Was it worth it? Review of Paul McCartney Got Back Concert in Des Moines, Iowa 2025

 

"This better be worth it."  Those were the words I was saying to myself as I spent way too much money on tickets to see Paul McCartney in concert again.  As I was going through the torture of trying to get tickets online through Ticketmaster.  My tickets for Nashville were going in the online shopping cart and then getting kicked out and having to back into the queue, and discovering the show was sold out.   "This better be worth it,"  I said it again as I scrambled to find ANY Paul concert within driving distance of St. Louis.   I was able to buy two tickets for Des Moines and one ticket for the first night in Chicago.   The price was more than I have ever paid for any concert in my life, and so I sure hoped it was worth it. 

The Des Moines show was on Tuesday, October 14.  I blocked that day off my calendar so that I wouldn't have to work.  I assumed that I would not be called to work on Monday, October 13, because it is a holiday.   I was wrong.  I was assigned to go talk to teachers at a school outside of Chicago.  So I had to scramble to rearrange my plans, and I was flying to Des Moines from Chicago on Tuesday morning.  Things were getting complicated.  It REALLY better be worth it. 

When I arrived in Des Moines, I realized that I was not prepared for the cool weather.  I don't know what I was thinking, but I was wearing a short-sleeved Flaming Pie T-shirt.  I should have brought a jacket.  Nonetheless, I wanted to see Paul arrive and so I joined a group for the limo watch.  I saw some Beatle friends that I knew from the Fest and it was nice to talk to them.  My spirits really picked up as I spotted Brian Riddle directing traffic.  

We waited for about 2 hours for Paul to arrive.  As is typical of Paul, he was running late.  I don't know about anyone else, but my legs were hurting and my arms were cold.  I enjoyed talking to the Paul fans but will it be worth all of it just to see Paul drive by for a few seconds?   Then I heard the police sirens.  I felt excitement all over.  Then there he was:  Paul McCartney.  The SUV had slowed way down, and the window rolled down.  As the car rolled by, Paul waved and gave us a thumbs-up.  He yelled "Happy birthday" to someone who had a sign about how it was his birthday.  It was the most thrilling few seconds ever.  Unless you are lucky enough to meet the man, the limo watch is the closest you can possibly get to the man. He looked so good.  He looked so happy.  Yells of "We love you, Paul!" filled the street in Des Moines.   When it was all over, I heard someone say to no one in particular, "That was so worth it!"  And I had to agree.  The group all bonded over that moment and exchanged photos with one another.  Nothing beats making new Beatle friends. 

Photo taken by Sara Schmidt 

So the limo watch was well worth my time, but what about the concert?  To get into the concert, the crowd was insane.  The Casey Center in Des Moines, Iowa, was unorganized.  There were so many different lines of people around the venue, and no one knew what the lines were for.  Merch?  VIP? What?  There was an incline, and it was difficult to walk up the hill at times because the line was moving slowly.  It felt like it took forever to get into the venue.  You had to have the "tickets" in your Apple Wallet on your phone.  People were confused.  You had to have a clear bag if you brought a purse.  People didn't have that. Concertgoers need to do more research before attending a gig.  

But once I finally went inside and found my seat and heard the end of DJ Chris playing Macca songs, all those issues were no longer important.  For the next 3 hours, I was surrounded by Paul McCartney's music. All of the problems in my personal life and in the world melted away, and I was inside a magic bubble of peace and love. 

The concert itself was so much fun!  Paul did basically the same set that he had been doing for the past 15 years.  He told a few "new" stories (maybe  I will give my thoughts on that later), but the same silly jokes (sign my butt has not gone anywhere).  There were a few new additions.   He started the show with "Help!," and I might be the only fan who does like him doing that, so I will keep my thoughts to myself about it.   I heard him perform "Now and Then," which was new for me.  That was actually one of the highlights of the show for me.  It was such a moving song when paired with the video screens with images Paul took of the Beatles playing in the background.  

Paul sounds like an 80-something old man when he sings.  I am not going to sugarcoat his voice issues.  It is especially prevalent during "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "Helter Skelter."  But you can hear that older tone in all of his songs. The thing is that when you are in the McCartney bubble, it doesn't bother you.  Nowadays, I don't like to listen to bootlegs of current Paul shows because of his voice -- yet when you are there live with Paul, it is a totally different situation.  Even with the change in his voice, Paul can still rock!  The show he puts on with Brian, Rusty, Wix, Abe, and the brass players will knock you out.  It is just amazing. 

This audience was 100% there for the Beatles songs, which is always disappointing.  They were up on their feet at the start of the show, but once he started on "Letting Go," everyone was sitting down again.  The solo and even Wings songs did not go over very well.  Once again, "My Valentine" has turned into a "bathroom break" for many in the audience.   I will never understand why people will go to a Paul show and get up and leave and get food and drinks many times during the performance.   I paid a LOT of money to see Paul, and I am not going to miss a microsecond of it.  

So was it worth it?  Yes!  It was worth the large amount of money I paid. It was worth the hassle of getting tickets.  It was worth dealing with my change of schedule, the weather, the long queues, and the people getting up and down during the show.  I got to spend time with my mom and Paul McCartney, and that is priceless to me.  Memories were made, and for a few hours, my problems were no longer important.  I can't put a price tag on that.  

With the high ticket prices, a lot of fans are not able to make it to the shows.   I want to personally say how sad that makes me.  I wish everyone who loves Paul could see this tour. However, going to a Paul McCartney concert or not does not make you a better or bigger fan than anyone else.  Please do not allow anyone to bully you for not seeing Paul in concert.  But if you get a chance to see the Got Back tour, please do it because you will leave there happier than when you arrived. 

All photographs taken by Sara Schmidt 

Why I love seeing Paul McCartney

Over the past year I have read numerous articles about why people refuse to see Paul McCartney in concert anymore.      And while I respect their decisions, I thought since I just saw Paul in concert this past Friday in Des Moines, Iowa, that I would share with you all the reasons why I still LOVE seeing Sir Paul in concert every chance that I get.  

The three reasons I hear most often as to why people don't go to a Paul show is 1.  It is too expensive  2.  Paul's voice sounds bad   3.  He never changes the set list.

I have to agree fully with reason #1.  It is too expensive.   There is no reason except for the fact that people (like myself) will pay the enormous prices as to why it costs so much to see a concert these days.   Paul's shows are especially expensive when you add in the cost of travel and hotel to the price of  the ticket.      And if you can't afford to see Paul in concert, then I get it.   If it is out of your budget, I feel really bad for you because Paul's shows shouldn't be so expensive that his most devoted fans cannot afford to go.    But if you CAN afford it and chose not to out of a protest that the prices are too high---well---it isn't working because his concerts are always sold out.

The second reason doesn't matter much to me.   Paul is 75 years old.    And while I think he still sounds pretty good, his voice is not as strong as it used to be.    I am okay with that.    When you are at the concert, you get what I call "tunnel ears" and he sounds good while you are there.   Then you listen back to it on youtube and think, "whoa---that wasn't what I remember it sounding like at all."   Do I wish he would drop certain songs out of the set list or lower the key?   Yes!    But the strength of Paul's voice has nothing to do with why I see him in concert.

The set list will always be a debate among fans.     Do you really think Paul is going to take out "Hey Jude" or "Yesterday?"    I think people that have never seen him in concert deserve to hear him sing the classics.     I think Paul tries to walk that thin line between performing songs that the die-hard fans want to hear, songs he wants to perform and songs he is expected to perform.     He should change things up.   He has a vast catalogue of great songs to chose from---but he mixes things up enough to please me.


So why do I go??   Here are my Top 5 reasons:

Paul leads the singing of "Hey Jude"  Photo taken by Sara Schmidt 

1.  I get to sing Beatles songs with an actual Beatle--

I am not the biggest fan of the song "Hey Jude," but you can't beat having Paul McCartney himself--the guy that wrote the song lead you in singing "Hey Jude," or "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da."   How many chances do you have in your life to sing a Beatles songs with one of the Beatles??    I don't know about you, but I am going to jump on that opportunity whenever I can.

Photo by Sara Schmidt 

2.  Someone will get acknowledged by Paul!

In Des Moines, before the show, Brian Riddle came around and read my sign.  He wrote it down in a book along with my seat number.   I was in the running for actually getting to go on stage and meet Paul!    And while I wasn't the one chosen, it was beyond exciting to know that someone, possibly someone I actually know, was going to get that opportunity.     The lucky family that went up on stage were someone that I had spoken to during the limo watch.    Plus---my friend Tammy had her sign read during the show!    Also during the song "Something" Paul noticed that during the song a guy proposed to his girl and talked to them about it.     Maybe it is because I run a blog about people having person interactions with Paul McCartney, but I love this stuff.   Seeing it happen in my presence makes it extremely worth my time.

Photo by Sara Schmidt 

3  The thrill of the first moments 

I think I experience the highest level of adrenaline in my whole life the moments a Paul McCartney concert starts.    The lights go dark and you see that image of a Hofner bass on the screen and the sounds of "The End" are playing.     And then there he is!    Not a look alike.    Not a fake.   But the real Paul McCartney.   The guy that was friends with John Lennon.    The guy that I have spent most of my adult life reading and learning about.   There he is.   In the same room that I am in.    At that moment it doesn't matter to me that there are thousands of other people also in that room.    And as the first notes to "A Hard Day's Night" start, I just can't control it any longer and I let out the most Beatlemaniac scream I can.     NOTHING else is the world compares to that feeling.    

Look closely---that is Paul and Nancy in there!

2.  The limo watch 

If you have never gone to a Paul McCartney limo watch, you really should!    It is a great FREE activity.    You don't even have to have tickets to the concert to go to the limo watch.    Limo watches are fun.   The one in Des Moines was a bit disappointing because Paul waited to roll down his window, Nancy blocked my view of Paul and we were really far away.   However, I am glad that I went.    I was able to talk to other fans from all over the world.   (Hello limo watch people!)   We saw the band leave the bus,  Paul's videographer Charlie, his photographer MJ and of course Brian Riddle.  They even had water out for us.     The local news came around and interviewed us.    It was all so much fun and we got to see Paul for about 5 seconds to boot.   For me, the limo watch is worth it because it gets me ready for the show.   I wouldn't miss it!

Photo by Sara Schmidt 

1.  The Experience 

To me this is the key point that those that refuse to see Paul in concert are missing.   For me, it is not a concert---it is an experience.     An experience that gives me a lot of happiness.     From the anxiety of ordering the tickets to collecting Paul confetti once the show is over---the whole thing is an experience that I love.  I like looking at  the Beatles t-shirts of  fans in the audience while reading signs before the show as I jam to DJ Chris' Paul mix.   I love looking at the variety of Paul pictures during the "video."   I have fun  dancing to the music of  live Paul McCartney.   I laugh as I  hear his same old tired jokes.  I like seeing the different guitars he plays during the show.    I enjoy the fire of "Live and Let Die."  I love seeing Brian, Rusty, Wix and Abe play their instruments with the passion that they have. 

   From meeting up with other fans, to seeing Paul give a thumbs up at the limo watch, to having Paul confetti fall on me---the whole experience makes me happy.      For me (and I can't stress that enough), it doesn't matter what Paul sounds like.    It really doesn't.     I am not there to hear Paul McCartney, although that is part of the experience.    I am there for the full package.   I know that Paul isn't going to be with us forever and there will come a day when I will look back without regret on the concerts I attended.