GULF SHORES, Alabama — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers closed out Hangout Fest day two in strong fashion, ripping through a hefty two-hour set on the beaches of Gulf Shores.
The band worked through a number of classics from their extensive catalog, including "I Won't Back Down," "Free Fallin'," "Last Dance With Mary Jane" and "Running Down a Dream," all of which prompted huge sing-alongs. "We got a lot of good singers out there," Petty remarked after "Mary Jane."
You know you have a classic when you play a song & you can hear the entire beach singing along @tompetty @hangoutfest #americangirl
The set capped a day that featured performances from Kendrick Lamar, the Roots, Public Enemy and many more. But there's a reason why Petty's All-American brand of rock and roll was a perfect headlining choice; aside from some muffled vocals on "Love Is a Long Road," he worked rather flawlessly through his set, often playing off lead guitarist Mike Campbell. The two dueled ferociously throughout, whipping the crowd into frenzies on "American Girl" and "You Wreck Me," and calming them down on excellent covers like on the slow, bluesy "I Just Want to Make Love to You," made famous by Muddy Waters, and the Grateful Dead classic "Friend of the Devil."
Not usually a fan of old ass rock music but tom petty is seriously killing #hangoutfest right now
Saturday night's performance was the second stop on Tom Petty's summer tour, which continues through the end of June. The band is slated for a five-night run at New York's Beacon Theater starting Monday.
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Hangout Festival 2013 closes Sunday with Stevie Wonder, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bloc Party, Ellie Goulding and more.