From the Other Side of the
Edge….
An
Unforgettable
Experience, with “Sir Paul”…..
By Joe Facinoli
To
honor the 50th anniversary, this week, of The Beatles first
appearance on American television, I have reached back into the
distant archives for a piece first written in 2009, which details my
“experience” at an outdoor concert I attended with my son, on the
occasion of his 20th birthday.
I wasn't that thrilled
about going, …at least not initially, …but as you will see, I
soon changed my "tune".
It was the Washington DC
stop, on the national tour of my “dear friend” Sir Paul
McCartney, ….and one that this fan will never
forget.
___________________________________________________________________
August 1, 2009
I hate his politics. But
I grew up with him, and I'm growing ever older with him, and still,
….I'm in love with his music.
Not to mention the memories
of all our times "together".
These are, to be certain,
troublesome times for this world.
When coupled with the
knowledge that none of us are growing any younger with each passing
year, it has become evermore difficult to find a respite, …brief or
otherwise, …from the pressures and stresses of our daily grind.
And that is why, once
found, these little moments of pure joy, these oases from the
increasing drought of the simple pleasures of life, …are like a
clear and vintage wine, …for the thirsty soul.
And they
are most fully enjoyed, ...when they come without notice.
One such moment came my
way, quite unexpectedly, …just last week. Let me "splaine".
My son, we’ll call him
“T”, turned 20 on that day. I know, I know, where does the time
go? I try not to think about that so much anymore, as the sound of
that "drain" we're all getting sucked towards, …keeps
getting louder and louder.
Anyway, as all kids do, he
had a few gift suggestions at the ready for dear old Dad. And I
thought I might be getting off easy this year, after perusing his
list.
But then, a few days later, he burst in, all excited
about something. Seems he had just heard that Paul McCartney was
going to be at Fedex Field, and on T’s birthday no less, for a
full-fledged concert.
"Dad, forget the rest
of the list, can we go to this concert instead ??!!", went his
new refrain, …and he actually seemed to mean it, when he asked me
to go with him!
As many kids are these
days, he's really into early rock 'n roll, as well as “classic”
rock.
It’s the stuff we all grew up with, and have pretty
much taken for granted all these years, but the kids today love all
that stuff too. It's my theory, that it's because there hasn't been
as much good, real, nor original music produced in the last 20 years.
With some obvious, and major, exceptions.
He "met" The
Beatles a few years back, …I think when he discovered my old vinyl
record collection, and has been a huge fan, …even an aficionado,
ever since.
So I bit the bullet, and
forked over a tidy, not so little sum, and we made plans to be there
for this "momentous" event in, …well, …at least one of
our lives.
But all the while, I was
thinking to myself: "Can I really do this? Can I really go to
an outdoor concert, in the middle of the summer, and put up with all
those people, and the traffic, for an entire night?"
I
wasn't really sure. But I had given my promise, and it was the
kid's birthday, after all.
I had gone to a ZZ Top concert a
couple of years ago, at the Baltimore Arena. But that was
different. I mean, who doesn't like Billy Gibbons? The most
unique guitar sound in all of rock. Along with the incessant drum
beat of Frank Beard, and all the terrific sounds and noise the three
of them create.
I mean c'mon!! I'm a major fan! “Legs”,
“Tush”, “LaGrange”, “Sharp Dressed Man”. “Gimme
Some of that Lovin' “ !! That was easy.
But now? And to see Paul McCartney? He's 67. Can he still sing? Hell,
can he still stand up?!!
I wasn't sure.
I had to work in DC the day
of the concert, and hooked up in town with T, after his one hour
drive from Baltimore. But even though we steered clear of the
Beltway, we still hit massive traffic tie ups of near “biblical”
proportions. Once inside the stadium parking areas, we waited
another 45 blissful minutes, before we could even determine if, and
how far away, we might attempt to park.
Afraid he might
miss the start, I had insisted that T go in without me, …but he
declined. Those who know me even a little bit, understand just how
much fun I was having at that point !
But we finally got inside,
and with still 15 minutes to spare before performance time. Time
enough to drop another 40 bucks on a birthday gift t-shirt for the
kid !
That would be for ONE t-shirt, by the way. It did
have Paul's picture on it, and even the date, which again, was T's
birthdate, and what I “thought” was the point of all this.
Once we found our section,
reasonably close to the stage, the array of different souls in
attendance was amazing.
Remember, in the mid 60's, when the
"Boys from Liverpool" first burst onto the American
cultural radar, there were people in their 30's, and probably older,
who "dug their scene".
So, doing a little math,
these same fans were now in their 70's and 80's, God love 'em, and
were right there ready to take it all in ! Or maybe take in some
oxygen, might be more like the truth.
And there were much younger
"kids" as well, ….in their 20's, even teenagers, and
younger than that, who were dragged along by their parents and
grandparents, to see some supposed history, …I guess.
So, it was beginning to
feel like maybe there was something going on here after all, and,
…just maybe, …I should be paying a little attention to what might
be about to happen.
T. had decided to run
downstairs, at the last minute, to exchange the size of his t-shirt. So
I was all alone for a few minutes, …except for those pesky
other 60,000 people who also happened to be there, in my space,
….when the lights dimmed, and the spotlights raced around the
building, and the P.A. speakers blared:
"Ladies and
Gentleman, …please welcome ….Paul McCartney !" …or
something like that. I was curious, but really, nonplussed by the
whole thing.
And then, ….it happened.
HE came onto the stage.
Paul McCartney, …in the actual flesh. Paul "Frickin'
" McCartney. Sir Paul. Wow! No, wait a minute, …WOW!!!!!!!
In one single, millisecond of a moment, I
was transformed, …and transfixed.
There was this rush of good
feeling, pleasantness, happiness, and comfort that came over me, like
no drug could create. I suddenly felt like I was “home”, in a
safe place, where I belonged.
And I didn't even know that I
had ever left home, …nor was in an unsafe place.
All the
bad was washed away, …and the good was raised immediately to the
surface. I can't explain it, not very well anyway, it just
happened.
And I loved it, and wanted more. I had forgotten
what a gigantic Beatles fan I once was, and still am, …the correct
brain cells having just kicked in , and figured that out!
Please know that I am not a
groupie by any stretch, and never have been able to figure out this
celebrity worship that permeates all, today. But here was a guy,
who I not only was raised with, but who had defined so much of my
youth and times.
Not only has he sold more
music than anyone ever has, but has any human ever touched more
lives??!!
And that night, as he had so many thousands of times
before, …he absolutely touched mine. Again.
My whole
life passed before me, and I wasn't even dead yet!
With
every song Sir Paul did with his tremendous new band, it put me in
mind of something, …usually pretty wonderful, …from my younger
days (much younger, I know, …I'll say it for you). What a
kaleidoscope of visions, and thoughts, and memories.
For
some, that “kaleidoscope” may have had nothing to do with Sir
Paul, at all, …but that’s a whole ‘nother story !!
He
took us through it all. All the hits, all the favorites, the sing
alongs, the party withs. All of it.
It was beyond
amazing. It was like a celebration of all our lives, and of the
American culture in the second half of the 20th century. Words do
not do it justice. At least not my words.
Forty five years later,
this guy, this icon of my youth, and since, who had brought me so
much pleasure through his music for my entire life, was right here,
right in front of me, singing and playing directly to me.
Oh,
I know he was, so don't try to convince me otherwise! There were
those annoying 60,000 other people, who just happened to be there,
…but they only helped pay for Sir Paul's band, so that he could
sing and play, …directly to me.
I mean this was Paul
"Frickin" McCartney!! Sir Paul !! (Have I said that
before?) Half of Lennon and McCartney, …for God's sake!!! One fourth of
the most popular rock group of all time!!
Just who, …and this is a
serious question, …of all living persons, is more famous and well
known, for all the right reasons, than HIM?!! This was like a Mt.
Rushmore moment, but he wasn't dead yet either, and he hadn't changed
a bit.
He played all the old
favorites, and then paid tribute to all those he had loved, ….and
whom had now passed on.
And we felt his love, …and his
pain.
First Jimi Hendrix, with a few licks from "Foxy
Lady", at the end of one of Paul's current tunes. And then
some neat stories about their times together in London.
Then he shared with us a
song he had written specially for his close friend, and musical
cohort, John Lennon, called "If You Were Here", which was
more like a conversation with his buddy, ….that he wished he could
have again.
By the way, …and this was not lost on me
while I was all a ga-ga over Sir Paul that night, ….who is, or was,
a bigger twosome than this pair, …ever?
We're talkin'
Ruth and Gehrig, …Rogers and Hammerstein, …Lerner and Lowe,
…Unitas to Berry, …Cousy to Russell, …Mantle and Maris, …Dolly
Parton (think about it), …Mozart with himself, …or Beethoven with
anybody!
That's some heavy company, but they stand up to
all of them.
His final tribute was to George Harrison, who
was his boyhood friend before he met his other two bandmates. He
played a Ukulele for us, that George used to strum, and which was a
gift from George to Paul. He began playing "Something" on
this little "yuke", before slowly progressing to the full
band for the finish of this timeless classic.
There may be
better rock guitarists than Sir Paul, certainly, …and pianists as
well. And his voice was good, but never the purest.
But
plug in those songs, and his performance, and his attitude and
persona, and man, ….HE is without equal !!
HE was right
there, and doing all the things he was doing 45 years ago on The Ed
Sullivan Show, …and in the ancient recesses of our minds and
memories, ….without missing a beat.
About midway through
the concert, my kid bumped me on the arm and said: "Dad, look
at that…! ", as he pointed up to the nearly full moon that was
shining down on Sir Paul, from the exact opposite end of the stadium
from the stage.
Too Much.
Someone else, …more
celestial than those bothersome 60,000 other people, who just
happened to be there, in my space, …must have also been enjoying
these once in a lifetime events!
So throughout the
proceedings, we all wondered how long HE would stay on the stage, and
if HE would be able to get to all our favs.
Well, somewhere
during this hot, humid night, it turned into a Bruce Springsteen
concert. The Boss is always good for 3 or 3 1/2 hours of New
Jersey mayhem, …and, not to be outdone, …Sir Paul went for nearly
3 hours himself !
And he didn't have to.
We would
have been satisfied with an hour and a half, and then head home
happy. Hell, some of us would have been fine if he had just stood
on the stage and waved for about 20 minutes! After all, this was
Paul "Frickin" McCartney!!
Wasn't he dead? How could he really be here?!!
As Sir Paul went from song
to marvelous song, we could tell how much fun he was having. But we
also knew that sadly, this would all have to end soon. So we began
discussing aloud among the gathered crowd (where did those other
people come from, anyway?) just what would be his last song?
The
one we would take home with us, ….the one that would be our
lasting, and perhaps final, memory of him.
We had almost
become one, this crowd and Sir Paul. HE was ours, we were HIS, …at
least for this night, …and we didn't want it to end. It was very
spiritual, in its own way, this pervasive feeling throughout this
gathering.
Well, HE surpassed even our wildest imaginings,
with HIS choices for sending us out of there.
HE first
jumped behind the piano, and began to belt out "Live and Let
Die", a great and lively tune, that was made even more memorable
with the hundreds of rockets and fireworks that were unleashed. (Some
of us had forgotten that this was an outdoor venue, so we were
all the more startled.)
But even as the humidity held all
that smoke, and almost obscured Sir Paul from view, …we could still
see him, shaking his finger and saying: "This ain't it,
….there's more", and then he started in on "Hey Jude".
This would surely be the finale, and what a good choice it
was. The crowd had gone absolutely out of their minds (when did all
these people show up?), because we were sure that this was it.
The
band all took their bows, and then slowly proceeded to leave the
stage, with much waving and even louder cheering. We all thought
that maybe, if we were extremely lucky, that just maybe, …HE would
return for one more tidbit. Just one encore. Please, please,
…me !
Well, this was Paul "Frickin"
McCartney. He not only came back, …but played (count ‘em)
three encore numbers!
Then they left again (more waving,
cheering, blowing of kisses, touching of heart), …and returned once
more, to play three more songs !! And then left once again (we
knew this was it this time, ….many tears, etc.).
And,
believe it not, HE returned to the stage one more time, for one more
song, and then a portion of the Sgt. Peppers number that says
something like: "We hate to say goodnight…”, etc."
HE finished us all off with
maybe (arguably) the greatest line of lyric ever written by anyone.
It's the last, somewhat random, line from the last bunch of half
songs and other musical thoughts, …that is the second side of the
"Abbey Road" album:
"And, in the End, …the
Love you Take, …is equal to the Love you Make".
What a line! And what a
way to end this incredible night. And not such bad words to live
by, …either.
A good friend of mine, in his own inimitable
way, would accuse me of having "impure thoughts" regarding
my feelings toward Sir Paul. And based on what I've written, a case
could be made, I suppose, …. that he might be right.
But
I just had one of the most wonderful, mystical, fun filled, memory
invoking, purely joyful, nights of my life.
And I never saw
it coming.
Just another reason to thank God for my boy. Because I never would have
experienced this without him.
Peace
and Love,
Joe Facinoli
--Joe can be reached at: joefacinoli@gmail.com
Intelligent Response Encouraged !!
© Copyright 2014, Joe
Facinoli
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