Sir Paul McCartney at Lolla-PAUL-ooza Chicago 7-31-2015

I posted a bit about Lolla-PAUL-ooza on facebook, but should probably put it here on my poor neglected blog as well.... I loved the show and had a fabulous time. Paul keeps putting on wonderful shows and he is now reaching out to a wider and younger audience. I'll admit that I was a little pissed at him for doing Lollapalooza because I really hate crowds and the idea of general admission for such a large audience was a bit scary. I am old enough to remember the Who concert where all the people were trampled. My friend and I were pretty far back but out of the madness, safe up in our perch. We made signs on pillowcases and hung over the rail. Macca put on a tremendous show under a full moon and set the city on fire during Live and Let Die - the song that always makes the show worth seeing.

I've seen McCartney a half dozen times. Although this show was only 2 hours instead of the usual 3, it had some great moments, including bringing Brittany of Alabama Shakes back out to join in Get Back, and playing Something on the ukulele. He performed some of his newer songs (I love Save Us) and he skipped Yesterday and Long & Winding Road (not my favorites anyway with his aging vocal chords).

The young crowd at Lollapalooza was enthusiastically singing Four-Five Seconds, a Rihanna/Kanye West song which Macca seamlessly merged with We Can Work It Out. Only Sir Paul could take a song by modern hip-hoppers and follow it with a 50 year old tune played with an accordian and keep 'em singing!

I was hoping he'd bring his mandolin and sing Dance Tonight so his drummer Abe could amuse us with his fine dance moves, but that didn't happen. They also skipped the confetti blast at the end, but in compensation, there were extra fireworks at the end of the show. As we were all slowly leaving the park and in total gridlock, the kids started singing the na-nas from Hey Jude. That gives me great hope for this generation ....and I'm happy to report that I survived Lolla-PAUL-ooza and can't wait for him to come back to Chicago again.

Here's the CONCERT SETLIST

1. Magical Mystery Tour

2. Save Us

3. Got To Get You Into My Life

4. Let Me Roll It/Foxy Lady Coda

5. Paperback Writer

6. My Valentine

7. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five

8. Maybe I'm Amazed

9. I've Just Seen A Face

10. FourFiveSeconds

11. We Can Work It Out

12. And I Love Her

13. Blackbird

14. Here Today

15. Queenie Eye

16. Lady Madonna

17. Eleanor Rigby

19. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!

19. Something

20. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

21. Band On The Run

22. Back In The USSR

23. Let It Be

24. Live And Let Die

25. Hey Jude

ENCORE

26. Hi Hi Hi

27. Can't Buy Me Love

28. Get Back (with Britney Howard of Alabama Shakes)

29. Helter Skelter

30. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End