Sir Paul

Last weekend Donna and I took a road trip to Detroit to visit Donna’s sister Barb, who had arranged for us to see Paul McCartney in concert at her company’s suite in the brand-new Little Caesar’s Arena. In so many ways it was perhaps the most incredible thing I have ever experienced.

I don’t know if people who weren’t around in the 1960s can understand what an impact the Beatles had on our culture. They didn’t just reflect the crazy, tumultuous times, they, perhaps more than any other band, helped drive it.

They made a triumphant maiden U.S. tour in 1964 after their first two U.S. albums had done well. They were instant sensations, with their distinctive look – moppish haircuts and skinny trousers – and sound. They appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, which was watched every Sunday evening by 50 million Americans, and teenaged girls went wild.

The band’s manager in the early years, Brian Epstein, was a master marketer. There were Beatles fan magazines, Beatles fan clubs, Beatles merchandise. They made a series of movies, including A Hard Day’s Night and Help, and British TV movies, like Magical Mystery Tour and Yellow Submarine, for which they released album soundtracks. In today’s language, they were the generation’s key influencers.

The Beatles didn’t tour after 1966, choosing instead to focus on writing ever-more complex, revolutionary music. They were prolific, releasing 20 albums in the U.S. between 1964 and 1970, of which 17 reached #1. They also produced 17 #1 singles. Their album releases were much-anticipated events, because each time people were anxious to know how the group was going to transform the world of popular music.

Each album was revolutionary – the psychedelic Revolver, the remarkably complex Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the bizarre but beautiful Magical Mystery Tour – and each was a work of art that reinvented popular music. Other bands like The Who and The Rolling Stones seemed to follow the trends by releasing albums mimicking innovations established by The Beatles.

And while in the beginning the band, which started out in Liverpool, England as the Quarrymen, was led by John Lennon, Paul became the driving force of their music.

So when Donna and I got the opportunity to see McCartney in concert, we jumped at the chance. He was such an indelible part of our teenage years, it was like seeing a part of our own lives.

Barb had a reserved parking spot in the garage that connects to the arena, courtesy of Barb, and the three of us crossed the enclosed pedestrian bridge to the venue. Then it was a short walk to a private entrance on the second level for suite holders.

In the suite, which was fit for royalty, was a full bar and a bartender, tons of delicious food, and about 20 plush chairs remarkably close to the stage. There were even private bathrooms across the hall. It was a fabulous way to watch a world-class concert.

Leading up to the concert, the two-week-old arena was for some reason playing recorded Beatles songs covered by second-rate bands. At about 8:15 that ended, the fog machines and lights kicked in, and Paul, accompanied by a drummer, keyboardist, and two guitarists, walked on stage. Amidst the thundering applause, Paul hit the unmistakable chord that opens “A Hard Day’s Night,” and the concert was underway.

Over more than three hours, Paul performed, without a break, an incredible set of 39 songs from the Beatles, his solo albums, and Wings. The music showcased the incredible breadth of his songbook – everything from love ballads like “Yesterday,” to traditional rock ‘n roll, like “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and hard driving music like “Helter Skelter” and “Birthday.” Here’s a link to the remarkable setlist.

Paul McCartney is 75 freaking years old. He still looks fantastic and he can still sing – he has lost some range, and his tone is a little wobbly at times – but he can belt, he can still sing in falsetto, and his ballads are still beautiful.  But what’s most impressive to me, besides the stamina required to perform such a dynamic concert, and do it night after night, is his mastery of multiple instruments. He crushed the piano on “Lady Madonna,” and on other songs, and throughout the night, he rocked the bass, guitar, even, was it on, “I Want to Be Your Man,” the ukulele.

He told stories in between some songs – about jamming at George Harrison’s house on said uke, about being in the audience with Eric Clapton when Jimi Hendrix performed the opening song of “Sgt. Pepper,” and more. The most poignant moments were when he played “Blackbird” and “Give Peace a Chance.”

Speaking of Hendrix, McCartney performed a tribute to the guitar phenom that was, well, phenomenal.

If McCartney had ended the concert with his 32^nd and final song of the main performance, “Hey Jude,” it would have been a great night. But he came back to perform “Yesterday,” “Sgt. Pepper,” “Helter Skelter,” and “Birthday,” for which he brought up a mother and her daughter who was celebrating her 15^th birthday.

But then he played the final three songs from what in my mind is the finest side of a rock album in history – side two of “Abbey Road”: “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End.” I was an absolute emotional wreck, because I had experienced something sublime.

At one point during the concert I leaned over to Donna and said that Paul is the coolest 75-year-old on the planet. That’s not right; I think Paul McCartney is simply the coolest person on the planet. And Donna, Barb and I got to see him.