By: Rosa Cavalcanti
Photo Credit: Rosa Cavalcanti
As the familiar sound of “A Hard Day’s Night” came live, everyone was now under his spell: Sir Paul McCartney is still fab! If you grew up with the magic and nostalgic influence of The Beatles, the feeling of exhilaration was evident among fans in the sold out American Airlines Arena. There was no denying of the anticipation and excitement filling the air inside the arena on Friday night.
The paper-card signs displayed by the fans in the first couple of rows said it all: “Welcome back Paul”. The mixed crowd of the young and the young at heart didn’t miss a beat; they stood for most of the show singing along enthusiastically engaged as each song was delivered with its own vibe and psychedelic visual. With the full participation of fans, it felt as if artist and audience were part of a play.
With a frequent change of instruments including bass, acoustic and electric guitar, two pianos and ukulele, the charming and boyish 75-year-old together with his long time group of talented musicians performed each song with such grace, contagious energy and charisma that it was hard not to feel emotional at times. As he shared stories in between songs including some of fake news of rivalry between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones back when both bands were just starting out, it seemed as if him and audience were all sitting at a dinner table together, having a chat. He just has a way about him that makes you feel connected and part of his performance.
He is accustomed to what the fans usually expect: “When we play a Beatles song, the place lights up like a galaxy with all the phones up in the air. When we play a new song it’s like a black hole.” Still, fans did not show lack of engagement during the performance of some of his new songs.
He honored and dedicated several songs to some special friends, including “My Valentine” to his current wife Nancy, who was in the audience, “Maybe I’m Amazed” to his late wife Linda, “Here Today” to John Lennon, “Something” to George Harrison and “Birthday” in honor of Ringo Starr who was rumored to appear and perform on his 77th birthday. Most of the songs brought serious nostalgia, including the display of waving hands and sing-along during the chorus of “Hey Jude”. It was indeed a beautiful sight, a display of how music can bring all kinds of people together.
Visual effects gave each song a unique experience which included screen videos of Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp in black and white during the performance of “My Valentine”, photo-album videos of the young Beatles during “Maybe I’m Amazed”, an elevated platform for the performance of “Blackbird”, a large screen of bright blue lights imitating a shanty gazebo, vibrant psychedelic lights and a pyrotechnic displays at the edge of the stage during “Live and Let Die” which took many by surprise, including Paul. He happily performed 38 songs including encore for the delight of fans that did not seem ready to see the show come to an end.
In one way or another, old or young, music fans will always have a connection with The Beatles; it’s an unspoken fact. There was definitely a sense of pride among the audience, they knew how lucky they were to experience three hours of rock-and-roll history and being in the presence of the one who wrote most of their famous hits was nothing short of a privilege.
If you have the opportunity to see Paul McCartney perform, it’s a must. He delivers a show that exceeds any expectation.