Lennon and McCartney meet Paul

 Paul called up two kids named Lennon and McCartney onto the stage during an Australian soundcheck.  

Father and son get a lucky break

Viewer of this site, Hermilo Borba, sent in these two photos of him and his son on stage with Paul along with this story on how it all happened.     Thank you Hermilo!  Congratulations!

In 2012 Paul Mccartney came to my city, Recife, Brazil. I've been a fan since 1977 and I've been at 26 Paul’s concerts. I went to the concert with my son Rafael (dressed in Sgt Peppers ) and did a baner: “ Paul you only call girls onstage, please, call us, dad and son.”. We were in the first row and it worked, Brian came and called us. I was shaking and crying, Paul asked to read the poster, asked our name and where we were from. After signing photos,he gave me a hug and at that moment I said: thank you for making our world better place to live with your music. I still don't believe it happened. A dream came true. son”.

Meeting the model in person

Mull player gets drum signed!

What an exciting day for this 16 year old young man in Australia!   Not only did he get to go on stage with Paul McCartney and play "Mull of Kintyre,"  but Paul also signed his drum!   Here is what he said about it: 

“We were sort of hoping he might sign the bass drum but heard he doesn’t do it often because people end up selling it on Ebay.
“It’s going to go straight up on the wall and we’ll keep it there forever.”

It truely warms my heart when people that appreciate Paul get to meet him and get his autograph.   

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.    

Tatum Verbeck is having the best month ever!

I would guess that  it will be a long time before Tatum Verbeck comes down out of the clouds.   She managed to do something that the majority of us only dream about.   She has met both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr all within the same month!

This 12 year old middle schooler is one luck girl!   She was called up onto the stage and held hands with Paul --who also kissed her on the cheek-- on October 6th during Paul's Sacramento concert.   Then on October 19th she went to Reno, where she was able to interview Ringo backstage before the show as a reporter for American Girl magazine.   The report I read claims that they "exchanged autographs," if that is correct, I would be highly surprised, as it would be the first autograph Ringo has given out to a fan since he declared no more autographs in 2008.

Tatum is a very lucky girl!!

Paul meet up on stage

Paul has been inviting someone (or a group of someones) on stage during almost every performance on this tour.   No one really seems to know the magic formula to get up on stage besides being creative and clever.     So far this tour we have seem many marriage proposals, a gender reveal, a cast signing, a few tattoos and a Dad in a Sgt. Pepper suit.         I like to think that Paul enjoys these brief encounters with his fans because he always seems so happy talking to them.

I will be seeing Paul in St. Louis on August 13th.   If he wanted to bring me up, I wouldn't complain.

The Wings Girl

I don't know about all of you, but I get tired of the same old same old when it comes to who gets picked to go up on stage to meet Paul.      I am tried of seeing the same people up there.  I am tried of seeing pretty girls that want tattoos.   I am tried of engagements.   And I am tried of young girls who "picked between a new car and Paul".   (Really?   Paul concert and a new car should never cost the same amount).  

What I love to see is new and fresh ideas make it onto the stage.    The guys a few years ago that had the Abbey Road and asked Paul to join them---that was awesome.    But this lady's costume is the best yet!    In Paris during the One on One Tour, a beautiful fan created the costume of the "Wings Girl."    She is seen predominately on the "Wings Greatest Hits" LP, but you also see her in the background of "Back to the Egg."    Cosplay isn't usually a "thing" in Beatle fandom, but maybe it needs to be, because this is just amazing!   I am so glad that she got her chance to show off her costume to everyone and to meet Paul in the process.  

"Little Rock 'n Roll"--- concert review of Paul's show in Little Rock

Seeing one of the Beatles in person has to be one of the most exciting things that we as Beatle fans are able to do.     We spend so much of our personal time focused on the four guys from Liverpool, listening to their music and studying their lives that when the opportunity arises to actually see one of them in the flesh, it is a time full of joy.   There is an electric feeling in the air and you have a big adrenaline rush.

That is exactly what it felt like for me on April 30, 2016 when I saw Paul McCartney in concert in Little Rock, Arkansas.     Of course as a fan, going to a Paul concert isn't simply just going to a concert---it is an event and a chance to be around like-minded fans.    I had a wonderful time at the meet-up before the Paul concert.   I talked to a lot of Beatle friends old and new and it was great.


After the meet up, we went to the Limo Watch.    Paul drove by with the window down and gave a wave and a thumbs up and it was the most exciting 8 seconds ever.   If you have time on the day of a Paul concert to do a limo watch, I highly recommend it.    It is just a lot of fun and a great time with other fans.

The concert started with the slideshow.   This was a different slideshow than what was shown during the "Out There" tour,   Instead of scrolling up and down, this one moved side to side.   Honestly, I didn't like this one very much.    The slideshows are always a highlight for me because they often show rare photographs.   This one was difficult to see all the photos and I didn't notice anything new or different.  

Paul came out and the first song he sang was "A Hard Day's Night."   That is an interesting choice, but I didn't care of it.    As I have mentioned many times before, I do not like Paul singing songs that are thought of as "John" songs.     "A Hard Day's Night" is not in Paul's register and he was struggling to sing the high notes.  

All of the songs that Paul sang that were in his upper register did not sound great, especially "Maybe I'm Amazed."   I know that this is the song he sings in memory of Linda, but I really wish he would drop it from his setlist and pick another song he wrote for her.    At this point, it is getting painful to hear and I am concerned that he is damaging his voice chords singing it so often.     However, the songs Paul sang in a lower register sounded really great.     "Lady Madonna" "We Can Work it out,"  etc all sounded spot on and were extremely enjoyable to hear.

Songs I could have done without were "Letting Go,"  "Temporary Secretary" and "(Being for the Benefit of) Mr. Kite."   My favorite part of the show was the acoustic set where Paul and the band came down front and played "In Spite of all the Danger,"  "You won't see me" and "Love me Do".   The entire band sounded great on these songs and I had never heard any of them in concert before.  

The most emotional song of the night was "Here Today."    I was amazed by the huge standing ovation John got when Paul said, "Let's hear it for John."    It was well over a minute of people whistling and applauding for John and you could see that Paul was touched by this.    While Paul was singing the song in memory of his friend and he sang the line, "I love you..."  the whole place erupted in applause again.    I am not sure if this is common during this song, but it was very touching to me and put a lump in my throat.    Paul's voice sounded a bit emotional as well as he continued on with the song.  

Paul called up two groups of fans in Little Rock.   The first group was four ladies that had a sign that lit up, asking Paul to have them come up on stage.    They seemed nervous and they were cute as could be.    Paul actually signed autograph photos (not tatoos) for them, which I didn't think he did.

The next group was a guy and a girl who had traveled from Japan to see Paul.    The guy wanted to ask the girl to marry him and Paul made him get down on one knee and propose.    The timid girl said "yes" and automatically turned and hugged Paul!   It was so funny!      What a great engagement story for them!

Overall---the experience of the concert and the excitement of it all made it well worth the money spent to go.    Paul always puts on an amazing 3 hour show without any breaks (except for one short encore).    Paul's voice might not be as strong as it once was, but he still sounds like "Paul" on the majority of songs.      I hope you get a chance to see Paul One on One in the near future!  


*All photos taken and belong to Sara Schmidt.   Please ask before sharing.

Will Paul retire soon???

Things have been very quite around here, so I thought I would post something a little controversial to get people talking again. 

Over the past month I have been wondering if Paul McCartney is getting ready to "retire."   Now---I don't mean retire in the sense of just sitting around and not making music.   We know that Paul will never do that.   He just said so in Esquire magazine,

ESQ: You’ve never seriously contemplated retirement?

PM: Sit at home and watch telly? That’s what people do, man. Gardening, golf… no thanks. Occasionally, I do think, “You should have got fed up by now, you should be jaded.” My manager, who I don’t have any more, glad to say, suggested quite a long time ago that I retire at 50. He sort of said it’s not a good look. I went, “Oh, God, he could be right.” But then I still enjoy writing, I still enjoy singing. What am I gonna do? You see so many people who retire and then immediately expire.

He might not fully retire in the traditional since, but is he thinking about slowing down?    He currently does big world tours that are over 2 hours long with close to 40 songs.   He rarely stops to get a drink or water during that time.    How long can he keep this up?    We all know from our own lives that traveling alone is exhausting, and with Paul's "health scare" last year in Japan,  I can't help but question if he doesn't need to slow down some.   Now I am not saying quit performing.   But maybe do less appearances and shorter sets.     And I think that maybe Paul is thinking along those lines.   Now---let me point out that I am the person at Beatlefest in 1999 stood up and stated that I didn't think Paul would ever tour again, without Linda.  That he would only do concerts spots here and there but never a full tour and I was completely wrong and I was proven wrong when Paul started touring again in 2002.  

What makes me think that Paul might be slowing down?

John Hammel talks with a fan

1.  The rumor that John Hammel is retiring at the end of 2015.       John  Hammel has been working for Paul McCartney as his personal assistant since 1975.   He has been with Paul through a lot and has said that he would not retire unless Paul does.     Now it isn't clear if this story of John Hammel retiring is true or not at this point, but if it is true:  what does that mean?   Maybe that Paul is planning on not doing big world tours anymore?

2. Paul has been calling up his most devoted fans up on stage.  

There is nothing I like more than hearing about a fan that truly loves Paul McCartney getting pulled up on stage.    Typically Paul calls young, pretty  girls that want a tattoo up onto the stage.   Very, very few men have been called up over the years and very few first generation fans.    And yet over the past few weeks we have seen some of Paul's most devoted and biggest fans being called up on stage.   These are people that have been in the audience at 100's of shows, so why did Paul decide to call them up now?   And notice that two of them are guys?      Is it Paul's way of thanking them for being such big fans?  To show his appreciation for them being there all of these years?     I am pleased as can be for these fans and I am so glad that they were called up---but it makes me wonder.



Do I really think this is the end of the Paul McCartney world tour era?   I am not sure.   I hope it isn't.     Paul puts on the single best rock show out there.   However----if you have a chance to see him in the near future---don't pass it up.


So---I know all of you out there disagree with me....tell me why I am wrong. 

On Stage with Macca: take off your shoes

Some very clever fan during one of the past McCartney sound checks made this banner and was allowed up on stage with it.   Very cool!

Am I the only one who notices that Paul almost never invites fans up on stage when he is in the United States but is more likely to do so in South America or Europe?  

Fans on stage in Brazil

Last night must have been one great night for the fans in Brazil who saw Paul in concert.   It seems like all of my regular "go to" places online have been a buzz about this amazing show.   I  have been trying not to look at the set list, but I did see a few songs.   I sort of wanted to be surprised when I see Paul in Memphis on the 26th of this month.     Any of you out there going to see Paul in Memphis?   Anyone else have VIP seats and want to be my Beatle buddy?    Sometimes being a "lone ranger" Beatlefan just stinks!

Anyhow...Paul called up some fans onstage yesterday!  It seems like he has been doing this a bit less in the past year.   But some lucky ducky fans were able to get onto the stage with the man himself!   So jealous!!!

On the Earth Day stage

Hot off the presses: 12/12/12 concert

I enjoyed "chatting" with some of you while we all watch the Paul McCartney portion of the Hurricane Sandy benefit tonight.   It was fun!   I was watching on Youtube and thanks to a wonderful thing known as the "snipping tool," I was able to make a few captures of tonight excitement.

Paul performing 1985

Paul with the remaining members of Nirvana.  And they rocked!

I thought this was really awesome! 

What is this instrument called?