One of our fondest memories from the first era of SWOMP was covering the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers show at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario on June 18, 2013.
We obtained photo credentials and a reviewer ticket, which placed us in the center of the action, just a few rows back from the stage.
We were able to take photos for the first three songs of the show:
1. So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star (The Byrds cover)
2. Love Is a Long Road
3. I Won’t Back Down
Here are a couple more of our photos:
Back in 2013, Brian Ohl, Global Spectrum’s Regional Vice President and the General Manager of Budweiser Gardens, said the Tom Petty show contributed to an incredible year for Budweiser Gardens, which saw Venues Today Magazine’s Year-end December issue ranking Budweiser Gardens #7 worldwide, placing the facility as the top venue in North America for gross ticket sales (October 16, 2012 – October 15, 2013) among venues its size.
“The tremendous successes of the London Knights have continually been major factor in the overall success of the facility. In a year that included hosting the ISU World Figure Skating Championships, announcing with the London Knights that we would be host the 2014 Mastercard Memorial Cup and having Canada’s sole summer Pearl Jam and Tom Petty dates, we have many reasons to be grateful,” Ohl said in a press release.
The passing of Tom on October 2, 2017 left us heartbroken.
He was a true musical legend, and his memory lives on through his epic and timeless catalog.
Here is the setlist from the London show:
