I Have Achieved Beatle
11/7/10 00:36![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madrobinsWhen I was ten (nine?) and the Beatles were going to be on Ed Sullivan, I tried desperately to get my parents to return to NYC (from our weekend place in Massachusetts) in time to see the show. Not only did they not get the Beatles (why should they?), they did not get why they were important to me. Therefore I never even entertained, except in fantasy, the thought of going to see them at Shea Stadium. Which, from what I've heard about that concert, is probably just as well: all scream, no Beatle.
Tonight we saw Sir Paul McCartney at ATT Park, and it was just swell. The wind, as is its wont in San Francisco, arrived well before Sir Paul did, bearing fog (as he commented later, "We thought it was going to be warm. We didn't dress for this! Normally by this time me jacket woulda come off, but not tonight, no sir."). The show started late (like, really. An hour). But when he arrived he gave good measure and then some. He's not a wit, he's kinda corny, and sometimes I thought it must be a strain (when you've started out with three mates and all more or less equal) to be The Guy with all the patter--although his backup band is terrific. But he chatted and joked and rocked. He really did rock. He did many of the things you'd expect, and some things I'd never heard of (how had I never heard "Here Today," his song about John?). The design of the show--the backdrop stuff and lighting--was mostly there to emphasize or comment on the song and were rarely extravagant--except for the pyrotechnics during "Live and Let Die," handled (if Paul is to be believed, and why wouldn't he be?) by a tech named Shakey, but it was all very well done.
He did a stunning "Blackbird," and "Something" (which started out on ukelele and then went into the full number) and "Let Me Roll It." There were two encores, the second of which included the reprise of "Sgt. Pepper" and "The End." (He told us after that that it was time for them to go home. Which meant it was probably time for us to go home too, even if it was a Saturday night.)
At times it felt like he was leading a giant singalong--not because you could hear everyone else singing, but every time I looked around everyone, young and old, was at least mouthing the words. On the songs where he did invite audience participation ("Hey Jude" and "Give Peace a Chance") everyone joined in with a right will.
So I got to see my Beatle, only 45 years late. And probably a good thing, because I could hear him without too much screaming. I smiled and sang the whole night, and swelled by all that music even the wind died down and the fog abated.
Tonight we saw Sir Paul McCartney at ATT Park, and it was just swell. The wind, as is its wont in San Francisco, arrived well before Sir Paul did, bearing fog (as he commented later, "We thought it was going to be warm. We didn't dress for this! Normally by this time me jacket woulda come off, but not tonight, no sir."). The show started late (like, really. An hour). But when he arrived he gave good measure and then some. He's not a wit, he's kinda corny, and sometimes I thought it must be a strain (when you've started out with three mates and all more or less equal) to be The Guy with all the patter--although his backup band is terrific. But he chatted and joked and rocked. He really did rock. He did many of the things you'd expect, and some things I'd never heard of (how had I never heard "Here Today," his song about John?). The design of the show--the backdrop stuff and lighting--was mostly there to emphasize or comment on the song and were rarely extravagant--except for the pyrotechnics during "Live and Let Die," handled (if Paul is to be believed, and why wouldn't he be?) by a tech named Shakey, but it was all very well done.
He did a stunning "Blackbird," and "Something" (which started out on ukelele and then went into the full number) and "Let Me Roll It." There were two encores, the second of which included the reprise of "Sgt. Pepper" and "The End." (He told us after that that it was time for them to go home. Which meant it was probably time for us to go home too, even if it was a Saturday night.)
At times it felt like he was leading a giant singalong--not because you could hear everyone else singing, but every time I looked around everyone, young and old, was at least mouthing the words. On the songs where he did invite audience participation ("Hey Jude" and "Give Peace a Chance") everyone joined in with a right will.
So I got to see my Beatle, only 45 years late. And probably a good thing, because I could hear him without too much screaming. I smiled and sang the whole night, and swelled by all that music even the wind died down and the fog abated.