In the music spotlight: Mudcrutch

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Mudcrutch | Photo by Dennis Callahan

The last time Tom Petty performed in Chicago, he and his band The Heartbreakers packed the United Center. It’s been ages since the local audience has seen Petty perform in a venue as intimate as the Riv. Fans may not hear hits like “American Girl” and “Refugee,” but they’ll have an opportunity to hear fresh material from Mudcrutch. The quintet features three of the Heartbreakers’ key members alongside two additional compatriots who share musical and personal history reaching back to 1970.

After disbanding in 1975 to make way for the Heartbreakers, Mudcrutch reunited in 2008 for a long-overdue debut album that featured original material like Petty’s psychedelic southern rocker “Crystal River” and the bravado of “Scare Easy.” Canny covers included the rollicking truck-driving anthem “Six Days on the Road,” popularized by country singer Dave Dudley and blues guitarist Taj Mahal, and Roger McGuinn’s civil war tale “Lover of the Bayou.”

Mudcrutch played a handful of shows in support of their 2008 debut, but the group is embarking upon its first American tour in celebration of their spirited new album “2.” Petty again writes the lion’s share of the material, including underdog story “Trailer,” but each band member takes a turn at the helm.

Co-founder and guitarist Tom Leadon’s song “The Other Side of the Mountain” is a two-beat train shuffle featuring a menacing twang and rollicking banjo. Drummer Randall Marsh leads the optimistic and grateful pop song “Beautiful World.”

“Welcome to hell, population: me,” sings Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench on his love-torn lament, “Welcome to Hell.” The piano-based romp plays like an homage to Jerry Lee Lewis.

Guitarist Mike Campbell maintains a strong and recognizable presence throughout the new material, from his rowdy vocal snarl and Keith Richards-styled riffs on “Victim of Circumstance” to licks traded with Leadon on songs like the wistful “Dreams of Flying.”

Mudcrutch, with the Shelters, 8 p.m. May 28, Riviera Theatre, 4746 N. Racine, $78.50 (ages 18+over); jamusa.com.

Jeff Elbel is a local freelance writer.

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