"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 |
