Anyone who has ever spent any time talking to me about my taste in music, knows I have a special place in my heart for The Beatles. Although there are many more artists that I have come to love, possibly even more than the Beatles, the Fab Four were my first love and pretty much set me on the my musical path in life.
So this past Saturday when Sir Paul came through town, I knew I had to be there. Just like the Rolling Stones last December, McCartney and the Beatles have a very historic tie to NYC. From their arrival at JFK airport and appearance on
The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964, to their epic concert at Shea Stadium in August 1965, the Beatles and NYC are forever linked. With Laura out of town for the weekend, I decided this concert was a no-brainer.
Anyone who has attended a McCartney show over the years, knows it is well worth the price of admission. Sure, you will get the staple hits he has played for years: Beatles classics such as
Hey Jude, Let It Be, Yesterday, Get Back, Back in the U.S.S.R. and
The Long And Winding Road. As well as classic solo tunes:
Maybe I'm Amazed, Let Me Roll It, Band On The Run and
Live And Let Die.
But this show was even better for me than the previous gigs I have attended. Getting to hear stuff I had never heard before was special: Beatles tunes such as the opening number
Eight Days A Week, Lovely Rita and
I've Just Seen A Face, coupled with solo work like
Junior's Farm, Listen To What The Man Said and
Another Day just made this 38 song set list, maybe the best I have ever seen. $200 for a ticket? I'd have paid double!!
Even the faces in the crowd highlighted how special this show was: Cameron Diaz, Paul Simon, Lorne Michaels, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Tommy Hilfiger, just to name a few. This evening, once again confirmed my deep appreciation for McCartney. This was my 4th time seeing him and although I know his voice is not what it once was on those high notes, he still delivers a 3 hour set that will turn an arena into a giant sing-along. It's hard to believe that back in the mid-90's I actually thought I would
never see this guy perform live. I now have 4 shows under my belt...and hopefully more in the future. At almost 71 years old though, I don't know how much longer he will do this. I guess I will just have to keep going until he pulls the curtain on an amazing career. What a ride it's been!!
