|
Paperback Writer
|
 |
« Reply #2 on: July 11, 2010, 10:15:06 PM » |
|
PAPERBACK WRITER'S CONCERT REVIEW PAUL McCARTNEY, SAN FRANCISCO, 7-10-10
A very warm, sunny day in the Bay Area, including San Francisco, turned chilly and a bit foggy, but it was an invigorating night for a concert - kind of like a football weather atmosphere for the Upcoming McCartney Tour appearance in the baseball home of the SF Giants. (No Giant pitcher and giant Beatle fan, pitcher Tim Lincecum did not leave the team playing in Washington DC to attend).
He missed a great one, not a perfect game, but a shut down performance that overwhelmed the crowd for three hours! Yes, Macca has added to his 'fastball' - 15" MORE of concert from his last tours.
Speaking of which - of the entire set, 16 songs were repeaters from my last concert in Anaheim, where he played live for the astronaunts - which means I experienced 20 NEW SONGS LIVE! (Which means some of us may have exaggerated his sticking to the same - set sentimentality. This was an outdoor concert - which means several givens to me
- 1)- NO WAY could the sound quality have the soaking through your skin and bones effect of a closed in arena's - but it was excellent sound.
- 2- It's 40,000 people, Saturday Night, many people on vacation, they want to boogie.
-3 - The intimacy of some of the quieter songs is lost (but not all of them).and
-4- More 'casual' fans, which actually made it interesting. Interesting, because it was a blast watching them get blown away by Paul Frickin' McCartney (and band) time after time.
That was my angle for the concert, having been fortunate enough to have seen him 6 times, before, 3 of them with very good seats, I was more focused on enjoying the scene, less than listening as intently as before and saving money. Many seats were available for as low as $59.00, I got one of those. I went back and forth to my seats and people, often prowling the stadium like I was at a baseball game, seat-hopping in seats worth 3X as much. Others like me, also figured out that standing in the baseball standing spots on the pavilion were great sounding venues.
It appears Paul has gained greater 'street cred' in the Bay area since the Beatles break -up - i judge this by observing 'heavy biker-types', Grateful Dead/Allman Brothers clad folks and young punks grooving their A's off to the rock and jams in the set by Paul and band. Yes, granny was there, young pre-teens, high schoolers, college kids, everyday people and Mom and Dad were present, also. People and languages representing dozens of countries and ethnicities were in abundance, too. All grooved with MACCA!
He was festive, funny, animated and a bit spontaneous by need, as a couple instrumental mis-fires had him pull out his showmanship skills as if he was back in a bar in Hamburg fighting for his life - the man loves to entertain, loves music and seems to need his audiences love and acceptance.
Now, the songs: Venus and Mars intro was sublime, Rock Show - too chopped up. I've heard Jet, better. All My Loving and Let Me Roll It/Purple Haze, rocked good, as did Rock Show - actually, that was HOT! Got To Get You into my life was, fair, (needs HORNS!), Highway was better live than the CD version.
It was great to hear 1985, but it did not wallop, as much as I thought it could. My Love, Long and Winding Road and Let Em In, struggled a little in this venue-setting, but people were absorbing and appreciating.
The next acoustic songs were fresh and great, Two of Us, I'm Looking Through you, (surprisingly) Dance Tonight, San Francisco Bay Blues (local crowd pleaser inserted into set for this occasion) and a super fab Mrs. Vanderbuilt followed. Tribute to John, and George (Here Today, Something) and Eleanor Rigby and Blackbird were their usual riveting self. The electric part of Something, proved to be way more pleasing than I expected.
Sing the Changes was very good, then the big hits followed, best was Day Tripper, I've Got A Feeling(with extended CODA), Paperback Writer, Obla Di Obla Da, Helter Skelter and Pepper/End.
Let It Be and and Hey Jude were rushed.
Band On the Run and Back In the USSR were superior versions and had the crowd buzzing and roaring.
The others, except Lady Madonna were OK, Lady was sub-par, as was A Day In the Life/Give Peace A Chance(Sounds forced and truncated). Yesterday, Get Back and Live and Let Die were great and had the crowd yelping and ecstatic.
I took the ferry to the city, which had double service for all the fans, parking right at the ballpark dock.
The ride home was a constant refrain of amazement and joy at experiencing the concert. Many emphasized they had seen the best performers in legendary concerts, but Paul Macca McCartney topped them all, 7-10-10.
On the way out of the concert, outside the ballpark, while walking to the ferry dock, suddenly- 4 motorcyle cops, lights flashing - dashed around the corner - YES - PAUL WAS FOLLOWING them in a vehicle , pressing his face and body against the glass - winking and waving to all - like a modern day St. Nick on a a very special night.
|
