Petty, band, play rock on hotel's roof
By Merle Ginsberg
Youngstown Vindicator - June 14, 1985

The folks in St. Petersburg, Fla., got lucky when Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers started getting down up on the roof of the Don Ce Sar hotel one sunny afternoon.

It seems Petty and the band, on a little pre-tour break, decided to have a little fun and re-create that famous scene from the Beatles film "Let It Be." Tom hadn't played with the band since he smashed his hand last fall, so a little rehearsing was in order. They lugged their equipment to the roof and played a half-hour of neo-psychedelic Southern rock, Petty style. An Orlando TV station managed to capture some footage via helicopter, and the crowd from a nearby beach gave the rooftop rebels a standing ovation.

The impromptu performance ended abruptly, however, when the local police politely asked them not to come around there any more (at least not without a permit). The band has since adopted a more down-to-earth approach. They hit the road for their Southern Accents tour, which will continue all summer long.