For the first time in nearly four years, I returned to Fenway Park. The occasion was not a Red Sox game, but rather to see Paul McCartney in concert for the second of two shows in Boston for his Got Back Tour.
This is the fifth time I've seen McCartney live. I first saw him at the Boston Garden in 2005 before seeing him at Fenway in 2009, 2013, 2016 and again tonight.
As with all his other performances, I enjoyed being in McCartney's presence. The same cannot be said of Fenway Park.
First, the negative stuff. I made the mistake of taking my Whole Foods bag with me. This was a no no. I had to go across the street and drop off my bag at a locker truck. It only cost me $10, but it was one more thing for me to worry about. When I got back to Fenway I had to take everything out of my pockets and hold it which would have so much easier to do with a bag.
I also think it is a prerequisite for Fenway Park staff to be as rude and obnoxious as possible. The security staff were rude and rushed everyone. On top of that, two staff people made a point of preventing me from going to the bathroom even though other people were going in.
I must also say that I am no longer comfortable around that many people. Mind you, I probably went to almost 100 Red Sox games at Fenway and have seen McCartney in concert thrice before. Whether it be the pandemic or the Boston Marathon attacks or just plain age, it is an environment in which I am no longer comfortable. Frankly, if not for Paul McCartney I would not have gone back at all. I am far more comfortable in a medium sized theatre like the Shubert where I saw Don McLean in concert only five days ago.
Because of the problems I encountered, I did not get to my seat until his third song of the night "Letting Go" (from Wings' underrated Venus and Mars album) although I heard "Can't Buy Me Love" and "Junior's Farm" just fine. The one saving grace is that my row had only one seat so I had a little bit of space absent a bit of drunken dancing and some people passing a joint around. I'm not against smoking marijuana. I just don't like the smell.
With that let me turn to the positive stuff. Paul McCartney is going turn 80 in 10 days from now and he put on a three hour show without a break and did so last night. The man has a remarkable constitution.
His music transcends generations. There were young women screaming and crying like it was 1964. There was one young woman in particular was sitting to my right in the next row. She was very likely half my age possibly younger and she was alone. Perhaps that is what she wanted, but she could have had company if she wanted - male or female.
What I noticed was how she sang the lyrics as if they were second nature to her whether it be a Beatles song like "Getting Better" or "Helter Skelter" or Wings songs such as "Let 'Em In" and "1985". She certainly was of her generation in one respect. I also noticed her on FaceTime with family and friends sharing her McCartney experience in the moment.
Certain aspects of the show were different from previous McCartney concerts I've seen. He talked a lot more in between songs in particular focusing on his early days in Liverpool as well as the time he saw Jimi Hendrix played Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band out of tune and Hendrix had to ask Eric Clapton to help him tune his guitar. His trademark humor shown through when he talked about when he played the hits everyone's phones lit up like there was a new galaxy. But when he played the new songs all he could see was a black hole. McCartney said he didn't care because he was going to play the new songs anyway.
In previous shows, during the encore, Macca and the band would come out carrying U.S. and U.K. flags. This time around there was a Ukrainian flag as well. The encore also featured John Lennon's vocals (isolated courtesy of Peter Jackson) on "I've Got a Feeling" from the rooftop concert at Apple Studios. It's the closest Lennon and McCartney have been on stage together since, well, the rooftop concert.
Will this be the final time I ever see Paul McCartney perform? How many more years can he give? Aside from his music, I think there is such an emotional reaction to McCartney because when he's gone we will not see his like again. In the final analysis, I'm glad I got Paul McCartney back in my life. Fenway Park, I can take or leave. I have no plans to return to Fenway Park....except if Paul McCartney should ever get back.
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