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There were no wardrobe malfunctions, or excitement of any kind, in Sunday night's halftime show at the Super Bowl. But Tom Petty wore a nifty rock-star suit.
This year's halftime show was a no-frills affair compared to years past and entirely in keeping with the NFL's ongoing safe-performer policy – in effect since Janet Jackson's infamous nipple slip at the 2004 Super Bowl.
The subsequent halftime performers, in order, were Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and Prince. This year, the spotlight was on the veteran 1980s-era rocker Petty, who did not fail to underwhelm.
Watched by an estimated 140 million viewers worldwide, the Super Bowl always features a big-ticket act at halftime, which made the 57-year-old Petty's selection questionable from the start. He's not the most glamorous rock star in the business, or the youngest or the hippest, but he's well known to the upper side of the 18-to-35 viewing demographic, and, above all, he's safe.
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Opening with the now-standard fireworks display and hundreds of carefully-selected fans rushing the stage, Petty and his long-time accompanying band, the Heartbreakers, sprinted to the large guitar-shaped stage and kicked off their set with American Girl, which pulled a middling response out of the 80,000 fans at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
Bearded and dressed in a sharp all-black suit accompanied by a spotted tie, Petty delivered the same sort of performance he's been doing in sports arenas for years – straight-ahead American rock ‘n' roll for the U.S viewing audience. With no break in between songs, the band launched into the mildly anthemic hit I Won't Back Down, followed by a slowed-down version of Free Fallin', which prompted the immediate crowd to wave small plastic lights (not lighters).
If anything, the performance reminded viewers that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers really have had quite a few top-40 hits. Each song drew cheers of recognition from the crowd, which was subdued compared to last year's audience in Miami, which cheered Prince in the pouring rain during his performance of Purple Rain. Conspicuously absent from Petty's set was Mary Jane's Last Dance or any other songs with drug references.
The abbreviated set ended rather abruptly with Runnin' Down a Dream, after which Petty and the Heartbreakers took a quick bow and exited stage right.
The set took approximately 15 minutes – it was like listening to one side of their Greatest Hits album. Most in the crowd offered up a roaring ovation, and the rest came back to their seats with fresh drinks.
