Classic Albums Live: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Damn the Torpedoes

Revisit your Tom Petty days and head to Harbourfront Theatre for a Classic Albums Live performance.

For the first time in popular music, the greatest albums from the 60s and 70s are recreated live on stage, note for note — cut for cut. “This has never been done before,” says series producer Craig Martin. “There’s a real thirst to hear these albums performed start to finish.

For many of us, this is the music we grew up with—the soundtrack of our lives.” “All of our focus is put into the music,” says Martin. “We perform the works of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers the same way an orchestra performs the works of Mozart. We don’t bother with imitation or impersonation. The bands are big — upwards of eleven pieces.

We research these albums and go to great lengths to reproduce each and every sound live. We never use tape or computers. We’ll bring in a children’s choir, a sitar player, a string quartet, whatever it takes to get it right.” Each album calls for a new group of musicians. “That’s the real challenge,” says Martin, “Finding the right musicians for the right album. So far, we’ve been bang on with every performance.” Members of Nelly Furtado, Moist, Jesse Cook, Honeymoon Suite, David Usher and the Headstones have all taken part in the performances.