PAUL MCCARTNEY CONCERT REVIEW It’s been months now that I’ve been driving by the Energy Solutions Arena (the old Delta Center) in downtown Salt Lake City on my way to work, and wishing that I could go to the Paul McCartney concert. I’ve been getting rides into work with my friend and colleague Sharon Nielsen. But I always thought there is no way I’ll go - it’s probably some ridiculous ticket price up above $100 like a Rolling Stones concert or something. Thursday (day of) while driving home from work, I once more expressed a desire to see Paul McCartney in concert but complained about how expensive big concerts are these days. Maybe Sharon was sick of hearing this, because she said well why don’t you look it up on my phone. I don’t have a smart phone, so I just don’t think this way. Okay, I said, and looked it up on her phone. To my surprise, I found out there were upper bowl seats for as low as $30! All of a sudden, I thought maybe I was going to the show that night. It has always been a dream of mine to see the Beatles, the Stones, and Led Zeppelin. John is gone. George - gone. Ringo - doesn’t count (sorry Ringo). So basically this was a chance to see the last remaining Beatle before it’s too late (again, sorry Ringo). McCartney is 72 years old. So even if he lives long, and even if he keeps touring, eventually it’s not going to be a good thing. Maybe it’s not even so good of a thing now, methought, but it’s a chance to see a Beatle perform. And Paul, for me, is THE Beatle. Yes, I know, Paul is a bit of a goober, but I was never a huge Lennon fan. And yes I love George, but Paul was the main composer. And, when the history books are written, he’ll be up there with Mozart and Beethoven. Even if the musical performance wouldn’t be fantastic, this was a chance to see one of the major artistic figures in the history of Western civ. So, I called Angela and tried to talk her into going. She had been fasting all day and had taken the kids out for much of the day, so she was worn out. I offered to buy her a cheesburger and a diet coke. Eventually, I think she agreed to go with me just because she loves me. I got a pair of tix for $65 total. Thanks to Sharon or it never would have happened. We got into our seats just before the show started. Paul takes the stage and the crowd goes wild. Okay, so I’ve been to several concerts over the years. You know that rush of adrenaline and excitement when the band takes the stage. Yes, it is awesome. This one, I’m telling you, had a different feel to it. All the normal excitement as the moment approaches and then that star-struck adoration - yes, but again, for this one, it wasn’t just the normal star-struck adoration, in addition to all that was a deeper level of love and affection--deep as in a half of a century deep--something that had seeped down into the bedrock of the culture. I’m not sure I explained that well, but it was something different. McCartney played a range of early, middle, and late Beatles, Wings, and solo material. I was truly impressed with this guy’s energy - plenty of it - looks a little older but doesn’t act it at all. His voice was good--not GREAT--but plenty good. He played bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, ukelele, piano, and sang every song. Lots of solo numbers as well as the full band numbers. His solo of “Blackbird” was absolutely beautiful. He also offered a fine perfomance of “Yesterday”--which was just wierd you know--I’m watching Paul McCartney perform “Yesterday”. It felt like a time machine. At the end of one of his new songs, PM riffed into the jam from Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxey Lady” and then told a story about seeing a Hendrix performance in which JH played a song from Seargeant Pepper’s LHCB 2 days after it came out, and how honored he felt. PM also played tributes to John and George. For “Paperback Writer” he played it on the same guitar with which he had recorded the song in the studio half a century ago. McCartney played almost three hours, with loads of energy. “Back in the USSR” totally rocked the house. Over the last year, I’ve seen Band of Skulls (British hard rock), A Day to Remember (punk-metalcore), and BlessTheFall (screamo). Believe it or not, I’m telling you that Paul’s and his band’s performance of “Helter Skelter” was as heavy as any of these. My expectations were quickly and far surpassed. It was a terrific show.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 17:25:04 +0000
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