The Super Bowl XLII Entertainment/Half-Time Show Thread

[The Penguin]

Ryan Seacrest will join the FOX NFL Sunday team to host the entertainment portions of Super Bowl XLII. In addition to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at half-time, before the game Alicia Keyes, Paula Abdul, (performing her new song, "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow") and others will perform. Jordin Sparks is scheduled to sing the national anthem.

Tom Petty to perform at Bridgestone Super Bowl XLII Halftime Show
National Football League

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS, one of America's greatest rock and roll bands, will perform in the BRIDGESTONE SUPER BOWL XLII HALFTIME SHOW on FOX at University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona on Sunday, Feb. 3, the NFL announced today during the FOX NFL SUNDAY pregame show.

The halftime show is one of the most anticipated musical events of the year. Nearly 140 million viewers in the U.S. watched last year's show.

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS released their debut album in 1976. Since that time, they have sold more than 50 million records and earned a reputation as being among the most successful and exciting touring acts in the business. Between the Heartbreakers' recordings and his solo work, Tom Petty has received 18 Grammy nominations. Honored with lifetime achievement awards, including Billboard's Century Award, MTV's Video Vanguard Award, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Tom Petty, with the Heartbreakers at his side, has achieved the status of legend among his fellow musicians and listeners worldwide.

Petty and the Heartbreakers are responsible for one of the richest deposits in the history of American song, with hits including "Free Fallin'," "Breakdown," "Refugee," "I Won't Back Down," "Mary Jane's Last Dance," "American Girl," "Don't Come Around Here No More," "The Waiting," "You Don't Know How It Feels," "Runnin' Down A Dream," and more. Petty is a founding member of The Traveling Wilburys, playing alongside George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne, and is recognized as one of rock and roll's most distinctive voices. For young bands looking to capture the authentic spirit of American rock and roll at its best, the Heartbreakers are the gold standard. The band's story, captured as never before in the recent Peter Bogdanovich documentary Runnin' Down A Dream, is a centerpiece in American musical history.

Joining an esteemed list of recent halftime acts that includes the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Prince, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers bring prestige and undiluted rock and roll to the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLII Halftime Show.

The game and halftime show will be broadcast worldwide in more than 230 countries and territories.

This year marks the first time the Bridgestone brand has sponsored the Super Bowl halftime show. Bridgestone will also sponsor the Super Bowl XLIII halftime show in 2009.

The BRIDGESTONE SUPER BOWL XLII HALFTIME SHOW is an NFL NETWORK PRODUCTION and will be executive produced and directed by WHITE CHERRY ENTERTAINMENT and DON MISCHER PRODUCTIONS. This same team produced the NFL Opening Kickoff 2007 special from Indianapolis. In addition to the halftime show, they also will produce the Super Bowl XLII pregame show. Don Mischer Productions will serve as executive producer and director, while White Cherry Entertainment, led by Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss, will serve as executive producers.

The NFL has worked the past four years with both Don Mischer Productions and White Cherry Entertainment on Opening Kickoff and Super Bowl shows. Last year's Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show starring Prince earned the producers two Emmy nominations. SuperBowl.com

[Lord Dalek]

bleh, I hate Tom Petty.

[Katsumara]

Not half as bad as the Prince show a while back. D:

[XOMiss_Samantha]

bleh, I hate Tom Petty.

Me too >_<

Ever since that Janet fiasco they've been playing it pretty darn safe with their performers. Though at least Prince had his suggestive looking guitar. Where is yours Tom Petty?
I do like his song 'American Girl', though.

[Lord Dalek]

I miss U2.

[mookie75]

I'm only listening to it as it drifts down the hall to my bedroom. That's good enough for me. I'll go back out there when I hear the game start up again.

[Rolling Cloud]

I don't find Tom Petty that bad of a singer.

I love that song 'Free Falling' or whatever it's called! <3

Where is yours Tom Petty?

Um, his girl-length hair? o.o

[limel]

Me too >_<

Ever since that Janet fiasco they've been playing it pretty darn safe with their performers. Though at least Prince had his suggestive looking guitar. Where is yours Tom Petty?

I was just going to post something similar. Ever since the Janet Jackson thing, there's been a "Halftime Innuendo" every year. There was the Janet Jackson one, the Prince one... my cousin and I find one[And only one; it's as if they're doing it on purpose!] every year, but didn't see one this year.

Did anyone catch Tom Petty's "Halftime Innuendo?"

P.S. I liked the "Free Falling" song, and that guitar solo on the second song was SWEET!

[DarkGojira]

I'm not crazy for Tom Petty, but I've got to tell you that was the coolest Half-Time Show display I've seen in a long time.

I really loved it when the sparks shot up from the ground just as the arrow platform finally connects to the heart platform.

I also liked the use of fireworks during "Free Falling".

[Draft]

Dear Super Bowl,

Get a Musical Artist we've heard of.

Sincerely,

18-25 Demo

I really don't get why they chose Tom Petty. They couldn't get someone better for the same price? Did they want to get a new act? Seriously, the NFL should've known better than to pick a band that are in their 60s that are very irrelevant by todays standards (They aren't a super group like the Rolling Stones or Paul McCartney)

At this rate we're gonna get Steely Dan to play next year (And Hannah Montanna by 2040)

If the NFL is going to require that all bands have played for over 20 years (Which is the case since the Wardrobe Malfunction), then i'd like them to have The Who to Play (Play the 3 themes to the CSI series in unedited form with the exception of the F word).

[Don_East]

Wow, I didn't know you people have such weird tastes.

[Ishtar]

I actually enjoyed this year's Half-time special. Tom Petty sang decently, and I liked most of the songs he played, especially "Down The Drain".

[Anarky]

Lame

[ToOn~g@l]

I liked the half time show, nice to see Tom Petty in the spot light and he played some of his best songs. I love American Girl. Still though, the last U2 half time show was the best.

[BigLouMan20]

I had a feeling since 2004 it'll be a good while until we have another female singer, and my guts are still on the money. Good halftime show though.

[Michael24]

I was also surprised to see Tom Petty was the half-time show and not some other "hot, young" act, but was surprised even more to see how many young people were in the crowd. I thought it was a good show, though.

I actually enjoyed this year's Half-time special. Tom Petty sang decently, and I liked most of the songs he played, especially "Down The Drain".

Actually, it's called "Runnin' Down A Dream."

[Bones Justice]

Eh, this was okay, I guess. My S.O. liked it but then, she prefers the halftime show to the game most of the time anyways.

The best halftime show I've seen in a long time was Lenny Kravitz in last year's Grey Cup. That was a much better show than anything I've seen in the Super Bowl.

[Anarky]

I was just going to post something similar. Ever since the Janet Jackson thing, there's been a "Halftime Innuendo" every year. There was the Janet Jackson one, the Prince one... my cousin and I find one[And only one; it's as if they're doing it on purpose!] every year, but didn't see one this year.

Did anyone catch Tom Petty's "Halftime Innuendo?"

P.S. I liked the "Free Falling" song, and that guitar solo on the second song was SWEET!

The light show could be considered phallic though it's more of a double entente. To paraphrase Freud: "Sometimes a guitar is just a guitar."

[The Penguin]

Not very impressed with Tom Petty and bored with the Seacrest red carpet. Janet Jackson has ensured we will never have a contemporary act again. I don't want 50-Cent, but at least Nickelback or something.