Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Superhighway Tour – Review & Giveaway

Men can be notoriously hard to buy for. But if your guy is a music lover, I have a unique gift idea for you: A ticket to the Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Superhighway Tour website! One lucky Contest Corner reader will win their own virtual ticket just in time for last-minute stocking stuffing, so read on!

About The Superhighway Tour:

So what is The Superhighway tour? Here is a press release that helps explain:

“The Superhighway Tour is a brand new online music experience developed by the Tom Petty Team. Simply put, it’s a direct to consumer digital configuration of the upcoming The Live Anthology – a collection of 48 definitive tracks from 30 years of TPHB live touring.

The fan value is extraordinary: 48 digital tracks for $24.98. What is unique is that the digital tracks are presented within a dedicated web site and delivered with truly compelling additional material. That material adds context, depth and understanding to what is already a career-defining live music anthology. It includes streaming audio commentary from Tom and the band, historic photos and videos, show reviews, recreated vintage merchandise (for sale), and areas for fans to share their experiences and photos from TPHB shows.

The tracks are delivered as MP3’s, but also in FLAC format (lossless audio that is close to Blue Ray quality). The first 24 tracks, which make up the body of the Superhighway Tour are delivered to the consumer over the 8 week period that leads to street date (11/23/09). The remaining 24 tracks will be delivered collectively on street date.

The Superhighway Tour represents a new means of delivering music to fans that is more than a collection of digital files; but one that deepens fans’ appreciation for, and love of, an artist and their artistry; that reinforces the importance of quality in the music experience; and that rewards a fan’s decision to spend their hard earned dollars.”

My Take:

Tom Petty is a musical legend whose career has spanned decades, appealing to listeners of all generations. Ever wish you could have seen The Heartbreakers on stage in ’83? Well, thanks to the Internet, now you can! I was sent my own virtual ticket to The Superhighway Tour to see what it was like. It is a truly unique idea, giving you a virtual front-row seat for live performances recorded throughout the band’s illustrious career. Your musical journey starts in 1980 with live cuts of “Here Comes My Girl” and “The Wild One, Forever”, and moves through to the present day with renditions of classics like “I Won’t Back Down” and “Free Fallin'”. You can download all 48 tracks as MP3s, and you can also click through a virtual calendar for each tour date, which includes fan photos from the show, scans of original tour posters, set lists, and commentary. This would be an awesome piece of nostalgia for anyone who has attended one of these shows! You can even buy repros of vintage tour merchandise on the site. There may be no such thing as a time machine yet, but this is the next best thing.

Win It!

Contest Corner is pleased to give away one ticket (usually $24.98) to the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Superhighway Website!

• MP3 *and* FLAC downloads of all 48 tracks from The Live Anthology!
• Vintage memorabilia, videos, behind the scenes info, set lists, live photos, exclusive band commentary and more

Get a free preview of the Superhighway site and download an MP3 or FLAC of “The Nightwatchman (6.28.81)” HERE!

The code will be emailed to the winner directly on December 22nd – just in time for last-minute gift giving! Here’s my idea for a cute way to give this: Print the access code out on nice paper and tuck inside a card, or make your own “ticket” out of construction paper and write the code on it. This would make a fabulous stocking stuffer for any Tom Petty fan! Here’s how to enter:

1. For your first entry, leave a comment and tell me who you’d like to win this for! Is someone on your list a longtime fan? Or are you eager to check out The Superhighway Tour yourself? Let me know!

This step is required to qualify for the drawing. Be sure to leave an email address with your comment, so that I may notify you in the event that you are the lucky winner!

2. Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway and the Superhighway Website. Then come back here and leave me the link!
3. Write about this on Twitter, then come back and leave me the link to your tweet! One Twitter entry per person.
4. Subscribe to my blog updates by entering your email into the “Subscribe” box in the sidebar. Then come back and leave me the email you subscribed with!
5. Become a follower of my blog by clicking the “Follow” button in my sidebar! Then come back here and let me know in a separate comment!
6. Grab the Holiday Gift Guide badge and put it on your website’s sidebar or links page – just copy and paste the following code, and let me know where you put it: