| Tribute proves successful for Free Fallin |
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| Wednesday, 15 April 2009 | ||
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by Kelly Johnson Staff writer His songs have become pieces of fabric in American cultural history.
From “Breakdown” to “American Girl,” Tom Petty’s songs continue to resonate with fans. A local band is putting its own stamp on Petty’s music, performing in tribute to the musical icon. Free Fallin, a Petty tribute band, has spent some 18 months performing Petty classics as close as possible to the way Petty and his band play the music. The stage is set the same. Free Fallin’s members play the same instruments and dress the same as Petty and his band. “We try to play the music exactly like it was,” said Karl Swartz of White Bear Lake, who is the band’s Mike Campbell, playing guitar and providing vocals. Free Fallin also includes Brian Evans of Minneapolis as Tom Petty. The 1987 Coon Rapids High School graduate sings and moves on stage just as Petty does, working hard to mimic the legendary musician’s mannerisms and performance style. When he opens his mouth and sings the Petty classics, Evens makes the transformation complete. According to band mate Mark Larsen, that’s how Evans sings naturally. “Brian goes after some pretty minute details,” Swartz said. “It’s pretty neat.” Larsen of Shoreview is the band’s Stan Lynch, playing the drums. R.T. Moore of White Bear Lake is the band’s Scott Thurston, playing guitars, keyboards, percussion and providing vocals. Russ Lund of Blaine is the band’s Ron Blair, playing bass and providing vocals. Dale Peterson of St. Paul is the band’s Benmont Tench, playing keyboards, trombone and supplying vocals. Larsen and Evans played together in another band. It was during this time that someone suggested to Evans that he looked like Petty and should sing some of his songs. Larsen, who had some friends playing in other tribute bands, thought the idea had some merit. He liked the idea of a finite number of song choices and while neither man was a huge Petty fan, they did some research on his music and liked what they heard. “The material was there,” Larsen said, referencing Petty’s catalogue of more than 400 songs. Together Evans and Larsen started picking the top 20 Petty songs and worked out arrangements together, three nights a week for some four months. Moore joined the band soon after, bringing his unique musical talents playing numerous instruments and providing backup vocals. Soon after the rest of the band joined and the group prepared for its first concert January 2008. The band got its name, Free Fallin, from the classic Petty tune, “Free Falling.” “I wanted something that people would immediately recognize,” Larsen said. There was also a conscious effort to avoid duplicating names used by other Petty tribute bands throughout the country. Today, when the band plays the first two chords of “Free Falling,” Swartz said “people scream. It’s an instant reaction.” “It amazes me that Tom Petty has that much of an influence on people,” Larsen said. It’s the depth of music that keeps the band members excited about playing and finding all the nuances in how the band played the original music. “We’re always looking for ways to improve the music,” Swartz said. “We’ve grown to appreciate this music,” Larsen said. “It’s not just the lyrics. It’s a lot deeper than you think.” For Free Fallin, it’s about more than just getting the music right. It’s about attention to detail. “Everyone is dedicated to getting it to that level,” Swartz said. “We’re really dialed in and appreciate Tom Petty and his music,” Larsen said. “We’re really dedicated to getting it right.” “We’ve done a lot of research on everything about Tom Petty,” Swartz said. “It’s really fun, too.” The future looks bright for Free Fallin, which is playing extensively in the Twin Cities area and hoping to play in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve. “The tribute band thing, there’s a big trend in it,” Swartz said. “It’s really, really starting to sell.” “It’s definitely growing. It’s moving,” Swartz said. “People are really getting into it.” Free Fallin will play this evening (Friday, April 17) at 9:45 p.m. at Pov’s Sports Bar, 1851 Bunker Lake Blvd. in Andover. For more information about the band, visit www.freefallin.us . For entertainment story ideas, e-mail Kelly Johnson at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . |
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Members of Free Fallin, a Tom Petty tribute band, include R.T. Moore (left), Russ Lund, Brian Evans, Dale Peterson, Mark Larsen and Karl Swartz. Photo submitted | < Prev | Next > |
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