Last Shot: Navigating the World of a Clinical Drug Trial

Check out my 23rd Last Shot column about my battle with Stage IV colon cancer over at OC Weekly.

Save Ferris at the Pacific Amphitheatre

Check out my photos of Save Ferris at the Pacific Amphitheatre over at OC Weekly.

Weezer at the Pacific Amphitheatre

Check out my photos of Weezer at the Pacific Amphitheatre over at OC Weekly.

The Postal Service at the Greek Theatre Night 2 (7/24/13)

Check out my photos of The Postal Service at the Greek Theatre over at Stereogum.

The Postal Service at the Greek Theatre Night 1 (7/23/13)

Check out my photos of The Postal Service at the Greek Theatre over at OC Weekly.

Last Shot: The Postal Service Deliver a Much Needed Boost

Check out my 22nd Last Shot column about my battle with Stage IV colon cancer over at OC Weekly.

Belle and Sebastian at the Santa Barbara Bowl

Check out my photos of Belle and Sebastian at the Santa Barbara Bowl over at Stereogum.

Last Shot: Battling the Everyday Pain of Cancer

Check out my 21st Last Shot column about my battle with Stage IV colon cancer over at OC Weekly.

Palms at the Observatory

Check out my photos of Palms at the Observatory over at OC Weekly.

Last Shot: Survivalism with Nine Inch Nails

Check out my twentieth Last Shot column about my battle with Stage IV colon cancer over at OC Weekly.

Last Shot: Getting a PET scan

Check out my nineteenth Last Shot column about my battle with Stage IV colon cancer over at OC Weekly.

FIrst City Festival in Monterey August 24 & 25 at the Monterey County and Fair Event Center

Earlier this year I ventured up to Monterey to catch How To Destroy Angels at the Golden State Theater. I instantly remembered how beautiful Monterey was and made a mental note to go back if they ever had a good show. Instead of a good show, Goldenvoice put together an amazing line up in the form of the First City Festival taking place August 24 & 25 at the Monterey County and Fair Event Center. A two-day pass is $149.50 with individual days tickets running at $85. Some of the bands that piqued my interest besides the headliners were Beach House, Washed Out, Okkervil River, The Black Angels, Father John Misty, Deerhunter, Neko Case, The Antlers, Bleached and Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks. Monterey's coastal climate will mean it won't be as scorching as it will be in Los Angeles and makes for a cool getaway weekend.

Last Shot: Surviving with Quicksand

Check out my eighteenth Last Shot column about my battle with Stage IV colon cancer over at OC Weekly.

Austra at the Troubadour

Check out my photos of Austra at the Troubadour over at Stereogum.

Last Shot: Working a Steady Job while Fighting Cancer

Check out my seventeenth Last Shot column about my battle with Stage IV colon cancer over at OC Weekly.

Camera Obscura at the Wiltern

Check out my photos of Camera Obscura at the Wiltern over at Stereogum.

Atoms For Peace at Club AMOK

Check out my photos of Atoms For Peace at Club AMOK over at Stereogum.

Alkaline Trio at the House of Blues Anaheim

Check out my photos of Alkaline Trio at the House of Blues Anaheim over at OC Weekly.

Last Shot: The Roller Coaster of Cancer

Check out my sixteenth Last Shot column about my battle with Stage IV colon cancer over at OC Weekly.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Fonda Theatre (6/11/13)

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers capped their stellar six-night residency at the Fonda Theatre on a high note. Having been fortunate enough to catch their second night at the Fonda for Stereogum, it was hard to pass up the opportunity to photograph the legendary band one last time.

The Fonda Theatre was completely transformed for this six night run as everything from the lighting, the stage monitors and the air conditioned vents that blasted air directly to Tom Petty were brought in to make Petty look, sound and feel great. Petty is a class act and was all smiles as he kicked into "So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star" strumming away at his gorgeous blonde Fender Telecaster.

Mike Campbell's guitar tone was simply phenomenal. It was probably the best live overdriven tone I've heard in ages as he switched out through an assortment of valuable guitars. The flight cases containing their guitars were probably worth more than the cumulative amount of money spent by the audience to attend the show. Both Petty and Campbell switched to Rickenbacker guitars for the hypnotic jangle of "Listen To Her Heart".

Petty hinted that it would be a long night and that the audience may have to pay the babysitter extra which garnered some cheers from the appreciative audience. In another class act move, Petty offered refunds for those who attended the fourth night of their run which was cut short due to a fire marshall claiming the floor was too crowded.

While the setlist pulled from prior nights, it is hard to complain about hearing "Tweeter and the Monkey Man" alongside "Rebels" and "Two Gunslingers". The four song hit parade to close out their set is a practice in audience karaoke as everyone sang along to "Refugee", "Runnin' Down A Dream", "You Wreck Me" and "American Girl". Tom Petty will probably return to the arena and amphitheatre touring circuit but hopefully you were lucky enough to catch one of these memorable shows.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers setlist (6/11/13)
"So You Want To Be a Rock 'N' Roll Star"
"Love Is A Long Road"
"Listen To Her Heart"
"Baby, Please Don't Go"
"Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)"
"The Best of Everything"
"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone"
"A Woman In Love (It's Not Me)"
"Kings Highway"
"I'd Like To Love You Baby"
"Tweeter And The Monkey Man"
"Rebels"
"Two Gunslingers"
"Time To Move On"
"Image of Me"
"Willin'"
"Melinda"
"I Should Have Known It"
"Refugee"
"Runnin' Down A Dream"
"You Wreck Me"
"American Girl"