Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will be performing tonight at Hilton Coliseum, showcasing their 1993 Greatest Hits album and his triple-platinum Wildflowers.

Ames marks the 17th stop on the second leg of the Heartbreakers’ 1995 tour. The Heartbreakers have seen unprecedented popularity during their 1995 tour and ticket sales have been more fluid than at any time in their near 20 year existence, according to a press release.

Pete Droge will be opening the concert after completing a full year of non-stop touring, including the first leg of the 1995 tour. Droge began his musical career in Seattle and will be playing selections from his year-old debut album, Necktie Second. “Northern Bound Train,” his recently released single from American Recordings, will also be performed.

Although Droge is from Seattle, his sound is not the style popularized by bands such as Nirvana or Pearl Jam. Droge has a style which is softer and more akin to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Petty and the Heartbreakers, who came together in Gainesville, Florida, officially formed in Los Angeles. In 1976, their self-titled debut album spawned a Top 40 hit, “Breakdown,”one year later.

The Greatest Hits release covers Petty’s work with the Heartbreakers as well as solo work which spans three decades. The album presents 16 songs taken from nine albums, including Petty’s solo debut, triple-platinum Full Moon Fever in 1989.

Full Moon Fever stayed on the Billboard Top Ten charts for over 34 weeks and spawned single hits such as “I Won’t Back Down,” “Free Fallin'” and “Runnin’ Down A Dream.”

His most recent release, Wildflowers, garnered a MTV Music Award for “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” winning the “Best Male Video” at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards.

Petty played with the Traveling Wilburys as well, pumping out two platinum albums, The Traveling Wilburys in 1988 and Volume Three in 1990.

Petty and the Heartbreakers are joining forces with USA Harvest to collect canned food for distribution to the homeless and hungry, according to a press release. USA Harvest is the country’s largest all-volunteer food distribution center organization. Concert goers are asked to bring canned goods to the concert for donation.

Front row tickets were donated by the Heartbreakers to the National Veterans Foundation. National Veterans Foundation supports over 200 veterans’ organizations nationwide.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are still available. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling 233-1888 or at the door.