Stoney's Blog: At 69 McCartney Can Still Do It
For those going to see Paul McCartney at Comerica Park on Sunday, here is a little preview of what to expect. I was fortunate to see him last week at Yankee Stadium. One thing is for sure, even at 69 years of age, the former Beatle still puts on an entertaining show. His 35 song 2 and a half hour show was filled with familiar songs from both his Beatles and post Beatles days. In fact he only performed one song, "Sing The Changes" that was from his most recent recording.
The night I went he opened with Hello Goodbye, which set the tone of the show perfectly. Highlights for me included, Jet, Maybe I'm Amazed, Live and Let Die, and Juniors Farm from his post-Beatles days. The Beatles songs which scored the highest on the STONEY ratings included All My Loving, Night Before, A Day In The Life, Elanor Rigby, and Back In The USSR in the main set. The excellent two encore six song set was all Beatles, highlighted by Day Tripper and a loud rocking Helter Skelter.
The most inspirational moment for me was his version of the George Harrison written something, which McCartney strummed on a ukulele. The video and pictures of Harrison on the big screen could make on teary eyed. Yes, Hockeytown he still plays Yesterday on an acoustic guitar adorned with the Red Wings winged wheel, but it is not alone anymore. There is also a Pittsburgh Penguin logo on the guitar that was given to him when he christened the new arena in Pittsburgh last year.
Yes there were some lowlights. I could have done without Let Him In and Mrs. Vanderbilt. To this concert goer those songs are garbage. Unless you are sitting the first 40 or 50 rows on the field, you will be watching the concert on the screen. There is something wrong with paying good money to watch a concert on television, plus Sir Paul is not exactly the greatest showman in the world. I consider him very campy at times. There are also times when the place is really rocking out and you want to go right into another upbeat song, but the pauses in between take some of the momentum away.
All in all you will find the show not drastically different from his last few appearances at the Palace, which basically guarantees a great night of entertainment. Here is the set list from the show I went to last Friday. To quote the great Sgt.Pepper,"I hope you will enjoy the show"
YANKEE STADIUM JULY 15
1. Hello Goodbye
2. Juniors Farm
3. All My Loving
4. Jet
5. Drive My Car
6. Sing The Changes
7. Night Before
8. Let Me Roll It
9. Paperback Writer
10. The Long And Winding Road
11. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five
12. Let 'Em In
13. Maybe I'm Amazed
14. I've Just Seen A Face
15. I Will It
16. Blackbird
17. Here Today
18. Dance Tonight
19. Mrs Vandebilt
20. Eleanor Rigby
21. Something
22. Band on the Run
23. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
24. Back In The USSR
25. I've Got A Feeling
26. A Day In The Life / Give Peace A Chance
27. Let It Be
28. Live And Let Die
29. Hey Jude
Encore
30. Lady Madonna
31. Day Tripper
32. Get Back
Second Encore
33. Yesterday
34. Helter Skelter
35. Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End
