Quote:Paul McCartney delivered a message to the cheering audience at Wrigley Field on Sunday, July 31:

This is how to rock.

Visiting Chicago for the first time since 2005, McCartney showed fans that age is nothing but a number, as he played over 30 songs with no breaks. Backed by his excellent band-drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., guitarists Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray, and keyboardist Paul "Wix" Wickens-he charged hard through songs covering his Beatles, Wings, and solo careers, leaning more toward the uptempo numbers than his signature ballads. Blazing guitars ruled the evening, with McCartney's strong voice hitting the same high notes as on the original recordings.

...The enthusiasm continued with Band on the Run's "Let Me Roll It," which sounds even blusier live than it does on record. McCartney's growling voice effectively conveyed the song's passion, and demonstrated his love of blues as well as rock. In another nod to his influences, the band played a segment of Jimi Hendrix's Foxy Lady," with McCartney treating the audience to a blistering guitar solo. The hits just kept on coming: "Paperback Writer," which fit in perfectly with the overall harder tone of the night, only to be followed by "The Long and Winding Road," with McCartney's voice sounding clear.

...Sweating through his shirt but not slowing down in the least, McCartney showed off his love for rootsy rock and roll with "Back in the USSR," and "I've Got a Feeling," with Anderson and Laboriel taking over Lennon's singing parts. As if that weren't enough, the band roared into an extended jam, with McCartney performing a scorching guitar solo. Another surprise, "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," inspired a spirited sing-along, with McCartney stepping away from the microphone to let the audience take over.

...Despite the concert's length, McCartney remained in fine voice for the second encore, which included an exquisite version of "Yesterday." Ending the evening with a bang with the one-two punch of "Helter Skelter" and the finale of the Abbey Road medley ("Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End"), he definitively answered the question: Can one still rock over age 30? The answer: without a doubt. "Helter Skelter" approached metal territory with Laboriel's pounding drums, the crunch of the guitars, and McCartney's screaming vocals.

I have seen McCartney at least five times, and this show rocked harder than any other concert I've attended.

Quote:For the second straight night, Paul McCartney took the stage at Chicago's Wrigley Field, and once again, a stadium full of people went home marveling at what they saw.

Sir Paul performed 36 songs over three hours, stopping only twice during the encore breaks, and he fit in most of the Beatles' biggest hits.

..."We're gonna have a party here tonight at Wrigley!," he exclaimed early on, and he was right about that. Fans danced wildly in the aisles during the combo of "Band on the Run," which rocked harder than anything else on this evening, the rollicking "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," and a furious "Back in the USSR."

The setlist was very similar to Sunday's show, with a few Beatles songs interchanged. Instead of "Hello Goodbye," "Drive My Car" and "Get Back," Monday fans were treated to "Magical Mystery Tour," "Birthday" and "I Saw Her Standing There." The last choice was particularly mind-blowing - how often do you get to see a nearly 50-year-old song performed live by its original artist?

The final hour was one massive high after another.

http://www.examiner.com/live-music-in-chicago/paul-mccartney-wrigley-field-chicago