Atlantic City, Convention Hall:
Paul arrived around 4:40 with police escorting his car. He put the window down and waved to the crowd of fans waiting outside the facility as they drove in.
The show pretty much started on time; preshow started at about 8:15, and Paul hit the stage around 8:30, if memory serves.
Many of the seats in the front sections were taken by "high rollers" since Park Place Holdings were the promoters of the show, and it was evident that this was going to be a tough nut to crack audience-wise. People were sitting down halfway through "Hello Goodbye." And while many in the hall were enthusiastic throughout the show, a lot of fans who stood up were asked to sit down by either security or the folks around them.
The age group, ranged from teens (not so many children) to elderly (some of them in wheelchairs). One of my friends sat next to a couple who had comp tickets from one of the casinos; they didn't even know who Paul was (is that POSSIBLE??). The front sections of the floor seemed to be overloaded with high rollers dressed in attire more suited for a film premiere than a rock show... immaculate suits, evening dresses...
Paul wore a blue Nehru-style jacket, red long-sleeved t-shirt, and grey pinstripe trousers, and his face, particularly his nose, was sunburnt. It had been a particularly beautiful day, more like summer than autumn, and he must have spent some time outdoors that day (he was not looking sunburnt the night before in Hartford).
Paul said it was great to be back, "sorry it took so long " a reference to his last appearance in the same hall in 1964 with the Beatles 38 years ago.
When Abe greeted the audience, in the spot where he normally asks the audience "Are you ready to rock?", he didn't bother to say it.
The crowd was responsive but subdued. Most of the cheers seemed to be coming from pockets of fans around the hall.
At some point in the show, Paul mentioned that he had been given the key to the city. I saw the mayor being seated about a half hour before the start of the show; it looked like he had more bodyguards than Paul!
After telling the massage stories and singing "You Never Give Me Your Money," Paul said there was a guy in the audience who'd been to a few of the shows, and he has a sign that says "I'm a chiropractor, I will adjust you now". Paul then quipped, "and y'know, I'm ready." (The guy is an actual chiropractor from PA. He sat in the row in front of me at the show in Long Island in April.)
So many people left the front section seats before the end of the show, fans down on the floor were getting up and walking forward as close as they could get.
At the end of the show, someone tossed up a Beatles VI album cover, which Paul autographed, but it looked like he only signed his first name.
Paul gave his usual high quality performance; as for the audience and atmosphere, in the future I'll be thinking twice about going to one of these casino sponsored shows.
(10/3/02) From Dave Varchol:
Went to the Atlantic City concert last night. What can I say that hasn't been said already? The man is incredible. Many years ago in an interview, he questioned whether he would still be doing this at age 40. Now at 60, he's as good as ever. He looks great and the voice still strong. For those that say the ticket prices were too high.....it was worth every penny. It's Paul McCartney, for crying out loud! He's a legend!
The set list was exactly as has already been listed on this site. It was great to hear "Getting Better" and "She's Leaving Home". By the way, he DOES actually play the bass on "She's Leaving Home". I watched with binoculars and could see him play, but not very heavily. Just the main notes...nothing fancy. He has such a wealth of material, it must be hard to decide which ones to do. I also noticed that he seemed to talk more to the crowd on this tour. I saw him twice in 1990 and don't remember him taking the time to do that then. I enjoyed the stories of the massage and of George. Wix, as usual, is great as well. He amazes me everytime. What a talent he is. Abe, the drummer really impressed me. He also seemed to have the most personality of the other band members. But all of them were fantastic and put on a hell of a show. Folks, it doesn't get any better than this.
From Bill Shoemaker:
Just got back from Atlantic City. He played Boardwalk (formerly Convention) Hall, the same place the Beatles played in 1964. This was Paul's first time back, and the show was sold out. Scalpers allegedly were getting $500 a ticket on the boardwalk (I saw a couple scalpers myself as I walked to the hall). Security was very tight, with a whole line of "Men in Black" searching bags and using metal detector wands.
The sound in the hall was excellent. No big surprises not mentioned in posts regarding the previous few dates of the tour. As many have mentioned, "She's Leaving Home" was a good choice and very well done. Paul mentioned that he had been given the key to the city earlier in the day. He made the front page of the next day's paper with a nice color photo taken during the show. In an accompanying article, one concertgoer mentioned that her "ringside" seat for the Beatles in '64 had cost $5.50, compared to $100, $150, and $250 for this show. Before leaving town, I went to White House Subs for a submarine sandwich. Their subs are great, and their walls are plastered with photos of the famous people who have eaten there. Almost all the way to the back of the shop, across from the take-out counter, is a photo of the Beatles (minus Paul) posing with the manager and a six foot sub in 1964. Maybe if they offer Paul a cheese sub, he'll pose for a photo too and complete the set.
From joyhaus:
My husband and I attended the Atlantic City concert last night, with our son and his girlfriend. I don't care what anyone says about the show being "predictable", or "nothing new", just to be anywhere and here Paul singing is worth it! This is the fourth time we've seen him, and we weren't the least bit disappointed. His voice was the best it's been since Wings, and it was heart wrenching on She's Leaving Home! It seemed to me, that he took special care to sing it even better than on Sgt. Pepper. (if that's possible).
The removal of C Moon was a plus, and their rendition of Back In The USSR KICKS ASS! Pardon my French, but it truly does. Band on the Run and I Saw Her Standing There were also pounding, and Live and Let Die was explosive (excuse the pun). I loved Maybe I'm Amazed (one of the best songs EVER in my humble opinion), My Love, and Blackbird, because when Paul's voice is as full as it was last night, well.....you know. His band has really come together (haha) as an amazing band and their harmonies are the best he's had backing him (except for the originals). I feel so good just to see him no matter how, when, or where. And let's face it, about how many things can you say that? Once again, Beatle fans, just my opinion
From Eloise Costello:
Hi Steve,
I just returned from Paul’s Atlantic City Concert and all I can say is “Wow!” I saw him at MSG in April, and he was FABulous, but somehow he was even better this time. I had better seats, so I think that helped too. His voice was really strong and the band sounded great; they were really together and everyone on stage was having lots of fun. Macca went on about 9:00 PM; the pre-show began around 8:30. Since it was Atlantic City, he did a few gambling jokes, but most of the commentary remained the same. I thought he would have mentioned that the Beatles performed in Atlantic City Convention Hall in August 1964, but he didn’t. My husband said maybe he forgot! For George’s tribute, there was wonderful video of George. But for John and Linda, there were no images of them, only colors streaming in the background. Those tribute songs were extremely moving, and I must say that when he sang Here Today for John, I felt a cool breeze flow through the room. I didn’t feel it before or after that song. It was kind of eerie. The concert built up to its climax with Back in the USSR with everyone standing and rocking and singing and dancing. There was high energy on stage and it reverberated throughout the audience. Paul held us in the palm of his hands as he continues to be the quintessential living legend of rock. We love you Paul. Thank you, Rock on…