Since Elvis, singers and musicians have been creating shows around music icons for decades. But Tribute bands, some say, really started to take off with the Broadway production of “Beatlemania” in 1977. Since then, band after band has tried to jump on the Tribute “bandwagon.”
Tribute bands have found their place in the music world for one good reason: “Time Travel.” If the Tribute does its job well, it’s like stepping through a portal into the past. This is nostalgia in its truest form, helping us to remember younger years, the sights and sounds of past experiences and to recapture the feeling we had when the song played on our vinal LP, 8 track, cassette, or CD. These moments of reliving the past have become a welcome pastime for every generation, particularly baby boomers who refuse to give up their youth!
The Tribute Band phenomenon has exploded and as of late, and Tribute bands are popping up at almost every venue worldwide either as an opening act for a top name band or their own tribute show. But not all tribute bands are alike in professionalism or authenticity. What the “Petty Breakers” bring to the stage is filled with those two factors.
Being in a tribute band may look easy, but I guarantee, to get to where The PettyBreakers are now is no easy task.
So, what does it take to create a good tribute band versus a cover band?
Creating a Tribute Band is not as simple as it seems. This writer knows firsthand the challenge. Having been a guitarist and vocalist myself in numerous cover bands over my lifetime I have discovered that there’s a big difference between performing in a “cover” band verses a “tribute” band.
With a cover band, you are afforded the freedom to bring your individual style more easily to the song vocally and instrumentally. In other words, you can make it your own and put your own spin on the song as long as you play the recognizable signature riffs. But most of all you can be yourself!
With a tribute band, however, authenticity is key. You job is to make your performance of the song authentic, a carbon copy of the artist or band you are emulating. You must be as exact as possible to the recording or to a given concert performance. Not every musician’s cup of tea!
It’s not a matter of being just instrumentally exact, but vocally as well. The nuances and the vocal stylings of the featured artist must be a true replica. And to take it one step further, the moves and gestures of the artist and supporting band/cast members must be performed with as much accuracy as possible. It’s more like a musical theatre production.
The expectation of the audience watching a Tribute show is to be able to imagine that they are seeing the actual concert of their favorite artist or band with just a little tweaking of the imagination.
The PettyBreakers do such an amazing job of all the above. They pull it off with such ease and grace that they make their stage performance appear effortless and believable. This is the true representation of master musicianship. This is why the Petty Breakers have such a draw and staying power. They have mastered the craft of creating the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers “experience.”
Impersonators and Tribute bands have come and gone over the years, but the tribute phenomenon seems to have gained tremendous popularity and momentum over the last 10 or so years. Perfect timing for the PettyBreakers to form a band!
Question: What does this writer and “The PettyBreakers,” have in common?
Answer: A Tribute Band.
It would be remiss of me to compare the two bands at this stage of the game, as this writer’s newly formed tribute band is in the infancy stages of creation, but in the process, I have learned a thing or two about what it takes to create a Tribute Band. And in my humble opinion, The Petty Breakers have achieved the credibility that merits the title of being the “Number One Touring Tribute to Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers” in the nation! This tribute band is what most all tribute bands aspire to be!
A little PettyBreakers history:
After performing in several successful cover bands over the years, Ozzie Mancinelli, the founder, and lead singer of the PettyBreakers began playing in another “tribute” band just a little over 12 years ago. Playing the part of lead guitarist (Ron Wood) in a newly formed Rolling Stones tribute band “Rolling the Stones.” Ozzie was also, at the time, rehearsing Tom Petty material and soon found that the music of Tom Petty had more of a draw for him as a vocalist and guitar player.
Like many bands, the former configuration Rolling Stones tribute band split in two after a few short months, and Ozzie launched The PettyBreakers project which turned out to be a great decision!
As with all bands, there have been a few changes over the years, but the current band has been going strong for quite some time and its evident that the commitment has paid off. As anyone can tell, they are tight. And the chemistry on stage feels more like a brotherhood of musicians.
The current band members are Ozzie Mancinelli – lead vocals and guitar, John McAllister – lead guitar, David Zeman (Rembrandts; Gin Blossoms)- keyboards, vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica, Danny Leoni – bass guitar and vocals and Rafael Gayol (Leonard Cohen; BoDeans; A-ha) – drums, and vocals.
The PettyBreakers are the “Real Deal.”
When they started “Running Down the Dream” in the Tribute world and were immediately embraced by the fans. And through commitment and dedication, have kept this band thriving for 10 years! In the “cover band” music world in general, 10 years of popularity is a prime example of true staying power but more specifically in the world of Tribute Bands, remarkable. And… their popularity is growing.
Touring in more than 20 states in the US, The PettyBreakers’ exceptional career in the Tribute genre was going strong before the Covid shutdown. They have played hundreds of concerts, from local clubs, parks, theatres and multiple casino residencies, to festivals and stadiums that seat thousands of Tom Petty fans.
Over time, their popularity and professionalism has afforded the band the opportunity to share the stage with many other top name performers as well.
In 2013 The PettyBreakers headlined a charity event to benefit the American Red Cross Hurricane Sandy victims that included special guests performing with them, like Joe Bonamassa, Ron Blair (bass guitar player for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Andy Fraser (Free), Jesse Valenzuela (Gin Blossoms) and Keith Scott (Bryan Adams).
They have also been fortunate enough to receive rave reviews from Katie Daryl, Mark Cuban, and Ryan Seacrest from AXS TV where they were selected to perform on a 2014 TV show and were coined “The World’s Greatest Tribute to Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers” for good reason, this band is nothing short of excellent.
Another accolade should be given as they performed another one of their stellar shows for the Major league Baseball All Star Pre-game celebration in Washington DC in 2018.
Their tour schedule was packed full of shows in some of the finest local and national venues.
And then…. March 2020 the world was placed on pause and The PettyBreakers, like all of us in the music world had to lay back for what seemed like a lifetime. The nationwide shutdown halted music in all venues temporarily.
Not quite two years ago, a sad announcement was posted on the Petty Breakers website. “Harrah’s Casino, Reno NV, 5-week residency at Sammy Davis Showroom, July 2 to August 3, 2020, CANCELLED due to Covid 19.” This would have been the band’s second residency at this venue, the first was a four-and-a-half month residency from March to July, 2016. But now… the nation’s #1 Tom Petty Tribute Band is back with more vigor and enthusiasm than ever before and the fans are stoked in The PettyBreakers hometown, San Diego.
The once empty and closed venue, The Belly-up Tavern in Solana Beach, CA is open again and the locals are more than excited! On July 11, 2021, the marquis once again read “The PettyBreakers!”
The line of anxious fans snaked around the block, and they streamed eagerly into the venue. Within minutes the room was buzzing and filled with hungry for music, tried, and true local fans that were ready for what they knew was going to be a great show! This sold-out audience has been waiting for almost two years to welcome their hometown heroes back to the Belly-Up Stage. The PettyBreakers!
The PettyBreakers are no stranger to the Belly-Up stage, as north San Diego is their hometown. I was fortunate enough to have shared the Belly-Up stage with them a couple of years ago as I performed as a backup vocalist in another tribute band that was their opening act. But this time I got to observe from a different perspective. And it did not disappoint!
What The PettyBreakers bring to the stage is quite phenomenal. Their delivery is done with such authenticity that our beloved Tom Petty, who passed October 2, 2017, surely has a big smile on his face watching from the other side. There is no doubt they are doing Tom’s legacy proud.
Now that we no longer can attend a real Tom Petty concert, The PettyBreakers are the next best thing! We can still hear our favorite Tom Petty songs live and have the Tom Petty concert experience.
The Tom Petty song catalogue is ripe with choice material that spans over almost 5 decades of time. Beginning in 1976, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers produced 16 albums and nearly 200 songs, so there are many selections to choose from for a powerful and moving set list to create memories.
Who doesn’t have a memory attached to at least one Tom Petty song? That’s a lot of memories to pull from, and the PettyBreakers have done a great job at cherry picking the tunes that most resonate to their audience.
I am appreciative as to how their show was structured. Their song selection was perfect, and each song flowed seamlessly into the next. I was impressed with how beautifully Ozzie Mancinelli the lead (Tom Petty) vocalist/ guitar player executed each song with such grace and precision, yet the feeling was relaxed, fun and energetic!
The set list included all the big hits opening with a four-song medley of “Thing About You,” “Don’t Do Me Like That,” “You Got Lucky” and “The Waiting.” At the end of the medley Ozzie did a shout out to his fans. “Where have you been in the last year and a half?” And of course, the crowd cheered!
Following the medley was The Traveling Wilburys’, “Handle with Care.” Another great choice from the iconic all-star band that was formed in the 80’s featuring George Harrison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynn. The PettyBreakers more than did the song justice with the added vocals of Roy Orbison performed by The PettyBreakers keyboard player, David Zeman that stepped away from his keyboard and sported an acoustic guitar to join Ozzie on a shared mic for the chorus as well as sing the signature Roy Orbison vocal part.
The audience continued to groove as more hit sing-a- long songs were played. It was truly a great experience to be in the energy and long-awaited camaraderie of a happy singing sea of people once again!
Another sweet surprise was Michelle Savitt who was called to the stage sporting authentic goddess, new age, sexy, gypsy attire to play the role of Stevie Nicks. She wowed the crowd with her uncanny resemblance, swirling dance moves and vocal stylings of Stevie. She did it so well that you could truly imagine it was Petty and Nicks in living color singing “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.”
Because the set list was choice and familiar, the audience participated in singing almost every song, but what was really moving was when they played “Learning to Fly.” The audience chimed in, arms in the air, singing the unaccompanied choruses in perfect unison. Magical.
The show also included a surprise guest appearance by Severo Jornacion from The Smithereens. The Smithereens were at one time a support act for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers about eight years ago.
Severo and Ozzie have a long history of performing together that dates back several years when they played in LA all up and down the strip. Including shows at Gazzarri’s, The Whisky, Starwood and Madam Wong’s. They also toured the Southwest for a spell.
The reunion on July 11th was one of many as Jornacion from time-to-time rolls into town and is asked to join in. Feeling right at home he jumped on stage grabbed an acoustic guitar and joined the band for a great rendition of “Blood and Roses” a Smithereens signature song. Severo then sat in for the last few songs and joined in with backup vocals and guitar.
The show concluded with two encores which proved that this San Diego audience did not want this night to end!
Overall, the two-hour 24 song show was an excellent representation of the Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers experience, performed by The PettyBreakers with expertise and professionalism.
I am in awe of this band and how far they have come from their early beginnings 10 years ago. It’s great to see that their calendar is filling up again and October 2021 is shaping up to be a long-awaited filled gig month for them with many local Southern California shows as well as Texas and Arizona.
If you are a Tom Petty Fan, don’t hesitate to catch one of their shows. You will find the show to be fun and entertaining. And if you are not a Tom Petty fan, The PettyBreakers may just convert you!
If you happen to be in Southern California, try to catch their show at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano where they will be accompanied by Tom Petty’s former drummer, Steve Ferrone on October 22, 2021
In conclusion, this band is nothing short of tight and polished. And for this writer/musician/tribute band performer something to aspire to!
Thanks to Ozzie and the band for taking Tom Petty fans back in time, but more importantly sharing your talents and keeping Tom Petty’s music alive! Keep Rockin’!
Hopefully one day we will share the stage again, but “The Waiting is The Hardest Part.”
Website: thepettybreakers.com
Writer: Wildrose (https://wildrosemusic.net/)