Sir Paul

Seeing Paul McCartney has been on my bucket list for several years now. The last time he was in LA, he was doing a secret show at Amoeba Records. It was when I was working at the Petersen Museum, and I went and asked our director, who was a big music fan and had been in a fairly well known punk band back in the day, if I could go and stand in line outside of Amoeba to meet Sir Paul. He told me I could if I wanted to take a sick day, but that was not possible, because I knew I needed both of my sick days for that year (because I was going to have to take them in order to spend Christmas Eve and December 26th with my family, but that's another sad story.) So Tim and I promised that next time we could, we'd go see the old man.

And lo, he released a new album this spring, and announced plans to perform at Dodger Stadium. I was all over those tickets. I chased them down like the girls chasing the four lads from Liverpool in the beginning of A Hard Days Night. Sunday was our big night out, and it did not disappoint. I was worried that it might end up being some sad nostalgia tour and that I would feel embarrassed for our 72 year old friend Paul, but he was great. He's definitely lost a little bit in the vocals, but it was clear how much he still loved performing and playing rock music. I discovered the Beatles when I was 14 and moving to New Jersey, and immediately threw myself into all of their albums and all the trivia I could possibly shove into my brain. 

I was born after John Lennon died, so I never had any thoughts that I'd hear these songs live. This was music that I listened to in my car, or in my room for hours and hours alone (being the little book worm that I was.) So to hear some of these songs that have defined my life in a huge stadium with 50,000 other people, under the brilliant super moon was utterly amazing. We had floor seats and were so wonderfully close that I could actually SEE Paul without having to look at the big sceens (depending on how the people in front of me were standing. I'm still short.) Plus, since Paul McCartney draws quite the crowd of baby boomers, floor seats actually meant that we had a seat to sit in during the ballads. Because I am rapidly approaching middle age and I like to sit and not get shoved around during concerts (because I'm still short. And actually, this is one of the few concerts where I haven't wanted to pick a fight with a jerk seated or standing near me. The last time we had floor seats was at Coldplay, and some drunk guy kept slamming backwards into me while trying to dance. And he was tall and annoying. Thanks for not being drunk and rowdy, concert goers near us!) 

It was three hours of solid awesomeness. A little fireworks, a lot of singing, and a wonderful night with my boyfriend. The only downside is the hour it took us to get to our car and get onto the freeway, and then the other hour to get home. And poor Adam wasn't having his best night, so he was still awake and giving Gigi the business. A preview of the fun they can have together over the weekend!