I saw Petty/Heartbreakers in 85. Great show. He made a live album from that tour. Saw McCartney. Didn’t love it overall, but it’s sorta like going to see Devil’s Tower. It’s just something you have to do. Ok, done it. Movin’ on. I am glad I got to hear him in person singing so many timeless songs, especially “Maybe I’m Amazed.” Never saw ZZ Top. I think I’d probably get bored also. But they’re perfect for a 15 minute halftime set on teevee.
By the time I saw ZZ Top their stage show was so over produced it was cartoonish. That said, Petty had several moments where he went too far as well on the Free Fallin’ tour. Nothing near as bad as what ZZ Top did though. That show was downright cheesy.
I was too old to ever see Paul in his prime. Of course, in my opinion, he did very little post Beatles worth seeing anyway. With the exception of Live and let Die I don’t recall anything he played that night that wasn’t done with the Beatles, so that kind of says something. That show was kind of weird. I have never been at any other show where the people around me smuggled in expensive wine and complained because they had forgotten to bring a corkscrew. I’ll take rowdy kids with pot over that for my rock shows.