I’ve been hooked on the Beatles from the very first “yeah, yeah, yeah” I heard back in 1964 till the very last chord of “The End” faded away down that long and winding road.
So when hubby Bob treated me with tickets to the Paul McCartney concert at the Barclays Center this past weekend I was over-the-hill excited. After all, this was a chance to see the legendary Sir Paul. The only other Beatle besides George Harrison that I spent my crushing years fixated on.
Oh, there were other rock stars along the way — Jim Morrison of the Doors, all the Beach Boys, and Eric Clapton, to name a few, and my tastes did changed as I grew older, but there was always a special place in my heart for those four mop-topped lads from Liverpool who changed the history of music forever.
Unlike many other concerts that I have attended where the oldies-but-goodies were changed to fit the times, Paul stayed true to each, and I found myself singing along like it was yesterday. In fact I even remembered the words to songs that I had not thought of in years — which, for me, is amazing, since I can’t remember where I put my glasses down five minutes ago. But when Paul strummed the chords, the lyrics just popped right out of my mouth and I was a teen again.
With a still strong and sweet voice and his personality still boyishly charming, he shared lots of anecdotes, it was hard to believe that Sir Paul is pushing 71 years old. Especially since his performance lasted two and one-half hours without an intermission or missing a solid beat. From guitar to piano and back to guitar again, up to and including all the Wings selections as well as the Lennon and McCartney catalogue, Paul certainly did not disappoint.
And even though our seats made me wish for a parachute — and was holding on to the arm rests for dear life — the view of the stage was clear, the sound system was perfection and we were still close enough to feel the heat off the pyrotechnic display during “Live and Let Die.” Besides, once Paul was into the full swing of the concert I was so busy singing along that I even forgot how high up we actually were.
I especially enjoyed Paul’s tribute to fellow bandmates — “Here Today” honoring John Lennon, “Something” on the ukulele honoring George Harrison, “Maybe I’m Amazed,” in memory of late wife Linda and a new song “My Valentine” written especially for current wife Nancy. Sir Paul is not only a gentleman but a gentle man as well.
Not for Nuthin™, but I would gladly shell out the sheckles again to see Sir Paul, but next time, it will definitely be in seats that are much closer to the ground. Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Follow me on Twitter @JDelBuono.
Joanna DelBuono writes about national issues — and rock and roll — every Wednesday on BrooklynDaily.com. E-mail her at jdelbuono@cnglocal.com.
