telling you, every last one, would like to be nowhere else in the world. The incredible happiness, the crazy dancing and the bright eyes apparent throughout the crowd just makes you wish you could make people that happy on a consistent basis. Maybe it's the drugs, maybe it's the music, maybe it's the combination of the two, but whatever it is, it reminds you of what live music really is and always was. That this show, that live music in general, is a connective, sensory experience and not just 60 bucks down the drain when you could have been at home watching whatever it is that you watch in HD.

With all of the other ridiculous media outlets in society, at 57, Petty still sells out pretty much every amphitheater he plays. Whether it's a testament to his legend or the fact that his shows rock, I'm also not sure, but it doesn't really matter. I'm a pretty tough critic and I was thoroughly impressed, so if you get a chance and you can worm your way into a ticket when he comes to your town, head to the show and see what I mean.