This year’s Petty Fest in Los Angeles was another fantastic success, with Juliette Lewis, Brendan Benson, Walking Papers and Albert Hammond Jr. leading a sold-out spectacle of tributes and celebrations of Tom Petty’s timeless classics in the name of a tremendously good cause. The lovely crew at Jameson Whiskey sponsored the event, with 100% of the proceeds for Best Fest events around the world going to Sweet Relief, which aids musicians facing illness, disability, and other medical difficulties.
The Cabin Down Below Band served as the house band for a barrage of musicians paying their respects to legendary Petty jams, which was a wonderful patchwork run through a wide range of performances. The capacity crowd laughed, sang along (a lot) and roared their approval as Juliette Lewis ripped through a boisterous “Don’t Do Me Like That,” Pete Yorn put a sweet spin on “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” and unannounced player Kesha surprised everyone with a rippin’ cover of “Free Fallin” with Guster’s Ryan Miller doing backing vocals.
A number of gentler performances showcased the nuance and grace of the source material, as Nikki Lane had us hanging on every word of “Saving Grace” and Dhani Harrison teamed with Ruby Amanfu for a haunting “Don’t Come Around Here No More”. Newlyweds Matt Sorum and Ace Harper also came out for a lovely and grin-beaming take on “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” before Brendan Benson’s stirring rendition of “Listen To Her Heart”.
While the night was full of seasoned pros and rock veterans from a wide range of genres, the most electrifying performance of the night by far was a roaring, electrifying run through “Refugee” by Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara. While her band is still on the rise, Armstrong took hold of the source material and made it her own with a wailing, impassioned take with the spirit of someone who’s commanded arenas for years.
Interview: Walking Papers at Petty Fest
The stage was packed for the finale, as the majority of the night’s talent returned for the Traveling Wilburys’ “Handle With Care,” and the night concluded on a boisterous note of elation and raised glasses. Sure, premium whiskey and great music are always a good mix, but one thing is certain: Jameson wrote the book on how to throw a party. We learned that firsthand a couple years ago in Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day, but the brand continues to go above and beyond in their efforts to aid in humanitarian causes and help raise funds for programs such as Sweet Relief with events like Best Fest.
Keep up with future Best Fest events (two more this month!) at their official site.
Photos: Johnny Firecloud
Petty Fest
at Petty Fest, Los Angeles 4/3/2014
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Ace Harper and Matt Sorum
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Ace Harper and Matt Sorum
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Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara
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Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara
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Juliette Lewis
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Walking Papers
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Walking Papers
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Walking Papers
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Juliette Lewis
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Juliette Lewis
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Juliette Lewis
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Juliette Lewis
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Juliette Lewis
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Ruby Stewart and Lukas Nelson
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Ruby Stewart and Lukas Nelson
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Ruby Stewart and Lukas Nelson
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Ruby Stewart and Lukas Nelson
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Nikki Lane
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Nikki Lane
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Nikki Lane
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Dhani Harrison
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Dhani Harrison
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Dhani Harrison
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Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara
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Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara
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Petty Fest #27
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Petty Fest #28
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Petty Fest #29
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Petty Fest #30
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Petty Fest #31
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El Rey Theater
