Last week's Farewell to Candlestick show was one I couldn't pass up because: 1) whenever Paul McCartney is in town, I HAVE TO SEE HIM; 2) it was the last public event at the 'Stick before the stadium gets demolished; and 3) the Beatles played the last show of their last tour ever there, so it's got some pretty great Beatles history behind it.
This marks the 3rd time I've seen Sir Paul, all of which have been San Francisco shows. And let me preface this by saying that he is SUPERHUMAN for being able to consistently put on a career-spanning, nearly-3-hour-long show at 72 years old. Like, I can't even stay standing for that long, much less put on a show in front of 50,000 people. And as if I even have to make this disclaimer, but I am the biggest Beatles fan I know, so I love Paul, I really do.
But that said, it's funny how every single Macca show I've seen (live or online) since 2010 is exactly the same. Some songs were added from New, but other than that, the set list and (sometimes questionable) stage visuals were identical. Also, it's like Paul has some magic formula of pre-song banter and gestures that he has programmed into his brain, and he's able to follow the formula word for word, which is actually pretty impressive. I wonder what would happen if something broke the routine, like a fan jumping on the stage or a monster thunderstorm. Would Paul just keep tousling his hair and telling his Jimi Hendrix/Eric Clapton story with a rabid fan around his neck in the soaking rain? Is Paul McCartney actually a robot?
And while he did add in a few nice lines about the venue, I'm not gonna lie: I was kind of hoping there would be some big gimmicks for the 'Stick's last show. Haha, I don't know what that would entail....even more fireworks, perhaps? Ringo coming out and singing "With A Little Help From My Friends"? John and George holograms? I did appreciate Paul deviating from the standard set list to play "Long Tall Sally," the last song the Beatles played at their Candlestick show. It's also worth mentioning that I really like the newer songs, especially "New" and "Everybody Out There." What can I say, despite maybe being an Android, the man can still rock.
Live and Let Die, naturally
On an unrelated note, I have some blog news! I finally finished going through all my old posts, so the broken videos/links should all be fixed (that is, until those YouTube videos get taken down, which will surely happen someday). I also might have deleted a few posts that were just too embarrassing to revisit, like me attempting to talk about politics. Silly 2009 self, that's not what this blog is about.
Here's what this blog IS about:
A Random Roundup: Bowie, OK Go, Midcentury Mod, Queen
- Speaking of stage banter, here's some good stuff. Turns out I never realized how much I need to see David Bowie in concert, until I watched this video.
- OK Go released some new behind the scenes footage and an intense floor map for the "Writing's On the Wall" video. Always amazed at how much work goes into these videos, from the band and crew alike!
- VERY RANDOM, but, I shamelessly follow Retronaut on Facebook, and there was a recent post that really rekindled my obsession with midcentury architecture and design: The Miller House. The round fireplace, sunken nook, and bright orange couches?! This is my warped idea of eye candy.
- And finally, I'm not over my obsession with Queen by a long shot. Here are a couple more reasons to love these guys: a super adorable Making Of video for Radio Ga Ga, and Death Scrabble.