Rock Show 2010

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010 by The Professor

Paul McCartney inaugurates the hall in Pittsburgh

by Radio RockonTour host Timothy Tilghman

James Paul McCartney inaugurated the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh as its premiere concert act on Wednesday, August 18, 2010. Scoring under face value tickets outside on the walk was nearly next to impossible but as luck would have it, Macca was running behind schedule and a $20 print-out ticket surfaced shortly before curtain call.

McCartney fans were queued up in long lines outside all of the entrances encircling the new venue that stretched onwards along the surrounding sidewalks in the unrelenting afternoon sun. Patron expectations were cresting high and fan anticipation was creating a decisive buzz of apprehension as spectators waited impatiently to enter the building.

Sir JPM enjoys an exceedingly rare position among popular live performers and his remaining career peers. Paul can safely bank on being a virtual sellout wherever he appears. His envious Beatles pedigree guarantees him an eager audience willing to hurl their expendable capital at buying pricey venue tickets whenever he heads out on tour.

The evening began with an exciting Wings medley comprising “Venus And Mars”, “Rock Show” and “Jet” that energized the audience with an unavoidable adrenaline rush. McCartney observed, “Good evening Pittsburgh. I’m getting a feeling we’re going to have a ball”. Then, Paul paused to soak in his view of the clamoring crowd before him from center stage. After five decades of appearing before live audiences, McCartney is the consummate performer.

“So, welcome to this new building here. We are the first people to play here before the first audience”, was McCartney’s christening comment on the hall’s opening night. Only two tracks from his highly acclaimed 2008 Fireman disk Electric Arguments made the setlist. The gyrating rhythm of “Highway” bounced along in concert and Paul’s soaring chorus on “Sing The Changes” transformed the uplifting gospel rocker.

Paul strapped on an electric guitar for “Let Me Roll It”, an intense 1973 Wings rocker from Band On The Run that was originally intended as a musical send-up of his estranged partner John Lennon. The ensuing climax transitioned into an instrumental jam of “Foxey Lady” with McCartney soloing fiercely.

Macca shared an incredible story from the first Sunday in June 1967, when the Jimi Hendrix Experience performed Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in its entirety at an intimate London club the first weekend of its commercial release. Paul was in the audience totally blown away by the fact that Hendrix had learned the album note for note. Rumors implicate Eric Clapton may have tuned Jimi’s guitar on the sidelines during that debut London appearance.

Brandishing a ukulele, McCartney played his unique version of Harrison’s Abbey Road classic “Something” as a lovely tribute to George. “I’ve Got A Feeling”, “A Day In The Life” segueing into “Give Peace A Chance”, and “Day Tripper” were tunes that Paul sang in performance, which John Lennon either wrote or helped compose from the Beatles sensational songbook.

By the end of the concert, the performance pieces morphed into an avalanche of one monster hit after another heading into two rounds of encore appearances with a total of seven major Beatles favorites as Paul switched from piano to bass guitar to acoustic guitar and electric guitar.  Before exiting the stage, Paul took a moment to sign the shoulder of Ivela in the front row, which prompted a retort from Paul, “You are the end of the show”.

Several lost Wings classics were unearthed for the 2010 Up And Coming Tour that have not been featured live since the documented Wings Over America tour in 1976. “Letting Go” and “Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five” were exceedingly welcome additions to Macca’s hit-heavy setlist. Paul even dusted off a few choice Beatles gems for inclusion on this tour. “I’m Looking Through You”, “Two Of Us”, and “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” were each outstanding selections to perform live before an audience.

McCartney has been touring with his present entourage just shy of a decade now. Guitarist Rusty Anderson, drummer Abe Laboriel, guitarist Brian Ray, and keyboardist Wix Wickens have jammed as Paul’s trusted back-up band at dates scattered all over the globe. This current touring unit has released several live albums and live DVDs archiving ecstatic audience applause for a living legend.

Paul continues to record new material as the most prolific composer of his exceptionally talented generation. The Cute Beatle is advancing in age, but thankfully shows no outward signs of slowing down whatsoever. Certainly his loyal audience is thrilled to enjoy experiencing both his Beatles and Wings classics live along with his heartfelt musical tributes to his late wife Linda and fellow Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison.

Paul McCartney, Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA, August 18, 2010 setlist: Venus And Mars > Rock Show > Jet * All My Loving * Letting Go * Got To Get You Into My Life * Highway * Let Me Roll It > Foxy Lady * The Long And Winding Road * Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five * Let ‘Em In * My Love * I’m Looking Through You * Two Of Us * Blackbird * Here Today * Dance Tonight * Mrs. Vandebilt * Eleanor Rigby * Something * Sing The Changes * Band On The Run * Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da * Back In The USSR * 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 * 1st Encore: Day Tripper * Lady Madonna * Get Back * 2nd Encore: Yesterday * Helter Skelter * Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Reprise > The End

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