Last night’s festivities in Los Angeles’ El Rey Theatre was the equivalent of a corporate-branded bizarro world where free Jameson seeped in through the walls of the Wilshire digs and a revolving door of random celebrities, V.I.P.’s and musicians paid tribute to Tom Petty for over 150 minutes straight. Running through his seemingly endless trough of hit songs with the Heartbreakers, several tunes from Petty’s solo album Wildflowers (1994) and one from Traveling Wilburys, the evening was just one big damn liquor-fueled tribute, both on stage (notably more so) and in the crowd.
Special guests included Johnny Depp, Har Mar Superstar, Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes, Petter Ericsson Stakee of Alberta Cross, the Followill bassist from Kings of Leon, Sarah Silverman, Eagles of Death Metal, Karen Elson, Doug from The Hangover 1 & 2, Nicole Atkins, Patrick Carney from The Black Keys, Cory Chisel, Butch Walker, the lead singer from Guster, the drummer from Guns-n-Roses and more. A lot to keep track of when the liquor is free.
Continue below for musical highlights, a fittingly sloppy photo gallery and video of Johnny Depp’s guitar solo.
Musical Highlights
– Nicole Atkins and Karen Elson’s duet on the Stevie Nicks / Tom Petty classic “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”.
– Johnny Depp’s six song cameo, including a brief guitar solo during “Its Good To Be King” (above), looking more-and-more like a cross between a modern Jack Sparrow and Keith Richards every day in his gypsy-hobo-bandit-cowboy-get-up under billows of smoke.
– Albert Hammond Jr. and Nick Valensi of The Strokes tore through “I Need to Know” and “Honeybee,” respectively. Valensi and Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti then stuck it out for “American Girl.”
– Eagles of Death Metal destroyed “Runnin’ Down A Dream”.
