Friends unite for Petty tribute concert

When Hawaii-born guitarist Zanuck Lindsey heard that Tom Petty — an influential musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who founded Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 1976 — had died unexpectedly at 66 of cardiac arrest Oct. 2, he wanted to do more than share his grief on Facebook.

As a musician, he thought a concert would be a better way to do it.

“I’d grown up playing his music. It was like rock ’n’ roll training for us,” Lindsey said.

So he contacted guitarist and fellow Petty fan Keith Fraser to suggest they get their friends together “and do a gig.”

A fan since high school, one of the first songs Fraser learned to play was Petty’s 1979 “Refugee.” He said he’d just seen Petty perform live for the first time in September. “I saw his last concert (in Los Angeles), and that was something I needed to do.”

Six other singers and musicians joined Lindsey and Fraser to form the Highway Companions to share their love of Petty and his music Nov. 25 at Hawaiian Brian’s.

“We’re taking it very seriously, putting together a show of 24 songs — Tom Petty’s best,” Lindsey said, citing “Here Comes My Girl,” “Breakdown” and “Don’t Do Me Like That” as three of his favorites.

“The thing about these songs for us as guitar players is that they’re so much fun to play,” Fraser said. “There are so many intricate little parts, and we’re working really hard to make sure we get it right and that all those sparkling bits that are on top of the music that (Heartbreakers member) Mike Campbell added on the guitar are there.”

The goal of the Highway Companions tribute, Fraser said, is “to have all the things that are ingrained in your heart and your mind in the songs when we play them.”