Well really not much more to add from previews reviews, sure it was the best show/concert I have ever seen. Let me just tell you my story....

Paul McCartney made it really difficult for me to go to one of his concerts. I'm from Monterrey, Mexico and really wanted to see him again in concert (as I had already seen Paul in San Antonio, Texas in 1993). The problem I had was that I could only go on a weekend, particularly on a Saturday, because of my work. So the Los Angeles concert became my only option. So I had to fly all the way from Monterrey at 7:00 AM to Mexico City and then to LA, which is about 5 hour flight. The previous night (Friday) I had a wedding party which ended just hours before I had to take the flight, so I didn't sleep at all until I arrived into my hotel in LA. After a couple of hours of sleep, went directly to the Staples Center for my tickets and then the show began.....

Excellent pre concert show !!!! Excellent stage !!!!! Best Beatles songs: We Can Work it Out, Back in the USSR, Getting Better, Blackbird, Here There and Everywhere, I Saw Her Standing There, Can't Buy Me Love, Let it Be, Eleanor Rigby & The End. Best Post Beatles Songs: Maybe I'm Amazed, Live and Let Die, Coming Up, Band on the Run, Vanilla Sky, My Love & Every Night. Best Driving Rain Song: Lonely Road (A song from the RAM or FLAMING PIE albums would have been great !!!!) Best Group musician (after Paul): Abe Laboriel Jr.

Both tributes for John and George we amazing !!!!!! Couldn't't make it any better. Also My Love for Linda was great !!!!

Well, then on Sunday I had to take the last flight form LA back to Monterrey, Mexico... the one at 11:50 PM !!!!! I then arrived at 8:00 AM on Monday morning and went directly to work to my office !!!!! Again I didn't sleep at all so imagine how tired I was.... Weekend are to rest, this was one of those not remembered by that. But let me tell you that I could do it again, because it's really worth it. I which Paul do another tour.... so I can repeat this crazy weekend !!!!

Best regards to all Paul's and Beatles fans !!!!!

Jose Antonio Alanis Villareal
Monterrey, Mexico

Update (5/8/02) From Mike Moser:

This was the third time I have seen McCartney and the highlight of the show was four rows in front of me. A couple in their early 40's had brought their 2 children, a girl about 13 and their son around 11. During "C Moon", while most of the crowd in our elevated section in P11 was sitting down, these two kids bopped and danced throughout the whole night never sitting once. Even during "My Love"...go figure. It's nice to see when a torch has been passed.

Update (5/7/02) From Lisa in Santa Monica:

Hi:

I was at both of Paul’s Las Vegas shows at the MGM at the beginning of April. I have been following the reviews of Paul’s shows across the country. Yet, I was still thrilled to see Paul at the Staples Center in LA, my home turf, on May 5th. So, here are some of my random thoughts about LA and I’ll try not to repeat what everyone else has said about these concerts.

LA was electrified during the entire concert. The energy level was palpable. The audience loved Paul and they were not shy in letting him know. At the first note of any Beatles song, the audience went wild, cheering, clapping, stomping, crying, screaming, dancing and singing along to every word. The only way to describe the energy was one step below Beatlemania because we did not drown out Paul like in the old days—we joined in with him and sang along. The time zoomed by. 2 ½ hours were over in a flash and I think everyone could have listened to him for another 2 ½ hours, no problem. Paul was on the stage the entire time and never took a break.

I don’t know why so much is written about Paul’s voice and energy level because of his age. Get over it. The Beatles have always been a first in everything and Paul certainly doesn’t need to be judged by people trying to box him into a roll solely because of his age. Try as these ageists might, it this is what 60 is all about, bring it on. Paul might not have won an Academy Award because of usual Academy politics and favoritism, but to think that he wrote Vanilla Sky in 10 minutes at his kitchen table only proves that after almost forty years of songwriting, Paul still has more talent in his pinky than his nearest competitor. If all the Baby Boomers follow in Paul’s footsteps as we grow older, we’ll change all the rules and stereotypes about aging forever.

We had floor seats right in Section 3, right in front of a whole line up of celebrities—Jack Nicholson, Ted Danson and his wife, Sly Stallone, Brian Wilson and a bunch of other celebs that we did not see but heard they were there. Throughout the entire concert the Celebes were rocking and rolling to Paul and were on their feet along with the rest of the audience (except Brian Wilson who didn’t seem to know where he was). I thought it was pretty cool that the celebs were there in the audience, not separate and apart but part of this great collective experience of paying homage to Paul and the Beatles.

I think the audience was there to celebrate not just Paul but the Beatles. It is amazing how much these audiences across the country LOVE the Beatles—a group that broke up in 1971. I don’t care what anyone says, this was a Beatles fest. The first note of any Beatles song brought pandemonium. When Paul sings Something, you have to stop and think for a moment, no, Paul did not sing Something, it was George. Yet, it seemed so natural to hear Paul sing Something and he did a fabulous job. It was so moving. I always loved Here Today and never thought the song got the recognition it deserved. It is one of Paul’s most beautiful songs and when you think that the words are for John—I defy anyone not to shed a tear. When Paul paid homage to John and George, it was a collective emotional release for the audience. The place went nuts, insane, and on some level we have to thank Paul for letting us have that collective experience.

I think the best part of Paul’s concerts was the audience’s reaction. The audience was one throughout the whole concert. It felt great to feel that way with an audience which most people probably have not experienced since the 60s when we used to have those collective get together. It was like a reunion for the people who remember what the peace and love movement was really about. Paul is still the Pied Piper for us and the concert proves that we’d follow him anywhere. Paul never lost his self and makes himself an equal with us and that is his charm. We know how wealthy he is, but he never reminds us of it. He acts like one of us, he dresses like one of us, he sings for us. He makes us happy, as a group, and we thank him for that…I don’t know anyone else who could fit this bill. Paul reminds us how much we sorely miss having a common goal or idol. We miss not having a cause and Paul reminds us of a time when we did—when it wasn’t about me, me, me—it was what we could do for the better whole.

And this brings me to my only criticism of the show. I admit that Paul’s Freedom rocked the house in LA and in Vegas. I mean, the place rocked and roared with Freedom and I joined in with the group clapping and stomping. However, I cringe when I hear the words to Freedom. I cringe even more when I see a Beatle running around the stage with an American flag singing a song that screams for war. Paul ran around with the flag the first night in Vegas but not the second. He ran around in LA with the flag. However, the L.A. audience did not start screaming USA, USA like they did in Vegas. I’d like to think that L.A., like me, forgives Paul for this one mistake in judgment, but that its sentiments are similar to my own (anti-war). I think some of us feel somewhat betrayed by Paul that as one of the leaders of the anti-Vietnam movement, he could go from singing All You Need is Love to Freedom. I feel that if John Lennon were alive today, he too would not be too happy with Paul’s judgment. But, this is a minor criticism in the scheme of things.

Yes, Paul’s concert was the best I’ve ever been to and I think most of us feel the same way. The Beatles were the backdrop for my entire life—all the good parts-- and Paul brought all those good feelings back to life and we love him for it.

(5/6/02)

From Sayne:

There really wasn't anything different from this show than the others on the tour. So to be different, here is what I think should have happened. But, first off, let me say that it was a super show! Paul was in very good form, but little hoarse. You could hear it when he spoke, but only once or twice when he sang. Abe is great. Paul has always indicated that in addition to Ringo, his favorite drummers were Keith Moon and John Bonham. Abe is in that vain. Very powerful and animated.

As I said, this was a great show, so I don't want anyone to think this is a pan. In a manner, this was an edgy show. The fact that he played with 3 young unknowns, plus Wix, and that a good portion of the show was just him front and center by himself on acoustic was daring. I don't think you'd see many of his contemporaries doing that. There are quite a few songs that I could have done without. Either because I don't like them or he played them before. Here is my view of the set.

1. "Hello Goodbye"   Keep
2. "Jet"            Dump
3. "All My Loving"   Keep
4. "Getting Better" Keep
5. "Coming Up"      Dump
6. "Let Me Roll It"   Dump
7. "Lonely Road"    Dump
8. "Driving Rain"   Dump
9. "Your Loving Flame" Keep
10. "Blackbird"     Keep
11. "Every Night"   Keep !!!
12. "We Can Work It Out"    Dump.
13. "Mother Nature's Son"   Keep!!!
14. "Vanilla Sky"   Keep, but dump the movie clips
15. "You Never Give Me Your Money"  Dump, and the fake forgetting the lyric
          bit is old
16. "Fool On the Hill"  Dump
17. "Here Today"    Keep
18. "Something"      Keep
19. "Eleanor Rigby" Keep
20. "Here, There & Everywhere"  Keep
21. "Band On the Run"   Dump
22. "Back in the USSR"  Keep !!!
23. "Maybe I'm Amazed"  Keep
24. "C Moon"    Dump !!!
25. "My Love"   Dump
26. "Can't Buy Me Love" Keep
27. "Freedom"   Dump
28. "Live and Let Die"  Keep
29. "Let It Be"  Keep
30. "Hey Jude"      Keep
31. "The Long & Winding Road"   Dump
32." Lady Madonna"      Dump
33. "I Saw Her Standing There"  Keep
34. "Yesterday"  Dump, Surprise, but even the Stones didn't do
         "Satisfaction" the last time I saw them on the last tour.
35. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "The End"   Keep

To replace the dumped songs, I would have rather heard:

"Looking for Changes" and "Mistress and Maid" from Off the Ground

"The Song We are Singing", "If You Wanna", "Somedays", "Calico Skies", "Flaming Pie", "Used to be so Bad", "Beautiful Night" for Flaming Pie ( A Great Underrated Album)

"All Shook Up", "Run Devil Run", "No Other Baby", "Movie Magg", "Brown Eyed Handsome Man", "What it is" from Run Devil Run

"She's Given Up Talkin", "Your Way", "Rinse the Raindrops" from Driving Rain

"Juniors Farm", "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" (Has he ever done this?), "The Back Seat of my Car", and "Rockestra Theme"

Also, maybe instrumental versions of "Riding to Jaipur", "The Inner Light", "Within You, Without You", and "Tomorrow Never Knows" would have been cooler during the pre-show performance.

I know everyone will have their choices. So these are mine. Looking forward to reading what you would have liked to hear.

By the way, saw Pat Boone and Paul Stanley at the show. Woo, Woo!!

From Quentin Brown:

Hi! Flew down from Vancouver, there being no concert dates in the Pacific Northwest.

Amazing/ awesome were the comments from fans at the end of the show. Band on the Run and Back In The USSR were huge favourites. The video screens were sharp and imaginative and our seats, at the opposite end, still afforded a great viewing experience. The two tribute songs were huge hits.

The preconcert dance performance I knew about so I could enjoy it. Certainly a great way to get people into their seats! I had heard that McCartney had some throat problems and during Blackbird & Every Day his voice sounded rough. However, about Here, There & Everywhere it seemed to get back to its usual clear tone and was fine thereafter.

All in all a wonderful experience and quite hard to imagine that one person has written so many hit songs. Cheers!

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