Great Wide Open – Tom Petty Birthday Party

Event Highlights:

Photo booth
Tom Petty-themed temporary tattoo station
Drink specials
Dress Like Petty Costume Contest

Come dressed in your best Petty-inspired look, grab a drink, and sing along to classics.

Let’s celebrate the wildflowers, rebels, and heartbreakers together.

Tickets available now — don’t back down!

DRESS LIKE A PETTY CONTEST
Channel your inner Heartbreaker!

Think you’ve got the hair, the hat, and the swagger? Show us your best Tom Petty look!

Sign up at the designated table and snap a photo at the booth to enter. Our team will pick the top look-alikes, and the winner will be announced during set break — taking home 2 free concert tickets and a Petty patch!

Bring your best Petty style — denim, shades, hats, and all — and you might just be runnin’ down a dream!

Featuring:

Great Wide Open, a tribute band made up of seasoned local musicians:

MIKE SCHILL – Bass and backing vocals

Current bands: Breakaway, Schill Solak Slimko

Previous bands: Mirror Mirror, Silent Scream, Sky High, AKA, the Hostages, Twilight, Option 4, The Boneshakers, Incognito, Cinema

Gear preferences: MusicMan, Fender, Darkglass, Markbass

Influences: Pino Palladino, Robert Sinclair Wilson, John Entwhistle

JEFF KOCHER – Lead guitar, backing vocals

Jeff’s love for music began at the age of seven. After three years of organ lessons, he transitioned into playing the guitar. His hard rock guitar playing is inspired by many greats like Randy Rhoads, George Lynch, and Paul Gilbert. He hit the Buffalo music scene at age 18, playing with bands like Masquerade and Buffalo music award winners, White Lies. He played in several bands over the next two decades. Finally, in 2010, he joined his most tenured band, Breakaway, with whom he gigged for the next 12 years.

MARK SLIMKO (Tom Petty) – Lead Vocalist, Second Lead Guitarist

Mark began playing guitar at age 8 and hasn’t stopped since. Influenced by his older brothers’ LPs of The Beatles, Ventures, Cream, Hendrix, and other bands from the era, he began formal lessons. At 17, Mark was in a band that recorded a song for the Buffalo WPHD homegrown album. The Hostages played throughout WNY in the early ’80s. A stint in a popular band, EKG, followed. Recently, he has been playing lead guitar with Only Humen, South City, Schill-Solak-Slimko trio, and solo and acoustic duo gigs. He has also performed with the Heavenly Chillbillies at the annual National Wingfest and supported charity events like Buffalo Blues for Vets and Rock Autism. A huge Tom Petty fan, Mark performed at the Tom Petty tribute at the Tralf and has attended numerous Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concerts since 1981.

BRUCE DECKER – Hammond organ, piano, synthesizers, backing vocals

Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, Bruce attended the State University of New York at Buffalo and obtained his nursing degree in 1979. He has been playing with local bands and musicians in the Buffalo area for almost 50 years. Currently, he plays in the band Breakaway and performs with MOB (Musicians of Buffalo) at their annual Christmas show. Bruce has won the Nightlife Buffalo Music Awards Top Keyboardist award multiple times. He resides in Hamburg, NY with his wife, Pamela, and their two dogs: Anya (mini dachshund) and River (golden retriever). When not gigging or rehearsing, Bruce can usually be found “messing about in boats,” typically with several grandchildren in tow.

BILL SOLAK – Drums, backing vocals

Bill began playing drums at age 8. He has performed on stage and in the recording studio with several groups and musicians and is known for his straight-ahead and solid ‘in the pocket’ playing style. He currently performs with Five To One, South City, Witness, Zamar, Adams Apple, The Billy Bob Trio, and Schill Solak Slimko. Two of the songs Bill has written are included on the Five To One album, Now.