Chad Batka for The New York Times Tom Petty at Madison Square Garden in 2010.Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will play five nights at the Beacon Theater in May, a rare string of shows at a 2,900-seat hall for a veteran rock group that can easily fill arenas, the group announced on Thursday.
Live Nation, the concert promoter, said it was the first time Mr. Petty and his group had played the Beacon in the band’s 35-year career, though that statement could not immediately be confirmed. The band will appear at the Beacon on May 20, 21, 3, 25 and 26; tickets go on sale March 25.
Mr. Petty will follow up that series of concerts in New York with a six-night stand at another intimate space on the West Coast â€" the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles. The band also announced it will perform at several summer festivals, including the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee , the Hangout Music Festival in Alabama and the Firefly Music Festival in Delaware.
Over the years, Mr. Petty has occasionally taken a break from arenas to perform in smaller music halls, including a 20-show run in 1997 at the Fillmore in San Francisco and a five-night run at Chicago’s Vic Theater in 2003.
