Tom Petty says he is looking forward to doing five and six-night stands with The Heartbreakers in theaters in New York and L.A. in May and June.

"This is a good thing to do every now and then. It gets the band members in tune with each other in a way that you don't get on a big tour... I don't want to do a 'greatest hits' night. We should push ourselves, do things we don't even remember. It's about getting the best out of the band and to show people there are a lot of sides to us, the different kinds of music this band can play. We are a very good blues band. And we're a pretty good bluegrass band, believe it or not. We just don't get a chance to do that very much. You only get so much time in a concert -- you can't do everything in one night. But I'm just gonna go where the wind blows us." He also says he may consider doing complete albums during the shows.

Petty is taking time out from recording to do six weeks on the road, although he is not sure if he will debut any of the new songs. "I'd rather people heard the record before we perform the songs. But I also like the songs and want to play them. If they're sounding really good and I get the okay from the head office, I'll do it."

The tour starts May 16 in Evansville, Indiana. The New York engagement is May 20th, 21st, 23rd, 25th and 26th at the Beacon Theatre. The Fonda Theatre in L.A. will follow on June 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th and 11th.