By Betsy Hijazi
When I look at the big picture and consider that The Beatles broke up before I was born, I find it surreal that I've just attended a Paul McCartney concert, here in Boston at Fenway Park.
When I was growing up, The Beatles were still popular, I suppose just as they are today. Through strife, conflict, individual achievement, politics and even death, The Beatles, the group, its members and their music have endured for 40+ years. Everyone knows The Beatles, and each generation for the past 50 years has been touched by Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr or George Harrison, someway, somehow.
I grew up singing Beatles songs. I never owned a Beatles album, but I sang their songs, just as I sang songs from Wings and John Lennon. I was very much aware of who they all were.
It's odd, though, to think that I was just 11 years old when John Lennon was killed. I remember his death like it was yesterday, and yet I was so young. Nearly 30 years later, John's music is as important and poignant as it was in the 70s. Who hasn't wished his words true, "Give Peace A Chance"? And in the 80s when his son Julian Lennon became a music sensation, who wasn't constantly reminded of John every time they heard Julian's voice or saw John in his son's face?
In the 80s, Ringo Starr seemed to be everywhere. He collaborated with other musicians and later became an actor and voice actor for the popular children's series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. Since the late 80s, Ringo has toured with his band called Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, which has included various famous band members over the years.
In the late 80s, George Harrison formed The Traveling Wilburys with music legends Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison. The Traveling Wilburys had two successful records. Sadly, George passed away in 2001.
So here we are, 40 years after The Beatles went their separate ways, and Paul McCartney is touring the U.S. Never did I think that in my lifetime would I have the opportunity to hear him sing live.
The rumor that Paul McCartney would play Fenway came about 2 months ago, and shortly thereafter, tickets went on sale. Luckily, I was still able to purchase one when I found they had gone on sale a couple days after the fact. He had not sold out!
However, price was important; I was NOT going to shell out $250 for a field seat. Love McCartney, but no way would I pay that! I did, however, get a great seat at a reasonable price. The only bad thing was that my camera wasn't powerful enough for great video or photos. But what I do have makes for nice memories!
The song I anticipated hearing the most was Jet. I've always loved this song and it was the 2nd song Paul McCartney sang! It was a great way to start the show!
Paul sang non stop for 2 1/2 hours, which was unreal! Most of the songs were under 3 minutes, so he sang a LOT of songs! I didn't know about a third of the songs, but they were all great!
One of the best moments of the concert was when Paul introduced Blackbird. He told the audience the meaning behind it, which I had never heard. And as he sang it, the whole audience at Fenway sang with him. To hear 40,000 - 50,000 people singing Blackbird...it was eerie, and it was amazing.
Paul was funny, and he connected well with the audience. He joked about how when The Beatles first came to the U.S., they couldn't hear themselves sing because the girls were screaming so loud! On cue, the ladies in the audience screamed and Paul said he still can't resist it! How surreal it must be for him!
Paul sang some of my favorites, Band on the Run, Hey Jude, Let It Be, and Yesterday. Really though, aren't they all our favorites? Just about every McCartney, Wings and Beatles song makes you feel good!
Paul also sang Day Tripper, Drive My Car, Eleanor Rigby, Got to Get You Into My Life, I Saw Her Standing There, Lady Madonna, Long and Winding Road, and My Love. Paul sang Back in the USSR, and then commented that it doesn't even exit anymore.
Paul also combined A Day in The Life and John Lennon's Give Peace a Chance, and he paid tribute to George Harrison by telling us how he played Something on George's ukulele, and then sang a cute acoustic version of it before the band came in and played the familiar album version. The song was accompanied by a montage of photos of George that played on the screens at the back of the stage.
Rocking it out, Paul and his band performed Helter Skelter, and the highlight of the night was the performance of Live and Let Die, which was accompanied by unexpected pyrotechnics and fireworks! The song was fabulous, and the fireworks blasted twice during the show! It was awesome!
Paul McCartney sang at least a dozen more songs that I don't recall. He was incredible. Paul performs with a great band too! They are all rock and rollers for sure! The drummer is a beast! And the lead guitarist is all over the stage.
McCartney even paid tribute to Jimi Hendrix, playing one of his tunes and telling us a story about a time when they jammed together. McCartney's band knows how to rock and it was pretty cool to see them all play another legend's signature piece.
It was amazing to attend this Paul McCartney concert. At 67, he has as much energy and life in him as he did in the 60s, perhaps even more now! I'm grateful that I was able to participate in such an historic event.
The Beatles seems like a million years ago, true history. But there before me stood this man, this icon and music legend, singing songs from his music catalogue 45 years in the making, and I loved every moment of it. I hope he's around for years and years, and that I get another chance to see him!
Betsy Hijazi's articles can be found at http://www.BetsysView.com.
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Saturday, September 19, 2009
Bruce Springsteen - Bruce's Best Wisdom and Social Commentary
by Brent Warnken
Bruce Springsteen has been one of the most recognizable figures in rock and roll for the better part of three decades, and his fame has spread beyond music. Credited with working for the campaigns of Democratic senators John Kerry and Barack Obama, Springsteen is now one of the most famous celebrities associated with mainstream liberal politics.
Springsteen hasn't shied away from giving his views on the world. Here are a few of the best Bruce Springsteen social commentaries and words of wisdom. He might just share a bit more with you if you see him in concert with Bruce Springsteen tickets, available online. Quotes are attributed to Bruce via the famous quote website BrainyQuote.
"Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed." Bruce Springsteen might be in the Democratic camp when campaign season hits, but apparently he doesn't have an overwhelming faith the leadership, or in anything in general. While the death part of the statement is a little heavy, and perhaps too extreme, the point is clear - your faith in something or someone ought to be informed and open, not closed-off to the idea of an alternative.
"I can sing very comfortably from my vantage point because a lot of the music was about a loss of innocence, there's innocence contained in you but there's also innocence in the process of being lost." This is a heavy quote to lift, but then again the Boss can get intellectual at times. While being "lost" might imply a departure from the path, a straying from the natural order, it's also a very common experience, one that's usually not altogether purposeful. That is to say, oftentimes you get lost, you don't loose yourself on purpose. In that respect, you're an innocent victim of being lost.
"In America everything's about who's number one today." Bruce gets a little political in this quote. Is he tapping into his common man, working stiff, Joe Six Pack persona? It might be that Springsteen is talking about the advantages of being rich or powerful, that you get "everything." One interesting facet of this quote is the final word, "today." It seems to imply that being "number one" is a very temporary and fleeting quality, here today and gone tomorrow. Is this true in America, do the winners change places with the losers from day to day?
"Success makes life easier. It doesn't make living easier." Bruce Springsteen seems to think the same thing that the late Notorious B.I.G. used to sing about: "More money, more problems." We're assuming that by success Bruce is talking about a a common benchmark of success, money. While money can pay the bills, too much money can create more problems than it solves. Of course, only a rich person would think this way. Perhaps it's better to think of success in another way. Your success in life ought not to be defined by a number on a bank receipt.
When you're watching Bruce Springsteen perform on stage, make sure to pay close attention to the things he says between songs. He's been from the bottom of the barrel to the cream of the crop, and everywhere in between, so he has a lot of wisdom to share with anyone who is eager to listen.
This article about http://www.stubhub.com/bruce-springsteen-tickets/ was written by Brent Warnken in association with http://www.stubhub.com/, a leader in the sports tickets, concert tickets, theatre tickets and special events tickets market.
Bruce Springsteen has been one of the most recognizable figures in rock and roll for the better part of three decades, and his fame has spread beyond music. Credited with working for the campaigns of Democratic senators John Kerry and Barack Obama, Springsteen is now one of the most famous celebrities associated with mainstream liberal politics.
Springsteen hasn't shied away from giving his views on the world. Here are a few of the best Bruce Springsteen social commentaries and words of wisdom. He might just share a bit more with you if you see him in concert with Bruce Springsteen tickets, available online. Quotes are attributed to Bruce via the famous quote website BrainyQuote.
"Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed." Bruce Springsteen might be in the Democratic camp when campaign season hits, but apparently he doesn't have an overwhelming faith the leadership, or in anything in general. While the death part of the statement is a little heavy, and perhaps too extreme, the point is clear - your faith in something or someone ought to be informed and open, not closed-off to the idea of an alternative.
"I can sing very comfortably from my vantage point because a lot of the music was about a loss of innocence, there's innocence contained in you but there's also innocence in the process of being lost." This is a heavy quote to lift, but then again the Boss can get intellectual at times. While being "lost" might imply a departure from the path, a straying from the natural order, it's also a very common experience, one that's usually not altogether purposeful. That is to say, oftentimes you get lost, you don't loose yourself on purpose. In that respect, you're an innocent victim of being lost.
"In America everything's about who's number one today." Bruce gets a little political in this quote. Is he tapping into his common man, working stiff, Joe Six Pack persona? It might be that Springsteen is talking about the advantages of being rich or powerful, that you get "everything." One interesting facet of this quote is the final word, "today." It seems to imply that being "number one" is a very temporary and fleeting quality, here today and gone tomorrow. Is this true in America, do the winners change places with the losers from day to day?
"Success makes life easier. It doesn't make living easier." Bruce Springsteen seems to think the same thing that the late Notorious B.I.G. used to sing about: "More money, more problems." We're assuming that by success Bruce is talking about a a common benchmark of success, money. While money can pay the bills, too much money can create more problems than it solves. Of course, only a rich person would think this way. Perhaps it's better to think of success in another way. Your success in life ought not to be defined by a number on a bank receipt.
When you're watching Bruce Springsteen perform on stage, make sure to pay close attention to the things he says between songs. He's been from the bottom of the barrel to the cream of the crop, and everywhere in between, so he has a lot of wisdom to share with anyone who is eager to listen.
This article about http://www.stubhub.com/bruce-springsteen-tickets/ was written by Brent Warnken in association with http://www.stubhub.com/, a leader in the sports tickets, concert tickets, theatre tickets and special events tickets market.
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