Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. TD Garden, Boston. July 20.

I'll say this, Tom Petty's fans sure are an enthusiastic lot. While he certainly doesn't dominate pop culture like he once did in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, it is clear that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are still at the top of their game and people love them for it. His latest album, "Hypnotic Eye" (his 13th), was released back in 2014 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. This was his first ever album to top the charts. Not too shabby for someone well into his fourth decade as a performer. Like I said, he might not be on the pop culture radar but people LOVE him. And the mood at last night's show at the TD Garden (the first of 2) was certainly indicative of that. Hands flailing. People screaming. Extreme stomping and singing. It was all that.

He might not carry the weight of the American experience in his songs like Bruce Springsteen does, but Tom Petty definitely speaks to the American persona. He has consistently played straightforward rock and roll in a manner that is reassuring yet not dull. His songs tend to sympathize and evoke contemporary America but with a winking nod or slight wryness that stands as a refreshing contrast to Springsteen's sometimes overwrought "working class man" shtick. Perhaps this is a result of being from Florida vs. New Jersey? One has to have a sense of humor when you come from Florida. And last night's performance was full of humor and lots of old jewels from his extensive catalog.

Billed as the "40th Anniversary Tour" it certainly did show off a large part of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers long career. They kicked off the show with "Rockin' Around (With You)" from their self-titled debut album released way back in November of 1976. He would later close the show with the much more well-known song "American Girl" from the same album. A good portion of the set was dedicated to his solo album "Wildflower "(1994), which was not a bad thing as "It's Good to Be King" and "You Don't Know How It Feels" are a couple of his strongest songs. In fact, there were many songs from his solo work which, to be honest, sounded like the songs with the Heartbreakers but go figure. Perhaps the hardcore fan can tell the difference? As his backing band since day one, there seems to be no real difference to me. Speaking of, longtime guitar player (and fellow Gains-villian) Mike Campbell and Keyboardist Benmont Trench (also a Heartbreaker since day one and a Gains-villian) often stole the spotlight with their playing. They definitely killed it on "Refugee" one of the greatest of their early singles.

Overall, the concert was a great reminder of just how prolific and talented Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are. It was a reminder that their music is as much a part of American culture (and a commentary thereon) as Springsteen or John Mellencamp. They play straightforward rock and roll (with a nice sarcastic edge - see "Mary Jane's Last Dance") and there aren't too many that do it with such aplomb and wit anymore. Oh, and the light show was cool too so definitely a shout out to the band's tech crew because that was a nice addition to a performance that was pretty great to begin with.

For more information about Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, including updating tour dates, visit the group's website.