Friday the 13th was a lucky day for everyone who came to the beautiful Arlington Music Hall to see Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs. Before the show, old friendships were rekindled and new friendships were formed as everyone had stories about Mike Campbell, both with and without Top Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Campbell walked onstage to greet the crowd before the music started and introduced the opener, Shannon McNally. Shannon performed eight well-written songs, some of them co-written with the great Rodney Crowell. The Long Island, NY, native also performed songs from her album of Waylon Jennings covers, giving a slightly different take as a female in the male-dominated genre, especially on “Lonesome, On’ry and Mean.” Her booming voice also made new fans in the audience, as did her stage presence as an entertainer with a down-to-Earth attitude.

The loyal fans showed their support as they gave The Dirty Knobs a standing ovation as soon as the band walked onstage. Mike Campbell led the group in “Shake These Blues” as guitarist Chris Holt turned it into a jam with a slide guitar. Holt, whom they called “Sidewinder,” moved to the keyboard for “Dirty Job,” an excellent song that earned the group another Standing O.

Drummer Steve Ferrone pounded the kit to everyone’s delight on “So Alive” from The Knobs new album Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits. Campbell, who had a problem all night keeping his too-small hat on his head, led the fun onstage, which translated to the crowd. The former Tom Petty guitarist changed the mood with “Anna Lee,” with its introspective words and lyrics. They started up the fun again, though, when Campbell joined Holt on the keyboard, then blasted away on the harmonica to earn a huge hand from the listeners.

Rock songs ruled the night, but a big hit with the crowd was “Fuck That Guy.” Drummer Steve Ferrone kicked it off on the drums and Sidewinder laid down a big-time solo, but the audience participation was the epicenter of the song. Everyone sang the three-word refrain, then Campbell broke up the venue into groups. The left side sang it, then the right side shouted it a little louder. Then the women, whom Campbell had told to picture that one sleazy guy from their past, screamed it with both middle fingers added. Finally, the guys, with arm movements to accompany the fingers, sounded like a plane taking off as everyone got some vitriol out of their system.

Shannon came out to help with “Hell Or High Water,” from the new album and “All Or Nothing,” a deep track from a Tom Petty album that was produced by Jeff Lynne of ELO. Shannon left and Hollye Bynum came out to sing and shake the tambourine on “I Need To Know.” “Rat City” was a barn-burner and the fans let them know how much they liked it. The band kept the rock flowing with “Sugar” as Lance “Crawdaddy” Morrison slapped an offensive bass line before Campbell told Holt to play some Texas stuff and it turned into a jam that fans wished would have lasted all night.

An old-fashioned rock and roll intro led into “Don’t Wait Up,” another feel good song that climbed into people’s hearts and made them bob and weave their heads and boogie their bodies as it turned into a large jam. The set then finished with “Southern Boy,” another fun song that got people up dancing like nobody was watching.

After a solid two-hour set, they left the stage to a Standing O, then came back quickly for an encore. The knowledgeable fans instantly recognized “Mr. Spaceman” by The Byrds as the uptempo tune kept the vibe going. Tom Petty songs continued with “Listen To Her Heart” and the fast tempo of “Rockin’ Around (With You).”

“Here’s one we hardly ever play,” said the 2002 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as the band began the feel-good rhythm of “Makin’ Some Noise” with another long jam that was reminiscent of when concerts would go way over the time limit and make it a lifetime memory. Shannon and Hollye then came back and the final song of the two-and-a-half hour show was the hard charging “You Wreck Me.” Everyone played like the veteran stars they are and were animated and had fun on stage as it could have been a party at someone’s house back in the 70s or 80s. Unfortunately, the show had to end, but everyone was happy and somewhat spent with emotion from the night.

Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs is self-described as less polished than Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers by design, with a little 60s thrown in. It is apparent with Campbell’s laid-back attitude, being relatable and engaging with the crowd, and the natural born talent and desire to entertain of a young Peter Green. It seems that every song crawls into people’s souls and makes them shake and shimmy from the inside out. The Dirty Knobs are tremendous musicians as Campbell and Ferrone are both former Heartbreakers and Morrison and Holt are former members of Don Henley’s touring band. Chris Holt is solid in so many ways and appears to be to Mike Campbell what Campbell was to Tom Petty, part of what makes this such a great band in so many ways. See www.thedirtyknobs.com

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