Paul McCartney at Citi Field, the first (of three) shows, Friday, July 17, 2009

If you know me, even a little, you know how much of a Paul McCartney (and Beatles) devotee I am. My love for the Fab Four goes back to when I was four years old and is stronger than ever forty years later. In addition to being a Beatles Manic, I am also a life long, hardcore fan of the New York Mets (for better or worse!). Put the two together, it becomes a Darren DeVivo utopia! Last night (Friday, July 17) I experienced nirvana!

On August 15, 1965, the Beatles headlined the first concert at the then new home of the Mets, William A. Shea Municipal Stadium (Shea opened it’s doors in April 1964). It was pop music’s first venture into an outdoor venue as large as an arena or stadium. The possibilities for presenting live music were now endless, as were the potential profits. Year by year, concerts became bigger and louder, bringing us to the present, where large concerts in massive stadiums are commonplace. But it all started to grow that steamy Sunday night in Flushing, Queens, when the Beatles headlined a multi-act show with a set that was barely a half hour long, performed from a small stage on second base and heard through small amps and the stadium’s public address system. The Beatles headlined this, the first concert ever at Shea Stadium.

Fast forward to the summer of 2008, the final year for my beloved Shea Stadium. With the new Citi Field looming out beyond the scoreboard and outfield walls, Shea hosted is final concert, called “The Last Play At Shea”, two shows in July by New York’s own, Billy Joel. At the end of that second, and final, show, one of the Beatles, Paul McCartney, returned to Shea one last time, 43 years after appearing for the first time.

It’s now 2009, a new era. Shea is completely gone, removed from this earth. It’s now a parking lot for Citi Field. And last night, Sir Paul McCartney, former Beatle, headlined the first ever concert at the new home of the Mets, Citi Field, 44 years after headlining the first show at Shea. What a triumphant way to open this new baseball palace. What a way to add another historic event to an already incredible career!

I have seen almost all of Paul’s New York City area shows since he returned to the live stage in 1989. Most of these shows have taken place at Madison Square Garden. One even took place at the Highline Ballroom, a club in Manhattan’s meat packing district. Last night’s first show in a series of three at Citi Field might have been the best show I have ever seen Paul do. The energy Paul had, and gave off, was remarkable since it came from a man who is 67 years old. His voice, which has been gradually aging over the past twenty or so years, was amazing and sounded stronger than many of his live performances from the 1990s. His band, which has been at his side for almost ten years now, was incredible. They feature keyboardist and vocalist Paul “Wix” Wickens, who has been with Paul for around twenty years now, lead guitarist Rusty Anderson, guitarist, bassist and vocalist Brian Ray, as well drumming powerhouse and vocalist, Abe Laboriel, Jr. Playing with these guys makes Paul as tough a rocker as virtually anyone out there! If I had any issues with the show, it was Paul’s continued tendency to slow down the pace with an overlong, mostly acoustic set in the middle of the show. Also, Paul needs to develop new on stage shtick. He has been saying and doing some of the same things for years. For example, his “stunned” reaction to the pyrotechnics during “Live And Let Die” is getting a bit old. Some of his rehearsed banter also needs to be freshened up. But, these are minor complaints. The energy and enthusiasm Paul displayed on a very warm, humid and rainy night was remarkable. Yes, rain! For more than half the show, a steady shower fell, but it had little effect on the crowd. Neither did the distant lightning that briefly lit the skies.

The Script, a new band from Dublin, opened the show, becoming the first act to ever play live at Citi Field. Their set was forgettable, but their sound was more than suited for large, outdoor venues.

Here is the set list for Paul McCartney’s two and a half hour performance, with occasional notes:

• Drive My Car (The Beatles)

• Jet (Wings)

• Only Mama Knows (from Paul’s most recent solo album, Memory Almost Full)

• Flaming Pie

• Got To Get You Into My Life (The Beatles, with images from the soon to be released game “Rock Band The Beatles” shown behind the stage)

• Let Me Roll It / Foxey Lady (The Wings song coupled with a Jimi Hendrix finale)

• Highway (The Fireman, from the album Electric Arguments, released last year)

• The Long And Winding Road (The Beatles, the pace of the show slows here)

• My Love (Wings, written about and dedicated to Linda McCartney)

• Blackbird (The Beatles, the acoustic section of the show is under way)

• Here Today (written for and dedicated to John Lennon)

• Dance Tonight (from Paul’s most recent solo album, Memory Almost Full; Paul plays mandolin)

• Calico Skies

• Mrs. Vandebilt (Wings, the pace of the show starts to pick up)

• Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles)

• Sing The Changes (The Fireman, from the album Electric Arguments, released last year)

• Band On The Run (Wings)

• Back In The USSR (The Beatles)

• I’m Down (The Beatles)

• Something (The Beatles, dedicated to George Harrison, with Paul playing the first half of the song by himself on ukulele)

• I’ve Got A Feeling (The Beatles, with a heavy ending)

• Paperback Writer (The Beatles)

• A Day In The Life / Give Peace A Chance (The Beatles / John’s Plastic Ono Band, again, a nod to John Lennon)

• Let It Be (The Beatles)

• Live And Let Die (Wings, with explosives, fire and fireworks launched off the top of the stage)

• Hey Jude (The Beatles)

FIRST ENCORE

• Day Tripper (The Beatles)

• Lady Madonna (The Beatles)

• I Saw Her Standing There (The Beatles, with Billy Joel on piano and vocals)

SECOND ENCORE

• Yesterday (The Beatles)

• Helter Skelter (The Beatles)

• Get Back (The Beatles)

• Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) / The End (both The Beatles)

The show ended with a blizzard of confetti shot from the top of the stage. (Citi Field maintenance must have loved that!)

Even with the uncomfortable warmth and the steady rain, the first of his three shows at Citi Field was a complete triumph. At 67, there is no doubt that Paul McCartney has a lot of gas left in his tank to keep riding down the long and winding road.