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.
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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
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© Copyright 2014, Joe Facinoli