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August 2014

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August 28, 2014 -- Macca Report News EXCLUSIVE!!!
by Gina Goldner Wallach, Macca Reporter

Paul sighting on Long Island

PHOTO: © 2014 Gina Goldner Wallach (for The Macca Report)

Guess who I happened upon AGAIN while vacationing in the Hamptons this week? Really! I think he's following me!

Yes, that is SIR PAUL!!!

PHOTO: © 2014 Gina Goldner Wallach (for The Macca Report)

And I spoke with his beautiful wife, Nancy (no photo) and his lovely daughter Stella. She was very friendly when I asked her if her dad was going to do the ALS ice bucket challenge for which she and Chris Martin had nominated him. She laughed and said he was probably just going to donate, but maybe he would take the challenge in private!

They partied with pals at a star-studded charity bash last week, however Wednesday's outing was much more low-key for Sir Paul McCartney and his wife.

The Beatles hitmaker and Nancy Shevell made the most of the weather in East Hampton, where they were spotted dining al fresco with pals.

The 72-year-old walked hand in hand with his spouse of two years while dressed casually in black shorts and a white Tee.

The Hey Jude crooner kept his navy baseball cap on, while Nancy also chose to cover up her head in the form of a white trilby with black band.

Paul - who will celebrate his third wedding anniversary in October - completed his off-duty look with brown sandals and black aviators shades.

Meanwhile the brunette beauty made the most of her toned pins in a thigh-skimming lace dress complete with colourful floral detailing.

At the weekend, Paul proved he'd still got what it takes as he took to the stage to give an energetic performance at the charity gala in aid of the Apollo Theatre.

The Liverpudlian crooner took part in a sing-along with Hollywood actor Jamie Foxx, who looked sauve in his plum coloured suit.

Barbra Streisand, Robert DeNiro, Anjelica Huston, Pharrell Williams, Francesco Yates, James Brolin, and Jack Nicholson were also among the guests, which has become a must-attend event for New York's elite class.

'Press to Play' album cover photo of Paul and Linda, taken by George Hurrell.

What's your favourite lyric of Paul's?

Alongside his signature, Paul also scribed, "This guitar saves elephants" on the Martin guitar. A fitting slogan since the funds will be used to increase security for elephants on the ground in Africa and reduce demand for ivory.

The Nature Conservancy has worked passionately for decades to conserve valuable animal habitats and watersheds to make the world a better, more sustainable place. It's estimated that there were 1.2 million elephants in Africa in 1980. Now only about 430,000 remain, with an estimated 20,000 elephants killed last year alone for their tusks.

You can make a difference to elephants - to learn more about The Nature Conservancy's work to #saveElephants and sign up to get alerts and news click HERE!

Paul McCartney earns the No. 1 slot on the weekly Hot Tours tally based on ticket sales reported from his recent trek through U.S. cities during July and August.

The six-week jaunt was the Out There tour's third leg in North America since the tour began in May 2014. With concerts at eight arenas and four stadiums during this summer's run, ticket sales totaled $38.7 million, bringing the overall gross to $150 million from 40 reported shows during the tour's 15-month span.

San Francisco's Candlestick Park is the Out There tour's top-grossing venue in this tally, with $7 million in sales from a crowd of 53,477 fans. It is also the highest gross from any North American venue during the tour's entire run. The sold-out performance on Aug. 14 was the final concert to be held at the famed Bay Area stadium that will soon be demolished. The event also marked McCartney's return to the site where the Beatles played their last official concert in 1966.

Three more stadiums were on the 2014 summer schedule for the Out There tour. McCartney also sold out Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Aug. 10 with more than $5.2 million in revenue from 52,605 sold seats.

Target Field in Minneapolis hosted the legendary rocker on Aug. 2 with a packed stadium crowd of 43,143, and the performance at the University of Montana's Washington-Grizzly Stadium hit the record books as the largest concert in Montana history.

His sold out show on Aug. 5 at the Missoula stadium drew 25,192 fans -- 1,423 more than the Rolling Stones concert on Oct. 4, 2006 during the band's A Bigger Bang tour.

CLICK TO WATCH

Stella McCartney and Chris Martin (Coldplay) take the ALS ice bucket challenge and challenge Macca to do so!

CLICK TO WATCH

Time lapse of the last concert at Candlestick Park.

Paul on a ferry to Amsterdam during the 'Wings Over Europe Tour'

He has been dubbed one of the world's greatest musicians.

And Sir Paul McCartney proved he's still got what it takes as he took to the stage to give an energetic performance at a star-studded fundraiser benefiting the Apollo Theater on Saturday night (August 16).

Accompanied by his wife Nancy Shevell, the 72-year-old appeared to be in high spirits during special occasion at the Hamptons.

The Beatles musician cut a stylish figure in a pair of black tailored trousers, which he teamed with a deep navy sweatshirt.

Meanwhile, his beautiful partner looked stunning in a pair of dark skintight jeans and a white blazer, while she accentuated her pretty facial features with minimal makeup.

The married couple were pictured sitting side by side as they took in the atmosphere from all the performances by the sidelines.

The Collateral actor appeared to be in great spirits as he took centre stage during the fun-filled festivities.

Barbra Streisand, Robert DeNiro, Anjelica Huston, Pharrell Williams, Francesco Yates, James Brolin, and Jack Nicholson were among the guests at the fundraiser, which has become a must-attend event for New York's elite class.

The audience also enjoyed performances by Pharrell Williams, Sting and Jon Bon Jovi at the fundraiser, which raised an incredible $4 million for development projects for New York's Apollo Theatre.

Towards the end of the evening, Nicholson told Page Six, 'That was one hell of a night. Christie really held his own. I told him, as he walked back to his seat, "Governor, you can't let New Jersey down."'

Paul gets #OutThere in San Francisco today. Here he is in SF on the Wings over the World tour...

CONCERT SETLIST

1. Eight Days A Week
2. Save Us
3. All My Loving
4. Listen To What The Man Said
5. Let Me Roll It/Foxy Lady Coda
6. Paperback Writer
7. My Valentine
8. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five
9. The Long And Winding Road
10. Maybe I'm Amazed
11. I've Just Seen A Face
12. We Can Work It Out
13. Another Day
14. And I Love Her
15. Blackbird
16. Here Today
17. New
18. Queenie Eye
19. Lady Madonna
20. All Together Now
21. Lovely Rita
22. Everybody Out There
23. Eleanor Rigby
24. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
25. Something
26. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
27. Band On The Run
28. Back In The U.S.S.R
29. Let It Be
30. Live And Let Die
31. Hey Jude

ENCORE ONE
32. Day Tripper
33. Hi, Hi, Hi
34. Get Back

ENCORE TWO
35. Yesterday
36. Helter Skelter
37. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End

Thank you Salt Lake City!

Paul McCartney can play the bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano and even the ukulele.

However, as he demonstrated in a nearly sold-out EnergySolutions Arena on Thursday night, the instrument Sir Paul plays most expertly and impressively is the audience.McCartney could make the audience cheer, dance, jump in surprise, laugh, occasionally cry and frequently sing. Mostly, he made them have fun.

"Hey, Salt Lake City!" McCartney said the first time he spoke to the audience. "I have a feeling we're going to have a bit of a party here tonight."

The Salt Lake City stop on his "Out There" tour spanned McCartney's 50-year-plus songwriting and performance repertoire - as a Beatle, as a member of Wings and as a solo artist supporting his most recent album, "New" - and an astonishing range of musical styles, from gentle ballads to hard rock.

McCartney, 72, and his four-man backing band opened with two bouncy songs that span his professional life: The Beatles classic "Eight Days a Week" and the song "Save Us" (off of "New").

The whole show, 37 songs over nearly three hours, went on like that, with McCartney jumping decades of his songbook with a youthful energy that belied his years.

McCartney also shifted moods rapidly and smoothly. A rocking "Back in the USSR" was followed by the soaring grace of "Let It Be," and then with the propulsive force of the James Bond theme "Live and Let Die" - which was accompanied by a fiery pyrotechnic show that blew the audience away.

The stage was backed by a massive video wall that displayed colorful animation, archival photos, and even a film of actors Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp speaking in sign language (for "My Valentine," a song McCartney wrote for his wife, Nancy Shevell).

The show was populated by ghosts. Early on, McCartney ended a Wings song, "Let Me Roll It," with some licks of Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" - which prompted a story about how The Beatles met the guitarist, and how Hendrix performed covers from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" only two days after the album came out.

Two of the concert's most touching moments involved tributes to his late Beatles bandmates: "Here Today," his 1982 song written to John Lennon as "a conversation we never got to have"; and playing ukulele to begin a cover of George Harrison's song "Something." Also moving was the performance of "Maybe I'm Amazed," which was written by McCartney for his first wife, Linda, who died in 1998.

The main set ended with "Hey Jude," in which McCartney orchestrated a joyous audience sing-along to the classic "na na na" extended chorus. It was the second "official" sing-along of the night, the first being "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," though many audience members couldn't help themselves from joining in to their favorites.

McCartney powered through two encores that had the audience screaming and on their feet. The capper in the second encore was a plaintive reading of "Yesterday," followed by a thrashing version of "Helter Skelter," and concluding with The Beatles' final medley of "Golden Slumbers," "Carry That Weight" and (appropriately) "The End." Only then did McCartney finally let his audience go, spent but exhilarated, as he promised, "We'll see you next time."

Paul w/Wings in 1976. Left-to-right: Denny Laine, Paul, Linda, Jimmy McCulloch & Joe English.

SOUND CHECK SETLIST

1. Missoula Jam
2. Matchbox
3. Honey Don't
4. Only Mama Knows
5. Hope of Deliverance
6. San Francisco Bay Blues
7. Every Night
8. Ram On
9. Midnight Special
10. Things We Said Today
11. Lady Madonna

CONCERT SETLIST

1. Eight Days A Week
2. Save Us
3. All My Loving
4. Listen To What The Man Said
5. Let Me Roll It/Foxy Lady Coda
6. Paperback Writer
7. My Valentine
8. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five
9. The Long And Winding Road
10. Maybe I'm Amazed
11. I've Just Seen A Face
12. We Can Work It Out
13. Another Day
14. And I Love Her
15. Blackbird
16. Here Today
17. New
18. Queenie Eye
19. Lady Madonna
20. All Together Now
21. Lovely Rita
22. Everybody Out There
23. Eleanor Rigby
24. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
25. Something
26. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
27. Band On The Run
28. Back In The U.S.S.R
29. Let It Be
30. Live And Let Die
31. Hey Jude
31. Hey Jude

Missoula Mother and Daughter get signed!!!

CLICK TO WATCH

ENCORE ONE
32. Day Tripper
33. Hi, Hi, Hi
34. I Saw Her Standing There

ENCORE TWO
35. Yesterday
36. Helter Skelter
37. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End

Penny Lane, meet Campus Drive.

Sir Paul McCartney performed to more than 25,000 fans Tuesday in Washington-Grizzly Stadium, the first known concert by a Beatle in the Treasure State.

The response on both sides was enthusiastic.

People in the crowd, who had weathered a line snaking around the University of Montana campus after a sweltering tailgate, were rewarded with the largest concert in state history.

McCartney was more than willing to give it his all, a feat impressive for a musician of any age, much less 72.

"The jacket's coming off early," he said after only two songs. "And that's going to be the only costume change of the night."

As in past performances on the Out There tour, McCartney drew heavily on his songs from The Beatles catalog, interspersed with tunes from his Wings albums and solo records, and new singles such as the lively "Queenie Eye."

He played more than two hours as well, everything from solo ballads to a stadiumwide sing-along of "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da."

The massive production included screens bookending the multistory stage, which improved the view for fans in the outer rings of the stadium. Another screen queued up animated collages for specific tunes.

McCartney and his long-running four-piece backing band were just as enthusiastic as prior reviews had hinted.

Songs like "Paperback Writer," which he played on the guitar used on the original recording, were retrofitted with a harder rock edge than the studio albums.

He even ran through a short instrumental version of "Foxy Lady," gamely soloing himself and following the tune with a story about seeing Hendrix perform back in the '60s.

As the sun finally set, McCartney switched to piano for a suite of songs including "Maybe I'm Amazed," in fine voice during the howling bridge. That performance, dedicated to his wife Linda, segued into an acoustic set, highlighted by "We Can Work It Out."

Soon the band decamped, and he played the show's most vulnerable songs alone on acoustic guitar, atop a 20-foot riser that had video on the front. There was the timeless "Blackbird," and "Here Today," dedicated to John Lennon.

The crowd, comprising all generations, seemed as much in awe of the scale of the event as the music. After all, a performance of "Let it Be," blown out to the size of a stadium, is a literal once-in-a-lifetime experience for most of us in Montana.

Tours by living legends can often have an air of suspicion ­ after so many mediocre Bob Dylan shows, Missoula residents may have wondered what to expect. Is it a real show, or a nostalgia tour?

McCartney, though, has always peppered his music with nostalgia, and that trait has allowed him to age gracefully and energetically along with his massive catalog of songs.

As the lights-and-pyrotechnics production and energy level showed, he's always been an enthusiastic showman as well as an artist.

That he's still so good at both is probably why he got the largest standing ovations the state will see in awhile.

...MORE

On mountain and behind fences, Missoula turns out for McCartney

The wheels had been turning long before Paul McCartney took the stage under a golden sunset in Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Tuesday evening and proceeded to light up the August night.

Beer kegs had been pressurized, yellow buses had been gassed and old T-shirts remembering The Beatles had been excavated from the bottom of many dresser drawers, including that of Gary Pearson.

The former KYLT-AM radio disc jockey in Missoula sported a red T-shirt recalling the group's 1964 American tour. He wore it proudly to a pre-concert party in downtown Missoula, one that helped launch the historic evening with a cover band dedicated to The Beatles.

"When I was managing KYLT in '65-'66, the year 'Paperback Writer' came out, some promotional manager in California called me at the station and told me he would send me the record the day ahead of everyone else in Montana," Pearson said. "We were No. 1 in '65-'66, but there were only four AM stations back then."

The pre-concert festivities played out as downtown Missoula came to life on what would otherwise be a monotonous Tuesday evening. Streets became gridlocked and school buses converted to concert shuttles ran full to the stadium, where passengers joined a growing throng of eager fans already numbered in thousands.

By 6 p.m., a mass of concert-goers in tie-dyed shirts and summer skirts spread across the campus greens. Lines ran long around the Adams Center and security roamed the crowd en force.

"The Beatles I deeply respect, and I'm not speaking hyperbole," Tawnie Rivkena said before the show. "We're talking the peak of Western civilization in culture as far as I'm concerned. Not a day goes by I don't listen to The Beatles."

Tickets for the show sold out after going on sale earlier this year. Yet those willing to pay $200 or more on location had their chance to buy as others looked to sell.

Neil Bruno tried the free route, holding a cardboard sign reading, "If U can't help me a ticket, still help." Others noted the time and took their place in line.

"This is classic," said Beth Howard as she inched toward the gate. "We grew up with The Beatles, so this is part of history."

Well before the concert began, University of Montana officials promoted the event as the largest concert in state history. A large covered stage filled the south end of the stadium floor facing 25,000 fans who took their seats at 8 p.m.

Several hundred others hiked Mount Sentinel and peered down upon the throng, watching as fans did the wave while waiting for McCartney to take the stage. UM President Royce Engstrom and Missoula Mayor John Engen had dubbed the mountain "Mount McCartney" for the day.

Joining the crowd on Mount McCartney were Japanese students Airi Hasegawa and her friend. Neither had ever heard of Paul McCartney, though they did know The Beatles, thanks to their parents, and Nirvana thanks to their friends.

Seated nearby was South Korean student Woongsoon Jang. She knew The Beatles well, along with McCartney.

"There was a concert McCartney planned in Korea but it was canceled," said Jang. "We're lucky to be here. Who doesn't like The Beatles?"

McCartney's performance in Missoula was something of a musical coup for this city of 70,000 people, which has recently dazzled music fans by landing iconic shows, including the 2006 performance by the Rolling Stones and a 2012 showing by Pearl Jam.

But in a concert where a single beer went for $9 a bang and the cheapest tickets started at $50, not everyone could afford entry to see McCartney live. Dozens sat with their faces mashed against the chain-link fence outside the stadium hoping for a glimpse of the rock icon on the jumbo screens.

Others opted for a hike up the mountain.

"I was looking at tickets online but they were pretty steep," said Kathleen Bowler. "I've still got my paycheck and a free spot on the hill."

MISSOULA - Mount Sentinel will be renamed Tuesday and its iconic "M" will stand for something other than Montana in welcoming rock legend Sir Paul McCartney to town, becoming "Mount McCartney" for the day.

The University of Montana announced Monday morning that UM President Royce Engstrom, along with the City of Missoula, will use the new title to welcome McCartney for his landmark concert in Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Tuesday night.

"We are thrilled to have a legend such as Paul McCartney playing in our community," Engstrom said. "This concert not only brings folks from around our great state together in Missoula, but also attracts fans from around the country. We think Washington-Grizzly Stadium is a wonderful place to host a concert of this caliber."

"It's exciting to have an artist of this magnitude visit Missoula," Mayor John Engen said. "We hope he has a good time here, and we know we will enjoy his visit."

This marks the first time the former Beatle has ever performed in Montana.

PHOTO: Brian Ray - Instagram

SOUND CHECK SETLIST

1. Minneapolis Jam
2. Matchbox
3. Drive My Car
4. Celebration
5. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five, (play some of Band On The Run - brief)
6. I've Just Seen a Face
7. On My Way To Work
8. Ram On
9. San Francisco Bay Blues
10. Bluebird
11. Queenie Eye
12. Lady Madonna

CONCERT SETLIST

1. Eight Days A Week
2. Save Us
3. All My Loving
4. Listen To What The Man Said
5. Let Me Roll It/Foxy Lady Coda
6. Paperback Writer
7. My Valentine
8. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five
9. The Long And Winding Road
10. Maybe I'm Amazed
11. I've Just Seen A Face
12. We Can Work It Out
13. Another Day
14. And I Love Her
15. Blackbird
16. Here Today
17. New
18. Queenie Eye
19. Lady Madonna
20. All Together Now
21. Lovely Rita
22. Everybody Out There
23. Eleanor Rigby
24. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
25. Something
26. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
27. Band On The Run
28. Back In The U.S.S.R
29. Let It Be
30. Live And Let Die
31. Hey Jude

ENCORE ONE
32. Day Tripper
33. Hi, Hi, Hi
34. Get Back

ENCORE TWO
35. Yesterday
36. Helter Skelter
37. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End

Click to view

@PaulMcCartney - Minneapolis! Unbelievable!

An ever-youthful Paul McCartney packed nearly 40 songs nearly three hours.

When we met the Beatles, he was the cute one. Now when we are probably saying goodbye (or hello, from the young 'uns), he is the joyful one, the generous one, the ageless one.

In a marathon performance on Saturday at Target Field, Paul McCartney, 72, celebrated one of the richest legacies in the history of popular music. He may not have been as jittery as Jagger or as sweaty as Springsteen. But do they deliver 39 songs over nearly three hours? No, the Stones give you the satisfaction of 19 songs and the Boss might work in 27 or so selections.

Unlike Springsteen or Bob Dylan, Sir Paul doesn't really reimagine his songs. He simply recreated them to service his masses and their collective nostalgia. So what if his voice sounded strained from time to time on Saturday? He could work it out with an unstoppable spirit, a crackerjack band and a repertoire that was pretty unimpeachable (thankfully, no "Silly Love Songs" or "Ebony and Ivory").

Paul's personality has always been able to save him, whether a quick quip, a mugging pose with that face or a raising of his guitar, thumb or arms at the end of many a song. He wouldn't have exactly won awards for best patter at a concert. "This is great. This is cool," he said before "And I Love Her." "What good vibrations."

But, with his bangs blowin' in the wind and those skinny jeans that could have been plucked from his Carnaby Street-filled closet, McCartney reminded fans both young and old why his skill set has set him apart: His gift for melody, harmony and hooks, his flair for writing simple but sincere little love songs and his joy of performing.

While Springsteen may have a sense of purpose and Dylan just carries on like a cranky old minstrel, perpetually boyish Sir Paul plays for the sheer love of performing. It was even apparent on "Here Today," his 1982 tribute to John Lennon. His throat sounded hoarse when he introduced it Saturday, explaining it was the conversation he never got to have with his ex-mate. But then, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, his solo vocal performance was so heartfelt, so pure, so true - even the falsetto ending.

Without missing a beat, McCartney sashayed to the upright piano for the hopelessly buoyant "New," the title track of his 2013 album. Without any sense of hard-sell for the new disc, he offered a four-song sampler of "New."

The taste of Wings, McCartney's second band, came early, with "Listen to What the Man Said," 1974's "Nineteen Hundred and Eight-Five" and "Let Me Roll It," which was followed by an instrumental version of Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" and a story about Hendrix playing "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in concert two days after it was released - with John, Paul and Eric Clapton in the audience. It didn't matter McCartney had told that story in concert here before.

That Hendrix journey was about it for instrumental fireworks from Sir Paul, who is not big on guitar flash for either himself (he also played bass and piano) or his two sidemen. There was plenty of fireworks, literally, for Wings' "Live and Let Die," whose flame throwers, lasers and explosions were a cut below your average Kiss concert. As for other visual ads, there were shots of pulp book covers on giant video screens during "Paperback Writer" and, oddly, a photo of Anne Frank during "Lady Madonna." And of, course, there were plenty of video closeups of Sir Paul, who belies his age whether because of diet, makeup or show-biz tricks.

In McCartney's sixth Twin Cities performance in six decades, it was still the Beatles numbers that generated the biggest cheers from the crowd. There were some rarities, including "Lovely Rita" and the Lennon-identified "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite," which were never in the live repertoire. Even the opening "Eight Days a Week" hadn't been on a McCartney concert set list since the 1964.

Buoyed by the muscular drumming and crucial vocals of Abe Laboriel Jr., McCartney rocked out on the crisp and punchy "Hi Hi Hi," the jagged "Helter Skelter" and the rip-roaring "Back in the U.S.S.R." (introduced by the singer's impersonation of two Russian government officials when they met the Beatles). When Paul "Wix" Wickens' synthesized strings arrived in the middle of a heretofore solo acoustic "Yesterday," they diluted the power of Paul's biggest song. But all was good with the closing medley of "Golden Slumbers," "Carry the Weight" and "In the End," and who will ever forget the giant sing-alongs on "Get Back" and "Hey Jude," when 39,000 fans waved their hands bellowing the "na, na, na's" in what ranks as one of rock's those cherished goose-bump moments in concert right up there with waving your arms to Prince's "Purple Rain" and pumping your fist to Springsteen's "Born To Run."

And, in the end, McCartney declared, "We'll see you next summer." (???!!!) Get back, indeed.

more...

McCartney fans' common refrain: All we need is Paul

Saturday night's concert at Target Field struck a chord with fans who described Sir Paul as a "constant thread" in their lives.

And in the end, the love Paul McCartney took from his nearly three-hour concert Saturday at Target Field was equal to the adulation at July's All-Star Game and any other event the Twins' four-year-old ballpark has seen.

"He's a sure home run," said Tom Degannaro of Lino Lakes, a lifelong fan who - along with his wife and teenage daughter - was among the first of the roughly 40,000 concert attendees to arrive to the stadium. "It's about time he played another outdoor show here again."

The last time McCartney performed outside in Minnesota was when his old group the Beatles - ever heard of them? - tried to play over screaming teenage fans at Met Stadium in Bloomington in 1965.

Hardly just a baby boomer act, Sir Paul is still drawing teen fans to his shows, but under remarkably different circumstances. Gavin Bunnell of New Prague, 14, discovered his music when he received the video game "Beatles: Rock Band" for his 12th birthday.

"By the end of the first day of playing it, I was just obsessed with every one of the songs," said Bunnell, attending his first-ever concert. Quipped his mom Amy Hovel, "Nothing like starting out big."

Last seen in town at Xcel Energy Center in 2005 - his local average is just over one show per decade, with six concerts total now - McCartney was the first, major rock act to play Target Field, after two sold-out shows by country star Kenny Chesney and the smaller Skyline Music Fest. He is also now the only rocker to perform at all three of the Twins' ballparks, counting a solo show at the Metrodome in 1993.

McCartney, 72, took the giant stage in center field wearing a bright blue suit that looked more Brewers than Twins team colors, but it didn't stay on long anyway.

"That's my only wardrobe change of the night," he cracked after removing the jacket a few songs into his set, which opened with "Eight Days a Week." Within the first half-hour, he covered three of the five decades of his career, also including "All My Loving," the "Wings"-era rocker "Let Me Roll It" and his topical new song "Save Us."

During his sound check around 5 p.m. - which drew an early crowd that listened from outside the gates to the likes of "Drive My Car" and "Matchbox" - he also alluded to the muggy weather. "Turn down the heat," was his only instruction to his crew.

While there were no complaints about McCartney from fans during the show, things did get heated over the long lines to get through Target Field's new metal detectors - and even longer lines to get to the field, where a special wristband had to be handed out one-by-one.

"I'm fuming, when I should be all Beatles-y peace and love," complained Nancy Frank of St. Paul, who said it took her group nearly an hour to finally make it to their seat.

At least she got in. Hundreds of fans stood outside the gates listening to the show there, many of whom struck out trying to score a cheap last-minute ticket. Originally priced $36.50 to $250, seats were averaging above $250 at the resale site Stubhub.com earlier in the day.

Now the Twins grounds crew is wondering what price the playing field paid. About 8,000 seats were spread out on rubber padding laid over the grass.

"It's been a much better process than the last couple," said Twins groundskeeper Larry DeVito, referring to the Chesney concerts. However, DeVito's crew will have pulled off a quicker turnaround, since the Twins have an interleague game Tuesday against the Padres. "It's about as tight as we can do it, but I think we'll do fine," DeVito said.

Hardly concerned about the condition of the grass, super-Macca fan Amanda Wirig, 34, of Mankato, said she's worried the concert could be the rock legend's last time in Minnesota, given the age and the infrequency of his prior appearances.

"He's just been a constant thread in my life," said Wirig, echoing another fan's sign that caught McCartney's eye near the stage read, "I've been growing with you for 50 years."

Said Angie McCluskey, 58, of St. Cloud, who has seen him perform five previous times, "It just doesn't get any bigger than this, and probably never will."

Paul McCartney headlined a sold-out Target Field in Minneapolis on Saturday night, nearly nine years after his last Twin Cities concert at the Xcel Energy Center in 2005.

It took the Beatles roughly the same amount of time to get from "Love Me Do" to "The Long and Winding Road," setting the gold standard for popular rock music in the process. So, of course, McCartney -- looking every bit as spry at age 72 as he did back in '05 -- drew heavily from the Fab Four's back catalog for his wildly entertaining, nostalgic performance that drew everyone from retired boomers to squealing teenagers.

The ridiculously long, slow-moving lines at Target Field's gates pushed the start time back to 8:45 p.m., but Sir Paul set the evening's brisk pace from the very top, working in his new song "Save Us" between a pair of Beatles oldies, "Eight Days a Week" and "All My Loving."

Soon after, once the media photographers were ushered from the stage, McCartney stripped off his blue blazer and told the crowd that was the only costume change of the show.

While McCartney's energy and demeanor proved he's as ageless as ever, he can't quite hit all the notes like he once did, which was apparent starting with "Listen to What the Man Said," where he fumbled through the first verse. His current vocal approach started to make more sense during "Maybe I'm Amazed," dedicated to his late first wife, Linda, as he avoided many of the big notes, but saved up his vigor for the tail end of the song.

But really, that's nitpicking for a guy who rightfully stands as one of the most famous entertainers alive. McCartney has been keeping people grinning for more than five decades now, and he did the same Saturday night, whether it was Beatles hits ("The Long and Winding Road," "Hey Jude," "Lady Madonna") or his own potent solo and Wings smashes ("Live and Let Die," "Band on the Road," "Another Day").

For "Let Me Roll It," McCartney strapped on a guitar and transitioned into an abbreviated take on Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady."

His guitar heroics continued during "Paperback Writer," while Macca showed off his softer side, too, pulling out an acoustic guitar for a solo "Blackbird" (which 89.3 The Current listeners just chose as their No. 1 favorite McCartney song) and a ukulele for "Something," a tribute to his late bandmate George Harrison. He also gave a nod to John Lennon, telling the crowd his 1982 song "Here Today" was a conversation he never was able to have when Lennon was still alive.

It was McCartney himself who managed to nail the evening when he summed things up and said with a grin: "Beautiful night, beautiful stadium, great vibrations."

Should WINGS be nominated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? There's a debate amongst Beatles/Paul McCartney fans whether Wings is covered by Paul's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a "solo artist." Does Wings qualify as a band and are they worthy with a string of number one hits during the '70s? Should its band members be recognized for their contributions?

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Macca Report news continues with September 2014

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Jorie Gracen