Scott Dolan Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 So the wife and I saw Paul for the second time in 25 years last Wednesday, and it was quite possibly one of the greatest shows of my life time. If not the greatest. Just for background, I started listening to The Beatles around 1978, at the ripe old age of 8. Had a cat in my class whose older brother was a big Beatles fan and he would bring albums in to class that we would listen to, and I was instantly hooked. By the time I was 10 or 11, I had a Beatles collection that would make the modern day collector weep. American and European pressings, oddball rarities and one-off albums, the whole nine yards. So, in 1989 Kelly and I saw him on his Get Back tour in Tampa Stadium. It was like a revelation, but that was due in large part to nostalgia. I felt like I was going to watch God perform. Melodramatic, but that was how I felt at the time. It was a very good show, and one I'll never forget. Fast-forward to last Wednesday night. In '89 we were in the nosebleeds, but this time we sprang for floor "seats". I say "seats" because when you're on the floor the seat is only in use before McCartney takes the stage. After that you're on your feet for two hours and forty five minutes. When we first got to our seats they had some kind of DJ on the stage playing some really wild remixes of Beatles/McCartney tunes. Some of them were quite fascinating, to be perfectly honest. Shortly after, he left the stage and the "movies" started playing on the huge screens on both sides of the stage. Naturally, they were all set to Beatles/McCartney tunes, and any time you see images of Maggie Thatcher and Frank Zappa on the same screen, well, that's kinda both very cool and incredibly bizarre. The show started with he and his band belting out Eight Days A Week, and it just got better and better as the night went on. Several years ago a buddy of mine had seen him at Fenway and described his current band as "industrial strength". I'm not sure there is a better way of describing them. Very powerful. Methodic, but not formulaic. Visually the show was far more outstanding than when we had seen him in '89, but more importantly it was much better musically. About the time this "industrial strength" band launched into Let Me Roll It, I knew this was something really special. That song seemed custom-made for this particular band. Of course, Live And Let Die was the visual feast of the evening, no big surprise there. Two hours forty five minutes and 39 songs later it was over, but there were some surprising takeaways. When we first purchased the tickets Kelly asked me why, at the age of 72, he was still undertaking these grueling tours. Well, he answered her question that night. He was thoroughly engaging, and quite humorous, between tunes. He had obviously taken time to learn quite a few things about Kansas City, and cajoled the audience several times about things only locals would truly "get". I was amazed by that and asked Kelly if she remembered him being that engaging when we had seen him in '89. She didn't even stop to think about it before she quickly said, "no". And at his ripe old age, he was running around, dancing, balancing his Hofner bass upside down in his hand, and essentially looked like a kid that was just out having fun. I'm only 44 and wish I had the kind of spunk and energy he exuded that night. One of the coolest things he did was during the second or third encore when he quickly ran down a shout out to his sound and lighting guys, riggers, etc. I'm not sure I've ever seen any artist do that before. And he politely paused after each one for applause. Didn't take long, but I found it to be a very classy show of appreciation. Final analysis: while I was quite the McCartney "homer" when I saw him in '89 (at that point he could have come out and played solo on a milk crate and I would have been enthralled), what I saw last Wednesday night was a master entertainer who still thoroughly loves what he does, and goes out of his way to make sure you love the experience as well. Based on what I saw, I can't imagine this to be his last tour, but it may be. Either way, if he's coming to a town near you in the next couple of months, I highly encourage you to go see him. Ten thumbs up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 By the time I was 10 or 11, I had a Beatles collection that would make the modern day collector weep. American and European pressings, oddball rarities and one-off albums, the whole nine yards. Did you by any chance have any of the Parlophone 78s that were issued in India? I would miss a day's pay to hear one of those in good condition on a proper player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 So the wife and I saw Paul for the second time in 25 years last Wednesday, and it was quite possibly one of the greatest shows of my life time. If not the greatest. Ten thumbs up! I saw him at Sprint Center a few years ago and had a similar reaction. Amazing - not a cynical eye left in the house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 I'd prefer John Lennon - of course, unrealistic!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 He's playing at Candlestick Park here in SF on Aug 14. Significant because it was where the Beatles last performed live in public, and will be the last concert at the park before they tear it down. Not going, though. It sold out VERY fast and is VERY expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Ptah Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 I saw this concert in Kansas City as my friend wanted to go to it. I did not know what to expect. It was one of the best live concerts I have ever seen, in any genre of music. I have to give him his due. He performed for almost three hours with no intermission, sang his heart out, and gave it his all on every song. He performed many of his most famous songs with passion. His band is excellent. It was overall an amazing concert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dolan Posted July 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 I doubt anyone left there that night thinking anything less, HP. Glad to hear your takeaway is pretty much the same as mine. I guess the only downside was the fact that it started 40 minutes late. But, you could tell at 8:00 that it wouldn't be starting on time. Crowd flow and control isn't a strong suit of the Sprint Center and it's staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dolan Posted July 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 BTW, where did you watch the show from? We were in F4 towards the right rear corner of the floor. Cool experience, but not always a great view. Had to do a lot of visual bobbing and weaving throughout the show. We did learn to never buy floor tickets again. At least ones that far back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazztrain Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 My wife and I saw him last year at Fenway Park. I went with very low expectations (not my idea) and was blown away. Very memorable. It wasn't cheap. But then almost nothing at Fenway is cheap. He's playing at Candlestick Park here in SF on Aug 14. Significant because it was where the Beatles last performed live in public, and will be the last concert at the park before they tear it down. Not going, though. It sold out VERY fast and is VERY expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dolan Posted July 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 Trust me, it wasn't cheap here either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Ptah Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 Scott, I got online about 5 minutes after the tickets went on sale, and the best I could do was to purchase lower level, right side seats, almost to the back of the arena. We had unobstructed views, but the musicians looked pretty tiny to us. We saw all of you down on the floor. The huge video screens on either side of the stage showed us what we could not see. That is interesting to me. When I would see arena rock shows in the 1970s, you just saw the tiny musicians from far away, and it stunk, and that was that--there was no simultaneous big video screen to enhance the experience. I found that the combination of seeing a far off musician moving around, and then seeing the same musician making the same movements on a large video screen, was all right, not as unnatural as I might have expected. Old fogey alert here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 (edited) It is kind of hard to describe the experience of seeing him live. No doubt I am a fan of both the Beatles and his solo stuff. But as great as the music was, there was something culturally going on that is wholly unique. Not an intellectual thing per se "oh, he was the soundtrack to our lives, blah, blah, blah", more of a shared/communal experience with the rest of the audience. Seeing/feeling the entire crowd sing along (half of them in tears), regardless of age was just magical for lack of a better word. Sounds sappy, like I am some ancient boomer pining for days gone by , but it was real. Or to quote my previously disinterested wife about three songs in "OMG, it's Paul F-ing McCartney!!!" Edited July 23, 2014 by Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 Or to quote my previously disinterested wife about three songs in "OMG, it's Paul F-ing McCartney!!!" Good one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dolan Posted July 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 Did you cats catch the Westboro loons picketing across the street before the show? I thought that was pretty hilarious! Even snapped a pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dolan Posted July 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 BTW, can't recall if I mentioned it before, but the version they did of Something on this tour was nearly worth the price of admission all by itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Ptah Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 The first encore, Day Tripper, Kansas City\Hey Hey Hey Hey, I Saw Her Standing There, was one of the hardest rocking sequences I have ever heard live, by anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Ptah Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 Did you cats catch the Westboro loons picketing across the street before the show? I thought that was pretty hilarious! Even snapped a pic. Yes, their sign "God Hates the UK", was outstanding in its ridiculousness, even by Westboro standards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dolan Posted July 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 The first encore, Day Tripper, Kansas City\Hey Hey Hey Hey, I Saw Her Standing There, was one of the hardest rocking sequences I have ever heard live, by anyone. That was outstanding! And I think it was the second encore where he said, "sounds like you guys want to keep rocking! Well, you asked for it!" And then they launched into Helter Skelter. I don't use the term "magical" very often, but that qualified. Did you cats catch the Westboro loons picketing across the street before the show? I thought that was pretty hilarious! Even snapped a pic. Yes, their sign "God Hates the UK", was outstanding in its ridiculousness, even by Westboro standards. Just checked my phone, that sign is actually in the pic I took!!!! Fucking hilarious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dolan Posted July 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 (edited) BTW, did any of you figure out who was playing bass during the Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End sequence? Had to be someone offstage. Unless Wix was doing it on his keyboard. Edited July 23, 2014 by Scott Dolan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dolan Posted July 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 Or to quote my previously disinterested wife about three songs in "OMG, it's Paul F-ing McCartney!!!" Good one! Yeah, my then-girlfriend/now-wife experienced the same thing when we saw Sinatra at Caesar's in 1982. Like, WHOA, this shit is real, isn't it!!!!! Probably not gonna have the chance to see McCartney, but I probably would if I could, just for that reason. The music (which in Sinatra's case waaaay more than met admittedly lower expectations going into it) is only part of it. There's the whole sociological thing too, and probably, for right now, any way, that's the real importance of being there if/when you can. Someday it will all be "history", and then it's a bunch of people trying to tell you what you know you saw for yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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