Wondra on the Tundra: Paul McCartney Makes for a Perfect Knight at Lambeau Field — Green Bay Concert Review

Concert Review

Paul McCartney
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
June 8, 2019
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On June 18, Paul McCartney will turn 77.

He has finally let his hair go gray, after years of presumably using dye to keep his famed mop-top brown.

In terms of chronological measures, Sir Paul is getting old.

But seeing “Macca”—as he is also affectionately known—live in concert never does.

Or at least it hasn’t yet, with Saturday’s show in Green Bay marking the 13th time I’ve seen the ex-Beatle, the 12th since 2002 and the 9th in the past 10 years, on yet another Abbey Road trip after having—in recent years—ventured to Tulsa, Milwaukee, St. Louis and the southwest Chicago suburban wasteland of Tinley Park. (I also saw Paul in Paris in 2011, as well as multiple times in Chicago proper.)

Gratefully, my friend Brad did the driving this time, having gotten himself a prime seat on the field where the Green Bay Packers play.

Along with my most erstwhile concert pal, Paolo, I settled for a seat not nearly as choice, but also upon the famed—but on this perfect June night, not frozen—tundra.

Even for a diehard Chicago Bears fan, there was something extra special about being on Lambeau Field, and though many taller heads in the 80 or so yards between me and Sir Paul occasionally kept me from seeing his, the entire experience was awesome.

As he has at virtually every show since resuming fairly regular touring in 2002, McCartney and his band mates—all constant since then; hence with him longer than he was with the Beatles or Wings—played for just about three hours.

This show was about 5 minutes short of that mark, with perhaps the only concession to his age being the omission of “Yesterday,” making the set list 38 songs, rather than the formerly standard 39.

The basic outline of Macca’s shows has remained fairly congruent over the years—he doesn’t mix things up gig-to-gig like Bruce Springsteen or Pearl Jam, other live favorites of mine—and one can pretty much bet the house on hearing “Blackbird,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Band on the Run,” “Let It Be,” “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” “Live and Let Die” (with mass pyrotechnics), “Hey Jude” and some others, but all are among the best rock songs ever written.

Yet even with his current Freshen Up Tour hitting smaller U.S. markets this year—Ft. Wayne, Madison, Moline, Lexington, KY, Greenville, SC, etc.—he’s rotated in Beatles chestnuts such as “Got to Get You Into My Life,” “All My Loving,” “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and “From Me to You,” none of which I heard in Tinley Park in 2017.

Proving that—as arguably rock’s greatest songwriter ever—he can still pen a catchy melody, Paul nicely included “Who Cares,” “Come On to Me” and “Fuh You” from 2018’s Egypt Station album, while the Quarrymen’s “In Spite of All the Danger” meant that a 60-year stretch of original, recorded music was represented on the night.

But while I won’t pretend to be above going to certain concerts predominantly out of reverence—Brian Wilson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bob Dylan (to some extent; sometimes he’s still superb), the now passed Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry and others—continuing to repeatedly see Paul McCartney live, at considerable cost and/or distance, isn’t primarily about worship nor even nostalgia.

Few things in life provide me as much acute joy as a Paul McCartney concert.

Sure, his voice isn't what it was at 24, but it still sounds darn good, especially with a 50,000 strong chorus singing along with every word.

On the night, Macca plays bass, acoustic & electric guitars and a couple different pianos, and fairly amazingly—at any age—there isn't a second onstage that he's isn't playing and/or singing.

Guitarist Rusty Anderson delectably covers many of the George Harrison solos, accompanied by Brian Ray (guitar), Paul "Wix" Wickens (keyboards) and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (drums), who remains a powerhouse and a hoot.

Yes, I've heard Sir Paul's stage stories many a time, whether reminiscing about Jimi Hendrix & Eric Clapton, recalling his Red Square encounters with Russian politicians or paying tribute to his late Beatles bandmates, John Lennon and George Harrison.

But only in the best of ways can Sir Paul McCartney be blamed for me and my pals venturing to see him in Green Bay—and in many a place, many a time.

While I always hope he might sprinkle in "Penny Lane" or "Getting Better" or any of dozens of other gems—even from Wings and his solo albums—more than he does, the truth is over the years I've heard him do 120 different songs...

...and, really, anything he wishes to play is fine with me. (See Paul McCartney's Green Bay setlist here.)

It's delightful that he has horn players again along on this tour—not always the case—and including from within the Lambeau stands, they made "Got to Get You Into My Life," "Lady Madonna" and more sound particularly swell.

From the opening "A Hard Day's Night" to the traditional but apt closer, "The End"—with mirthful magnificence on essentially every note in between—Sir Paul McCartney made for a truly blissful and special knight in Green Bay.

I always hope I might see him yet again, and he seems due for another show within the Chicago city limits, but if this turns out to be the last time I get to see the man who—along with John, George and Ringo—most changed the world I enjoy living in, well, speaking his words of wisdom, love me do.

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Just a snippet of the "Hey Jude" singalong:

A Good Day's Knight: In Rocking St. Louis' Busch Stadium, Paul McCartney Provides a Magical History Tour -- St. Louis Concert Review

Concert Review

Paul McCartney
Busch Stadium, St. Louis
August 13, 2016
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Other than family, friends and a few other people I've personally known, I don't think it's too rash or hyperbolic to suggest that Paul McCartney has positively affected my life more than anyone else alive (save perhaps for Bruce Springsteen, and like many, his musical career descended from the Beatles' arrival in America and appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964).

Given my lifelong love of rock 'n roll--including quite specifically and deeply The Beatles--and my appreciation for just how broadly four lads from Liverpool forever changed the world, the above thought would probably have validity based solely on what Paul did (alongside John, George and Ringo) before he turned 22--and prior to my being born.

It would be hard for me to overstate my regard and reverence for the Beatles' recorded output that--with due deference to Elvis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and other rock pioneers who influenced the band--I consider the Holy Grail of popular music, and among the very greatest artistic achievements in history.

With Paul just 21 when the Beatles performed on Ed Sullivan to the largest TV audience to date--having already written (with John Lennon) and recorded "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," "All My Loving," "I Saw Her Standing There," "Please Please Me," and other classics--and only 28 when the Beatles disbanded in 1970, he was integral in creating a discography that has provided me with immeasurable enjoyment, enrichment and emotional nourishment.

But Sir Paul--he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1997--has also tremendously entertained me live & in-person via 11 concerts I've attended since 1989, the last 10 coming in this millennium.

Certainly, his legacy and songbook--including from the Beatles, Wings and lengthy solo career--were enough to draw me the first few times.

But I keep coming back--and since 2009 have seen him in such disparate places as Tulsa, Paris, Milwaukee, Chicago's Wrigley Field and now St. Louis--for reasons that extend far beyond nostalgia, sentimentality and historical appreciation.

Even at the age of 74, Paul McCartney and his band--of four others (Brian Ray, Rusty Anderson, Abe Laboriel Jr. and Wix Wickens) who have played with him for nearly 15 years--still put on one of the best concerts you're liable to see or hear.

To the point that although I expected him to be great at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, I repeatedly found myself rather awestruck at how awestruck I was yet again.

Or maybe, amazed.

McCartney isn't playing Chicago this year--and I skipped seeing him in 2015 at Lollapalooza--so I decided to take an Amtrak down to St. Louis with my friend Paolo.

Over the course of about 25 hours in the city, we also enjoyed great BBQ at Pappy's Smokehouse, went to two superb museums, rode to the top of the Gateway Arch, enjoyed famous frozen custard at Ted Drewes and more. I will try to write a bit of a travelogue in coming days, but the clear impetus and highlight of the trip was the opportunity to see "Macca."

Certainly, I could sufficiently justify the excursion, effort and expense simply by saying that Sir Paul sang 38 songs over the course of nearly 3 hours, that his voice sounded strong on a beautiful night and his band typically robust, and that it was a treat for a pair of Beatlemaniacs to sing along heartily to some of the greatest tunes ever written.

That probably won't convince the skeptics, and even fellow fans couldn't be blamed for going, "Yeah, of course he's great, but you've seen him 10 times before, how different or special could it be?"

But while I would certainly concur that 21st century Paul McCartney concerts have largely followed a similar outline, with several of the same staples showing up each time out, thanks to Setlist.fm I can tell you that I've heard him play 115 different songs over the years, most of them rather terrific.

And even though a humid summer night in a NL Central ballpark with Paolo alongside in roughly comparable upper-deck-behind-home-plate seats might make this Busch Stadium gig seem congruent to a July 2013 show at Milwaukee's Miller Park, 15 of the 38 songs varied. (See Saturday's St. Louis setlist here.)

Especially given the train ride down--all that was missing was Paul's "grandfather"--it was sublime to hear McCartney open with "A Hard Day's Night," a song he's never played on previous tours.

From there, he mixed in several Beatles songs that haven't been regular concert selections--"Can't Buy Me Love," "Here, There and Everywhere," "You Won't See Me," "The Fool on the Hill," "Birthday"--while omitting several that have been ("The Long and Winding Road," "Paperback Writer," "Get Back," "Day Tripper," among others).

It was fun to hear him include the Beatles' debut single, "Love Me Do," from 1962 and an even older song--"In Spite of All The Danger," which was the first original composition McCartney, Lennon and Harrison recorded as The Quarrymen in 1958--while also performing "FourFiveSeconds," his 2015 collaboration with Kanye West and Rihanna. (Before you scoff, note that it has been played on Spotify over 325 million times, tenfold that of any Beatles' song.)

Even the somewhat odd inclusion of 1980's electro-pop "Temporary Secretary" served to illustrate just how much rock's greatest living legend still enjoys making things fun for himself...and his audience.

I used to criticize Sir Paul for too much sameness in his shows, but while he prefers to keep his setlists static on each tour--and regularly play "Back in the USSR," "Let It Be," "Live and Let Die" (complete with mega pyrotechnics) and "Hey Jude" to round out the main set--I've come to appreciate the way he switches things up from tour-to-tour or year-to-year.

And I will never tire of hearing "Blackbird," "Eleanor Rigby," "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," "We Can Work It Out," "Maybe I'm Amazed," "Band on the Run" and the songs cited in the paragraph above.

Honestly, that would be enough for a rather spectacular and delightful concert.

But what made it even better was the inclusion of enough disparate Beatles songs to blow my mind anew at just how supernaturally great they were--and reiterate my belief that Paul was John's equal from a songwriting standpoint.

This--along with Wings songs like "Letting Go," "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five" and "Hi, Hi, Hi," as well as worthwhile recent tracks ("Save Me," "My Valentine," "Queenie Eye," "New") that demonstrate that Paul McCartney still loves to make music and perform it for people--made the concert a religious experience for me. (More so than most actual religious experiences, truth be told.)

Sure, I've long heard many of the same stories Paul has shared from the stage--about how he saw Jimi Hendrix play "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in London on the Sunday after the album was released on a Friday, and Jimi cheekily asked Eric Clapton to tune his guitar; about performing in Russia and having government officials tell him they learned to speak English from Beatles records--but he seemed to clearly get that some devoted fans may have heard them before.

And yes, I've heard him pay tribute to departed mates John (with McCartney's "Here Today" being about a conversation he wished they'd had) and George (with the Harrison penned "Something" begun with Paul playing ukelele) in much the same way several times.

And for the 11th time in my life, I sang the "na-na-na-na" part of "Hey Jude" with all the men in the audience, before Paul beckoned "now just the ladies" to do likewise.

But once again, I loved it all.

And especially in a year that has shown the mortality of rock 'n roll superstars perhaps more than any other, it greatly warmed my soul to see Paul McCartney playing a phenomenal, energetic, often hard-rocking show in a packed stadium.

...that stands just feet away from where, at the former Busch Stadium, the Beatles performed one of their last concerts 50 years earlier, on August 21, 1966.

I can't really say it was a hard day's night, as only frustrating delays at the Gateway Arch just prior to the show brought any hint of stress to an otherwise pretty enjoyable day in the life. 

But for the 11th time live--plus countless evenings enlivened by vinyl, Memorex, radio, CD, MP3s, Spotify, Beatles' movies and more--the magnificent, then & now, Sir Paul McCartney made for a truly unforgettable knight.