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closeWednesday, Aug. 05, 2009
Petty Theft: As in Tom and the Heartbreakers
Getting to know . . .
Petty Theft
Members: Lead singer Mike Rhyner (who is also a personality on local sports-talk radio station The Ticket); Harrison Calhoun, bass; Drew Hunter, drums; Steve Luthye, keyboards; Bill Porter and Rodney Wall, guitars.
Ages: Old enough for about anything anyone might have in mind.
How did you come up with the band name?
Mike Rhyner: The first guy I talked to about doing the band was Rodney Wall, whom I’ve known for over 35 years, and he threw it out there. I thought we’d come up with something unique and original. I was wrong. There are a number of bands scattered all across the country that do the same thing we do, and use the same name. We went on with it anyway. Google it; you’ll see. Compare and contrast.
First memory of Tom Petty?
MR: Hearing the early stuff — American Girl, Breakdown, Listen to Her Heart, I Need to Know. . . . It was rock ’n’ roll the way I’d always imagined it should be.
How many times have you seen Tom? Well into the teens.
What’s your fave Petty song? It’d be easier to give you the five or six I think are seriously substandard.
What’s the most authentic piece of memorabilia that you have: I don’t have any Petty memorabilia, save for a set list from their last (2008) American Airlines Center show.
Strangest fan/groupie encounter: People who come and see us are a little mature for strangeness. And we’re a little dorky for groupies. What’s always interesting to me as far as the crowds go is the vast demographic cross section that Petty cuts across. Go to his shows and you see young and old alike. Come to ours and you see the same thing. (Aug. 22 at Sullivan’s in Dallas).
What would Tom Petty say if he heard you play: I’ve always wondered that. What I’d hope he’d say is "These guys are really trying to get it right."
Jennifer Kyle
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