After seeing Sir Paul McCartney at the Bradley Center last night, I rather feel like I did after I went skydiving. Like I want to explain the emotions and the wonderment, but all I feel like I can do is gush the same nonsense over and over again. It was phenomenal. It was phenomenal. It was PHENOMENAL.
It was 7:00 on a Sunday night, it was cold and pouring rain outside, I'd had a long weekend already and all I really wanted to do was curl up in my pajamas and relax. However, my excitement soon overshadowed my tiredness as I made my way downtown to meet my parents and my brother, Alex, for the show.
Since you can only buy two tickets at once when they go on sale, dad and Alex sat together and mom and I sat together, two sections over. Mom and I were sitting directly across from the stage, in the middle section. Our tickets said 7:30, but the show didn't start til a little after 8:00. At around 7:45 music began to play and so we thought the show was starting, but that music went on for about 20 minutes. It was fun to listen to - it was a mixture of orchestra and techno and rock with some snippets of Paul McCartney thrown in here and there.
The stage was the coolest stage I've ever seen. It was all screens underneath the band and behind them, and the graphics and pictures and colors were constantly changing with the music. When the pre-show music finally stopped, a video came on, documenting Paul's life and career. It lasted a good ten minutes and was fascinating, and it built the anticipation up even more. I was so excited to see him come out, and when he did, singing Magical Mystery Tour, the sold-out crowd just roared. It was amazing.After the first three songs or so, Paul finally said "Hello Milwaukee!" and everyone cheered. He then said that he had to "drink it all in" and he walked from one end of the stage to the other, basking in the applause, smiling, waving and giving thumbs up and the peace sign. He was just so humble and appreciative. It was so apparent how much he still loves what he does.
The picture is courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He took the jacket off almost right away and looked dashing in the sky blue long-sleeved shirt, and then he changed into a red Tshirt for the final encore that said No More Landmines on the front.
But I digress. Over the course of the three-hour concert, Paul played close to 40 songs, most of them older songs, with a few of his better new ones mixed in (my favorite being English Tea). He played so many of my favorites - Please, Please Me, Til There Was You, Good Day Sunshine, Drive My Car, Maybe I'm Amazed, Got to get you into my Life, Get Back, Band on the Run, Jet, I'll Follow the Sun, Back in the U.S.S.R., Penny Lane, Let It Be ... I could go on and on.
Even Hey Jude, which isn't one of my favorites, was just so fun to listen to. Having a sing-along with 20,000 other people to the Na Na Na's under Paul's direction is a pretty good time.
Sitting there, I became completely overwhelmed by the fact that I was lucky enough to be there, seeing one of the best musicians (if not THE best) of all time. Yes, I may have even shed a few tears. Perhaps I was born in the wrong generation, because no music has ever moved me and thrilled me the way Beatles music does.
I was amazed at how much he interacted with the crowd. There were thousands and thousands of people in there, and yet the concert had an intimate feel to it, like he was talking specifically to you. He was in very good spirits, making the crowd laugh a lot. He read signs that people were holding up, he made jokes, he told stories of his Beatles days, and he had us all give some applause for our dearly departed, George, John, and Linda.
And that voice.
He sounded perfect. His voice was as good as it was when he was 22 years old. His band was absolutely awesome, too. The band came out for two encores, and each encore was about three or four songs long. I yelled and screamed like a mad woman, trying my darndest to show my adoration.
It was the best concert I've ever been to, a million times over. It was worth every penny of the $130 ticket, and then some. I was simply bursting when I walked out of the Bradley Center.
He's going to have to stop touring one of these days, and it will be a sad day when he does. I probably will never be able to see him live again - though I will try - but I feel so fortunate to have been there last night.
don't forget about helter skelter. that was awesome.
Posted by: karl | October 25, 2005 at 05:38 PM
As one of the bestest life-long fans of Paul McCartney, I am thrilled that you got to share that concert. As I read alot of reviews about the concert, I agree the man is AMAIZEing. Your blog stated everything quite accurately. You can be considered fortunate to be living in the time of probably one of the best composers thoughout history; right up there with Beethoven, Mozart and J.S. Bach.
love, Dad
Posted by: dadl | October 26, 2005 at 12:58 PM
Michele sent me!
I can't remember the last time I went to a concert. :(
Posted by: Michelle Pessoa | October 28, 2005 at 04:41 PM
Hi! Michele sent me! I'm SO JEALOUS that you got to see Paul McCartney! My daddy used to play his Beatles records all the time when we were little. I grew up on the Fab Four and had nearly all their records, tapes, etc. when I was in high school. I think I will just have to live vicariously through you this time. Maybe someday I'll get to see/hear him for myself! :)
Posted by: Jennifer Thorpe | October 28, 2005 at 04:48 PM
Hi Champ!!!1
Glad to hear you had a blast! I skipped the show this time around, but I've seen Paul twice and both rank among my favorite shows too (along with the 3 Ringo shows!). You get cool points for figuring out that the Beatles own everyone.
Mike
Posted by: Mike | November 04, 2005 at 02:05 PM