Local fans enjoy a night of classic rock during Sudwerk’s ongoing concert series
By ALMA CULVERWELL — city@theaggie.org
On Saturday, May 24, Sudwerk Brewing Co. hosted Tom and the Broken Hearts, a Tom Petty tribute band, for an evening performance as part of its ongoing Sudwerk Concert Series, which brings live music and local acts to Davis residents. The show, held in the brewery’s Beer Hall, attracted a full crowd and showcased the band’s dedication to recreating Tom Petty’s music with precision and care.
Frontman and founder of the band, Tom Moore, who previously spent two decades touring with an Elvis tribute show, explained how the inspiration of the group came in the wake of Tom Petty’s passing in 2017.
“I found out that Tom Petty had died, and it just hit me hard,” Moore said. “I really liked Tom Petty, his music and everything. And so we did a show like a week or two after he died, and so we did a couple of songs dedicated to him. […] And it was kind of funky, but people loved it. I mean, people really liked that. And I just thought, man, I should be doing Tom Petty because it’s hard to get people interested in Elvis.”
Moore brings decades of experience as a performer, including his work with Northern California bands such as “The Edsels” and “The Hucklebucks.” Earlier in his career as a singer-songwriter, Moore opened for artists such as Michael Hedges, T-Bone Burnett and Jesse Colin Young. He later launched a full-scale Elvis tribute band, Elvis and the Experience, performing at various venues such as Harlow’s in Sacramento as well as regional casinos. In 2018, he became a Gretsch Guitars artist.
Following the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Moore began building his Tom Petty tribute band by posting an ad on Craigslist. The band gradually came together both virtually and by word of mouth with musicians who shared both a passion for live performance and a strong technical background.
Tom and the Broken Hearts also features Mark Burgess on lead guitar and vocals, Todd Brown on bass guitar and vocals, Julian Dean on keyboard and vocals and Rowan McGuire on drums and vocals. Several of the band members also tour with other tribute acts, including Creedence Clearwater and Traveling Wilburys Revue.
Moore explained the close attention to detail that the band members take into account when preparing their performances.
“One of the things that we try to do is replicate a show that they would have done,” Moore said. “So, like, I have all the right instruments, and I play them for the right songs, and I have to bring four or five guitars to each show. So like, I have a Rickenbacker, I don’t know if you know any of these, but he played a certain stratocaster for 10 years, so I’ve got an exact replica. I’ve got a replica of this Telecaster, and then I’ve got a bridge like the one he used when he recorded the Full Moon Fever album. And we studied the music a lot and we did harmonies.”
The band performs a broad range of Tom Petty’s greatest hits, with a current setlist of 31 songs. Moore explained that they typically run out of time to fit all of their songs in one show, but “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” “Refugee” and “Learning to Fly” often make the cut.
Moore reflected on his personal favorite song to play and why performing it is most memorable to him.
“I think ‘You Don’t Know How It Feels’ is probably my favorite, and that’s because I play harmonica on it,” Moore said. “I have to play two different harmonicas, so I have this special harmonica holder that I attached to my mic stand, […] and it holds two harmonicas, one on top and one below. […] I play the guitar and I sing, and then I also blow the harmonica, and then right in this little in-between part, I stop playing guitar, and I grab the harmonica from the bottom rack, and I play that because it’s a different key. […] I think I surprised people, because […] they don’t expect that they’re going to hear just like the record, like they don’t really expect that they’re going to hear something that good.”
Tom and the Broken Hearts first performed at Sudwerk several years ago on the patio, but have since moved inside to the Beer Hall. Moore explained why Sudwerk is a favorite venue of the band.
“We’ve been selling it out every time, so that’s really nice for us,” Moore said. “All of our friends go and they have a nice sound system in there that we can tap into.”
The band also performed recent shows in places like Jam Cellars in Napa Valley, Brentwood Emporium and The Prospector in Placerville. They’re also planning a fall performance at SacYard in Sacramento and hope to play in Chico.
Moore explained his future goals for the band and what he hopes to accomplish in the future.
“I guess my ultimate goal, personally, is to play small theaters,” Moore said. “That’s what I would really like to do, and bigger audiences. That’s been my goal all along.”
Tom and the Broken Hearts’ May 24 performance at Sudwerk Brewing Co. showcased the brewery’s concert series, bringing the community together through live music and local talent. With their faithful rendition of Tom Petty’s hits and close attention to detail, Tom and the Broken Hearts delivered a performance that captured both the energy of a live rock show and the timeless appeal of Petty’s legacy.
Written By: Alma Culverwell — city@theaggie.org
