The Petty Thieves
The not so legendary rock group "Petty Thieves" started to form in the dorms at the Illinois
Institute of Technology in late 1999. Lead guitarist and part time drummer Wade "Bad Ass" Burkard and
lead singer and guitarist Austin "No Lyrics" Mroczek had frequent jam sessions where they learned to
groove their styles together to form masterful works of art (they were actually learning how to play
guitar
but we won't talk about that). However, they were still missing something beside the ability to play,
and soon were blessed with the funky rythym of bassist Ryan "Two Shoes" Pendleton.
Talent Show 2000
This fearless trio decided to try out the IIT talent show, which was only one week away. A few practices
later they were playing Tom Petty's "You Wreck Me" in front of the tremendous crowd at the IIT
auditorium.
The BOG gig
Although not the winning act, they gained the attention of big time talent bookers in the
Bog, IIT's campus bar. The next week Petty Thieves played the Bog as the opening act. The band rocked
the mesmerized crowd for more than half an hour with the songs below:
- Tom Petty - You Wreck Me
- Tom Petty - Free Fallin'
- Better Than Ezra - Good
- The Eagles - Hotel California
- Lynyrd Skynryd - Free Bird
- The Beatles - You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
- Tom Petty - Last Dance with Mary Jane
Petty Thieves memorabilia from the BOG gig
Talent Show 2001
Word spread quickly about the return of the Petty Thieves to their first venue, and many people packed the auditorium at
IIT. The band had quite a surprise for their fans with the addition of Vito as the drummer. They confidently belted out
Nirvana's "Come as You Are" and "Learning to Fly" by Tom Petty. Here is a picture of Austin and
Wade stunning the crowd.
Last modified: