Tom Petty helps out Midwest flood victims

Tom Petty [ tickets ] and the Heartbreakers will auction off front row tickets at some of their upcoming shows to benefit victims of the recent Midwestern floods.Petty and the Heartbreakers--currently in the middle of a run that resumes Wednesday (7/2 in Chicago--typically hold several front row tickets at each show to give out to fans seated in the back of the venue, according to a press release, but will instead auction off those seats for the band's dates in Noblesville, IN (7/3), Milwaukee, (7/5), Cincinnati (7/8) and Alpharetta, GA (7/9).Auctions for the first two shows have already started, with a minimum bid of $1,000. Bids for the remaining pair of shows will be accepted beginning tomorrow (7/1), with auctions for the tour's remaining non-festival shows to begin at a later date. See Petty's website for more information. All proceeds from the auctions will go to Habitat For Humanity.Petty continues to support "Highway Companion," which surfaced in the summer of '06. The set, which marked Petty's third solo release and 18th overall career album, debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200, making it the singer/songwriter's highest-ever chart debut.Petty also recently reformed his pre-Heartbreakers outfit, Mudcrutch, with original bandmates Tom Leadon and Randall Marsh, and longtime Heartbreakers Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell. The group released its first-ever full-length album in April, and the self-titled set snagged the No. 8 spot on The Billboard 200. The musicians supported it with an April trek across California.Petty and the Heartbreakers recently re-released "Greatest Hits," which originally emerged in 1993. The set features re-mastered versions of the original content and new artwork, and also includes for the first time the 1981 Stevie Nicks/Heartbreakers collaboration "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," which hit No. 3 on the Billboard singles chart, marking Petty's first visit to the Top 10.