Paul McCartney rocks Edmonton with marathon concert
The trouble with setting the bar so high is that you might never get over yourself again.
This is now known as the “Paul McCartney Rule.”
The British Rock God’s epic and self-worshipping marathon of a rock concert at Rogers Place on Sunday night was Beatleseque nostalgia lovefest of the highest order – from one of the greatest rock artists and songwriters of the 20th Century. We were privileged.
It was also a carbon copy of his last show in Edmonton, in 2012. Then, as now, the well-preserved Beatle pulled out all the stops, played old songs, new songs, Beatles songs, Wings songs, solo songs, famous songs saved for last, with a great band, sometimes all by himself, charming, engaging, going hard for more than three hours, and once again saving an entire concert’s worth of pyro to blow off for just one tune: Live and Let Die – KABOOM! Yay!
Sir Paul, now 76 years old, made it look easy. He’s a natural musician, adept at bass, guitar and piano, and his voice has not lost any of its range over the years. Some supernatural force is obviously at work here, or maybe it’s just clean living. At this point, he doesn’t need to take any chances, his innovation having already made its mark on rock ‘n’ roll history.
In short, he’s coasting – keeping in mind that coasting from this guy is brilliance from most other artists. There were few surprises at the show, nor did there need to be. It was a safe place for the people to get up close and personal with a true genius of the music world – a rare opportunity Edmonton celebrated in style. Some radio station even did a live spot from the roof of the Mercer Building across the street. Did the Mayor declare it Paul McCartney Day?
People like Paul McCartney are not famous by accident, commanding exorbitant ticket prices our locals complained bitterly about, while selling out the joint. The Beatles were famous because they were unique talents bestowed with rare gifts by GOD. There is no other explanation! Pay your tribute!
It goes far beyond being at the right place at the right time. McCartney and his capable bandmates on Sunday demonstrated that those Liverpool Lads used to be opportunists, too. Pre-Beatles material knocked off during the usual “stripped down” portion of the show revealed skiffle numbers that ripped off Carl Perkins, or Elvis, who paved the way for that sort of ‘50s rock that sorta sounded like country. If it had just been that, just that one hit wonder of Love Me Do, a mid-set crowd-pleaser, the Beatles would’ve been a fad. But no, the hits came one after another: the gorgeous songs like Michelle, Blackbird (performed solo upon a risen platform), Eleanor Rigby, Sgt. Peppers, and so much more, groundbreaking new music never heard before. It changed everything.
At the heart of that band (the soul being the late John Lennon), McCartney has a magic way with melody. People bang on Wings, but that was a great band, too. Not as great as the Beatles, but better than most. Must we compare? Let ‘Em In was one of the best songs of the night. Also a highlight was the inspired Kanye West-Paul McCartney-Rihanna collaboration FourFiveSeconds. Shame on this crowd for booing Kanye. Paul made a joke of it, but he made the decision to work with Kayne, so they must be doing something right – and a great song results. Paul sang Rihanna’s part at the show, too.
Even the “new songs” heard, from his new album Egypt Station – his 18th solo album, talk about prolificacy – had the trademark Beatlesque sound. Paul – and John, and George, and to a lesser extent Ringo – invented “Beatlesque.” It’s right there in their name! But McCartney particularly had the greatest gift. His melodies in songs like the classic Yesterday (performed in the first encore) have been examined in minute detail in music college courses, his name standing alongside great composers like Mozart and Beethoven. This is no joke, people will remember the Beatles just as long as the classical dudes, and it’s the reason you’ll shell out so much money to see a 76-year-old man play classic hits – live, in the flesh, looking a bit tired, but working hard, and appearing to have a lot of fun.
Could this be the last time? Don’t bet on it.
So many classic hits! So much greatness! No chances taken here, but who cares? This night was enough satisfying Beatlemania to fill three concerts – and it sure felt like it. It takes a lot to get Baby Boomers to stand up for three hours.
