OT: McCartney in Atlanta

[Divemistress of the Dark]

On IPhone since hotel Internet is $$$$, but just had to log on & say: SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!

Still not sure I didn't dream the whole thing. He played 2.5 hours, tons of good songs, his voice + band
= FANTASTIC. it poured rain thru half the show, nobody cared.

Setlist when I get on a real computer, but if u can get 2 one of the last 2 shows on the tour? DO!! IT!!!

[TheEqualizer]

For those not lucky enough to catch one of his shows live, here is an HDTV broadcast of his show from July 11, 2009:

http://zombtracker.the-zomb.com/details.php?id=32159

Setlist:
Drive My Car
Jet
Only Mama Knows
Flaming Pie
Got To Get You Into My Life
Let Me Roll It / Foxy Lady
Highway
All My Loving
Long And Winding Road
My Love
Blackbird
Here Today
Dance Tonight
Calico Skies
Mrs Vanderbilt
Eleanor Rigby
Sing The Changes
Band On The Run
Back In The USSR
Something
I've Got A Feeling
Paperback Writer
A Day In The Life/ Give Peace A Chance
Let It Be
Live And Let Die
Hey Jude

Encore:
Day Tripper
Lady Madonna
Mull of Kintyre (featuring the 78th Highlanders)
I Saw Her Standing There* (omitted from broadcast)

Encore Two:
Yesterday
Helter Skelter
Get Back
Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band / The End

Warning: this is a dual layer DVD and its HUGE (over 7 GB)

[policerule]

Jeebus. That setlist is incredible!!!!

Can't wait to hear all about your show Jean! You're glad you parted with the bucks now, aren't you?

[TheEqualizer]

Here's the 2 DVD version of the show above

http://zombtracker.the-zomb.com/details.php?id=32167

[GinaSuperCat]

Looks like basically a jackpot of a setlist! Thanks for posting the linx, EQ, for those of us who had to play from home on this one. Pcat and I were initially thinking about it (Atl being a pretty doable 1-dayer) but we are so busy getting ready for the semester to begin (Thurs!!), are kinda limited on funds till our regular salaries kick in, and I am basically writing for my life and need every minute I can get <grin>

Will be so good to hear this! Glad you have a great time, Jean!!

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Sorry folks, I'm still a little inarticulate...it was kind of a long day, out in the blazing sun then 3 hour show plus rain plus lots of walking...today a kamikaze trip to Ikea, then hurrying back to Nashvegas for a family party...I'm gonna sleep tonight. In a nutshell, though, I'm gonna have a hard time encapsulating the awesomeness of the show without a boatload of exclamation points. So lemme get 'em out of my system: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!....etc.

Not sure what all of this I haven't already stuck all over my Facebook page - was doing a little liveblogging until a.) the AT&T network totally crashed under the weight of 40,000 fans and b.) the skies opened up...it really poured, an electronics-drowning deluge...but in a nutshell, you knew the gig would be awesome when he started with "Drive My Car."

Basically he's playing the same setlist every show, which would bug me under some circumstances but in this one? It was just glorious. How are you gonna sit here and complain having heard "Hey Jude," "I've Got a Feeling," and "Helter Skelter"? "Blackbird" and "USSR"? Even some of my goofy Wings favorites like "Jet" & "BOTR." (I'd've loved to hear "1985" but realized it'd be dreaming to expect that one.)

I'm still really just not sure I didn't entirely dream the whole thing. Somehow Mr. Dive & I got in the car and drove a couple hours and had a mass hallucination with 40,000 other people....I dunno. I've seen a lot of concerts in my day and even seen some ::ahem:: legendary ones, but it almost seems like Beatles songs are baked into my DNA to the degree it never really occurred to me I might get to, you know, pay a bit of money and see Paul McCartney sing some of them. It's like those songs were realized in some dreamworld by imaginary beings who were not of this earth, somehow. In many ways that's likely due to the banal fact they were released before I was born, but in others it's that Lennon has tended to capture my attentions and imagination. Despite my tender age at the time I remember 12.8.80 in vivid detail, and it's inescapable that the aspect of the Beatles' legacy personified by Lennon is forever lost. However, it should have occurred to me that half of the legendary quartet is alive & well. If I'd realized the degree seeing the genuine article would bowl me over? I'd've gone to some trouble/hocked stuff & done what I had to do to see them years ago.

At least I can now sit here and say I've done what I could, in that I've caught gigs by both remaining Beatles. Ringo came to Nashville & was reviewed here by yours truly last December, but I almost missed McCartney; had there not been a random Google prompted by reminiscences of Michael Jackson and realization that legendary artists don't live and tour forever, I'd have blown the opportunity.

Macca had the same quality I so admired in Springsteen when I saw him @ 'Roo, and which likely is common to really great artists: You'd never guess he'd played these songs literally thousands of times. Everything sounded as though he wrote it last week. In fact, it was kind of weird to hear songs from so many different eras in his career [the 'Blackbird', 'Here Today" & 'Dance" transition comes to mind] and to know he wrote them over a period of forty years, yet everything sounded fresh. He has lost not one iota of vocal range; what he sang last night was identical, in many cases, to songs recorded 40-some years ago. I'm telling you. It didn't hurt matters that his band, including his big badass Samoan drummer, was fantastic.

We really were lucky in having gotten there so early, in that we heard a few extra songs during soundcheck. "Honey Don't," "Coming Up," "I'll Follow the Sun," "All My Loving"...We couldn't see the stage during the entire soundcheck (see: long walk to VIP entrance), but we could hear it loud and clear.

It was worth every penny; I'd stand out in the broiling sun and then in the rain again in a hot second; and if I could possibly get tickets to Tulsa or Dallas I'd seriously consider it. I'd also pay silly money to get up close, which wasn't really a possibility at this gig. I'd been concerned about not being able to see once I heard the show was GA, but it wasn't intolerable. The show area was actually a bit smaller than the main stage venue @ Bonnaroo, and we were up on a small hill. Our section wasn't that close, but we brought binocs and there wasn't anyone standing directly in front of us. Also, everyone else was as happy to see him as we were, and there was a refreshing lack of drunken jackholery going on around us. It was like people knew this was likely their one chance to see this and they wanted to remember it. There were the usual logistical snafus you find at big shows (conflicting info on entrance times, etc.), but you have to expect that at one-off venues where concerts aren't held often. It was a bit of a bummer to wait an hour to buy a t-shirt, but there wasn't much else going on while folks were still filing in & taking seats.

The downside was what I'd previewed during the Ringo show: The looming Lennon-shaped hole. You know, I think about that guy a lot, the Beatles holding a singular place in my musical estimations, like everyone else on planet Earth. I know I don't need to articulate here just why it sucks so much that he was taken from us so young and so long ago, but somehow it just doesn't ever get any easier, does it? In a way, it was good cover to have had it still pouring during the intro to "Day in the Life".

A fun aside: There was footage onscreen of what we're pretty sure were scenes from the new Rock Band release. Kids, it's gonna blow your mind. I won't tell you what songs were featured or anything else about it, lest I play spoiler.

Setlist:
Drive My Car
Jet
Only Mama Knows
Flaming Pie
Got To Get You Into My Life
Let Me Roll It / Foxy Lady
(fun story about anniversary of Woodstock/Beatles Shea Stadium show; also about Hendrix learning 'Sgt Pepper' in two days and headlining a show with it. PM says Hendrix was a "humble guy.")
Highway
The Long and Winding Road
My Love
Blackbird
Here Today
Dance Tonight
Calico Skies
Mrs Vanderbilt
Eleanor Rigby
Sing the Changes
Band on the Run
Back in the U.S.S.R.
I'm Down
Something
I've Got a Feeling
Paperback Writer
A Day in the Life / Give Peace A Chance
Let It Be
Live and Let Die
Hey Jude

First Encore:

Day Tripper
Lady Madonna
I Saw Her Standing There

McCartney Encore 2:

Yesterday
Helter Skelter
Get Back
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
The End

Gah. More later. Systems shutting down. Sincerely, I wish you all had been there.

[TheEqualizer]

Thanks Jean! However, now I feel a bit miffed that I was not able to get a ticket when he played my town. As you may recall, this was the show that was eleventy billion dollars a ticket (an exaggeration) but still sold out in less than six second (sadly, not an exaggeration).

On a tangent, I saw Abe Laboriel, Jr. is on the cover of this month's Drumhead magazine. EXCELLENT article/ interview.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Yeah, I remember us talking about the Vegas gig. I read, though, that there were only 4000 tickets sold for that show; might well have been worth it. I'm sure it sold so fast because people bought plane tickets - there were folks who'd traveled from all over in Atlanta.

Who knows. Maybe he'll play more concerts. He sounds terrific, and he was able to play, what? Four hours, including soundcheck?

Heaven knows he doesn't need the money. You really do have to figure he's just doing this for the fun of it, and to raise cash for good causes. Although, he is technically touring behind the new Fireman album - much of which is really terrific.

One more aside - I can't believe he hasn't had a ton of plastic surgery, like so many others in show business. Partly you figure he's Paul McCartney and doesn't have to, but it was nice to see he still looks like a person and not a lab-constructed plastoid imitation.

[sockii]

I would have loved to have seen Macca. Pity I couldn't make any dates on this tour, it sounds like it was fab from the reports here and elsewhere.

Also, DO check out the CD he released last year with Youth as The Fireman ("Electric Arguments"). It is just insanely brilliant shit. It just reconfirms Paul's brilliance as an experimental musician. I've been listening to it a lot in conjunction with, actually, "McCartney II" lately (worth a listen if you haven't in years/decades like me).

[Throb]

I hope he does some LA dates. I saw him a few years back at Staples Center in LA. Must admit I was never a huge Paul fan, I was more John and I dearly loved George, still miss them so much. But since Mrs. Throb is a HUGE Paul fan, and I wanted to see a Beatle live as part of a “Bucket list” if you will(that list included seeing the Police again, hey I can cross two off the list!) I went with her to see Macca.
It was all of the above that Dive said, I am a total Paul convert now, just an amazing night. But what sticks in my mind, that I will never forget was what happened after. It was after the show, the lights were up, and we were trying to get out. As we were inching our way out, I looked at the stage and saw Paul still there, working his way across shaking hands with fans. I just happened to look up at the big screen and on it saw Paul take something, I think it was a program, from a fan. He gave them a look like “you want it signed?”, then did the motion with his hands of patting himself like you do when looking for a pen. Then he shrugged his shoulders and give a look like “sorry, no pen.” Then he waited the perfect beat, broke out in the “Paul grin” and in one fluid movement, whipped out a sharpie, held it up, signed it, and tossed it back to the fan. I swear it was one of the coolest things I have ever seen in my life from a “rock star”.
I think the reason why it took me so much was in those moments it was like a I was a kid again, in my best friends garage listening to 8 tracks of the Beatles or going to Beatlefest, because Paul was the same Paul he was then. I think that is what is amazing about him and Ringo to. With all that has happened to Paul, losing John, Linda, George, he’s still the same Paul. Sure there have been a few missteps along the way, when he got caught by the press after John’s death and they played that footage over and over, trying to switch Lennon/McCartney but he backpedaled on that, marrying Heather probably wasn’t the best idea but he does have Beatrice now, despite it all you look up on stage and he really is the same. OK, his hair is dyed a kinda weird purplish color. But he gets a definite pass for bad dye job, really who cares.
If the Beatles music and songs are burned into your memory, part of your psyche, the soundtrack of your life, etc. RUN don’t walk if you have a chance to see Paul live. Whatever ticket price you pay you will not be disappointed.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Back on Iphone but don't want to forget to post this: there's an interview with SC somewhere in which he discusses having spent the day with McCartney and been instructed, if you will,
on rock stardom. I know somebody here has it bookmarked, but I'll also look & link when I get home.

Actually thinking about doing Liverpool as part of the Ben Hur trip...3 hour train ride?

[Divemistress of the Dark]

http://www.metrofrance.com/fr/article/2006/11/27/15/0632-38/index.xml

Who did you learn your wisdom from?
Well, I learned it from Paul McCartney. I spent a day with him at Air Studios, right off of Oxford Street in central London one day. And we were just talking. We were talking about parking and I was saying, “This is such a great studio but parking is hell.” He said, “Well, I came on the tube.” What? You’re a Beatle, you can’t go on the tube! ” He says,” Yes, I can.” But you’re a Beatle! Don’t people hassle you? He says, “Well, actually no. People look at me. I have to wait a minute before I scratch my ass because they’re looking at me, but even if I did scratch my ass, so what?!” Suddenly, a wall came down and the realization that who gives a shit? They’re gonna be staring at you and that’s sort of part of your job; don’t let it bother you. That’s the part where you realize to just get over it, put a smile on your face and deal with it instead of try to resist it. I was Larry – uptight: “Not now! Can’t you see I’m busy?” Which is I guess a natural instinct. But you’d think that Larry would’ve learned by now.

[SambucaSubaru]

On IPhone since hotel Internet is $$$$, but just had to log on & say: SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!

Still not sure I didn't dream the whole thing. He played 2.5 hours, tons of good songs, his voice + band
= FANTASTIC. it poured rain thru half the show, nobody cared.

Setlist when I get on a real computer, but if u can get 2 one of the last 2 shows on the tour? DO!! IT!!!

The Beatles and McCartney are my main musical passion, so I'm glad to hear Krypton Forum members had such a good time at Macca's Atlanta show! I've missed this summer's stadium tour, but I saw him and Ringo at Radio City Music Hall back in April, doing a scaled-down version of this show. It's hard to beat!

And that inspires me to an offer: Somehow I ended up with an extra copy of McCartney's 2007 disc, "Memory Almost Full". Still in the friggin' shrinkwrap!

If you want it, you can have it! Write to me outside the forum, at steve.petrica@gmail.com


S.S.

[njperry]

[quote="SambucaSubaru"]And that inspires me to an offer: Somehow I ended up with an extra copy of McCartney's 2007 disc, "Memory Almost Full". Still in the friggin' shrinkwrap!

If you want it, you can have it! Write to me outside the forum, at steve.petrica@gmail.com


S.S.[/quote]

SS, email incoming.

[MariaH]

wow, Dive awesome review.
Can you believe I DID want to go downtown and at least hang out in a cafe so I could hear the show and NO ONE wanted to go with me. In addition to that, it was storming at my house & I had a terrible sinus headache/hangover.

My $$$ are being socked away for MUSE & U2 in Oct. so hopefully they will make up for missing Sir Paul.

Im glad you were impressed by the show. DMB put on a good one in the park the other year but there was WAAAAY too many wasted people. I must of had at least 3 girls fall on me and one had to have 3 of her friends pull her off. She was literally OUT.

McCartney is a Godfather how can anyone NOT have some song of his or the Beatles locked into their musical library???