Paul McCartney hugs Billy Joel who performed
"I Saw Her Standing There" with him at Citi Field
on July 17, 2009. Photo by Maggie Clarke.
McCARTNEY'S TOUR BRINGS SCREAMS, BEATLEMANIA BACK TO N.Y. ARENAbloomberg.com
Review by Jeffrey Burke
July 19 (Bloomberg) -- Paul McCartney has made them scream -- 44 years after his former band the Beatles played their opening U.S. stadium concert at the New York Mets’ home.
McCartney, 67, performed the first rock show at the $800 million Citi Field arena on July 17 before more than 40,000 bedazzled, adoring, eventually soaking-wet fans.
He plays Citi Field again on July 21 and his tour rolls out in August to Landover, Boston, Atlanta, Tulsa and Dallas.
The star got wet himself when something in the stage roof gave way, dousing his head and shirt. McCartney continued singing after the incident, which was one of the few surprises in the immaculate 2 1/2 hours’ set of more than 30 songs which started with a note-perfect replica of
Drive My Car.
Before the evening turned from gray to rain on Friday, McCartney walked on to a high-tech black stage to revive
Beatlemania for the world’s most successful band. Only some of his newer material was unfamiliar to the audience.
He used the same road-tested professionals of recent tours: keyboardist Paul Wickens, drummer Abraham Laboriel Jr., lead guitarist Rusty Anderson, and Brian Ray on rhythm and bass guitar. Billy Joel joined for
I Saw Her Standing There.
From left to right: Rusty Anderson, Paul "Wix" Wickens, Paul McCartney,
Billy Joel, Brian Ray, and Abraham "Abe" Laboriel Jr. Photo by Maggie Clarke.
At center was that well-known, barely worn voice of the knighted Briton, with his boyish tousled hair (now a curious auburn), slim figure and still soulful eyes.
After the second number,
Jet, McCartney said he would “take a second to just drink it all in” and gazed around for a minute.
THWARTING SCALPERSHe was looking at an arena with a capacity of 41,800 for baseball. Now, though, sections had been closed where no sight lines were possible, while the field was covered with seats. Estimates of the audience went as high as 55,000. Tickets ranged from $49.50 to $275, and undercover policemen were thwarting scalpers outside.
Sir Paul often referred to the Beatles’ performances in the 1960s at the Mets’ former home, Shea Stadium. At that time the quartet played through the house P.A. -- which he imitated by speaking through his fist -- and could barely hear themselves because of the screaming of tens of thousands of teenage girls.
McCartney had fun eliciting a contemporary version of that hysteria by referring to the girlish madness of yore.
It was the screaming that David Singleton, 63, remembered from the 1965 concert. This time, the retired investment banker, who also served as secretary of finance for the state of Delaware, stood near the stage with his wife Elaine.
“I heard about 20,000 girls screaming their heads off,” Singleton said. As for the group, “Maybe I heard the beat, but I couldn’t say I heard their voices.”
‘HEY JUDE’Beatle songs dominated Friday night, including
Paperback Writer, Let It Be, Blackbird, Eleanor Rigby, Hey Jude, Day Tripper, Lady Madonna and
Yesterday.Yet more memorable were the quiet solo performance of the John Lennon elegy
Here Today and the literal pyrotechnics of
Live and Let Die, McCartney’s James Bond theme.
Aside from the 10 flaming columns and fireworks that punctuated that song, the show relied on the charisma of Macca, as Britons call him, and the latest arena-concert technology.
Two screens flanking the stage were fed band shots by handheld, tracked and crane-mounted cameras. From 150 feet away, the sound was stunning, the instruments and vocals well defined, especially on the harmonies.
Paperback Writer was angelic.
The video showed every twitch and sweat-bead of McCartney, and every tantrum-like scowl of the concentrated Laboriel.
Paul McCartney plays
Let It Be on the piano.
McCartney raised his expressive eyebrows as he sang “Well, the rain exploded with a mighty crash.” Rain had come earlier as he sat at the piano for
The Long and Winding Road. He was sometimes drowned out by people heartily singing along to each word of every oldie.
Why someone would pay $275 to drown out his or her hero with an instrument only just suitable for a shower stall is a question I’ll leave to the curmudgeons. Even an otherwise objective journalist was found on occasion to be bellowing a well-loved chorus or two.
McCartney’s tour continues through Aug. 19. For information:
www.paulmccartney.com.
Paul McCartney plays Citi Field, with a little help from Billy Joel
www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2009/07/paul_mccartney_plays_citi_fiel.htmlwww.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=adSHZBOUTK6Q
