Paul McCartney - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford , NJ - 6/16/2022

 Happy Birthday Paul McCartney. 80 years old today. Amazing.

 My daughter and I went to see Mr. McCartney the other night at Met Life Stadium the other night and could not have asked for more. He could have done 10 shows with completely different songs, and each one would be satisfying. 

I've been fortunate to see him 3 times,  not that many to devout Beatles fans, but I never am going to complain. Each time I saw him, I felt so fortunate to have the opportunity. And over and over I would think as each song was played, "he wrote that". So many of his songs have achieved mythic status that you feel as if they have always been around.

His concerts include a great mix of solo songs, Wings songs and, of course, Beatles songs. And to see a Beatle do a Beatles song is something special.

For this pre Birthday show, which was also the final night of the U.S. tour, he brought out Bruce Springsteen to do a couple songs. Bruce performed his song Glory Days, fitting given the occasion, and shared vocals on I Wanna Be Your Man. He also came back for the the guitar trade off during The End. 

 A little later, Jon Bon Jovi came out with a handful of balloons for Paul and led the crowd in Happy Birthday.

 Mr. McCartney's voice is showing signs of age, but got stronger as the night went on. He sounded best during the semi acoustic portion when he did a lot of his older catalog, To hear him do songs like The Quarrymen song In Spite of All the Danger, and Love Me Do were the biggest highlights of a show full of highlights.

His longtime band, Wix Wickens on keyboards/guitar/harmonica, Rusty Anderson on guitar, Brian Ray on Guitar & Bass and Abe Laboriel Jr. on drums were augmented by a 3 piece horn section. An amazing band who I hope back Paul for years to come.

 For all the decades of timeless music and treating us fans to a concert like this one, I thank Paul McCartney.

 Happy Birthday and many many more.

 Here is the setlist:

 Can't Buy Me Love(Beatles song)

 Junior's Farm(Wings song)

 Letting Go(Wings song)

 Got To Get You Into My Life(Beatles song)

 Come On To Me

 Let Me Roll It(Wings song) w/Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix cover) Outro

 Getting Better(Beatles song)

 Let 'Em In(Wings song)

 My Valentine

 Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five(Wings song)

 Maybe I'm Amazed

 I've Just Seen a Face(Beatles song)

 In Spite of All the Danger(Quarrymen song)

 Love Me Do(Beatles Song)

 Dance Tonight

 Blackbird(Beatles song)

 Here Today

 New

 Lady Madonna(Beatles song)

 Fuh You

 Jet(Wings song)

 Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite(Beatles song)

 Something(Beatles song)

 Ob-La-Di,Ob-La-Da(Beatles song)

 You Never Give Me Your Money/She Came in Through the Bathroom Window(Beatles song)

 Get Back(Beatles Song)

 Band on the Run(Wings song)

 Glory Days(Bruce Springsteen song) w/Bruce Springsteen

 I Wanna Be Your Man(Beatles song) w/Bruce Springsteen

 Let It Be(Beatles song)

 Hey Jude(Beatles song)

 

 I've Got a Feeling(Beatles song) w/video image of John Lennon

 Happy Birthday - Jon Bon Jovi

 Birthday(Beatles song)

 Helter Skelter(Beatles song)

 Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End(Beatles song) w/Bruce Springsteen

 

Paul & Bruce

Bruce

Paul & Jon

 

Bruce & Brian Ray

 

Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band - Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ - 6/10/2022

 As fortunate as I felt to be able to see Ringo Starr this tour after a two and a half year wait, I felt even more fortunate having read that the remaining dates of his summer tour have been postponed. 

 First off, I wish Edgar Winter and Steve Lukather a quick recovery as they have been diagnosed with Covid. Hopefully their symptoms will be minimal and the rest of the band can manage to avoid catching it. Mr. Winter was not part of the Red Bank show having tested positive for covid during their run at the Beacon Theatre in New York.

 This time around, The All Starr Band consists of Colin Hay of Men at Work, Steve Lukather of Toto, Hamish Stuart of Average White Band, super drummer Gregg Bissonette and multi instrumentalist Warren Hamm.

 With Edgar Winter not appearing,the setlist was shortened by 3 songs, but was still pretty incredible. For me, getting to see a Beatle perform live is always something to be grateful for, and anything extra is icing on the cake.

 As usual per the All Starr Band shows, Ringo opened the show with a few songs, handed the spotlight over to his fellow band members, and played drums when not standing center stage. He did sing and play drums on both on Boys and I Wanna Be Your Man. However, is is pretty hard to take your eyes off him even when not up front. Endlessly charming with energy to spare, he really does not seem to have aged since the first time I saw him in the late 80's. And, HE'S A BEATLE.

 The band sounded great and each member performed some of the biggest songs from their careers. Mr. Hamm was spotlighted several times on saxophone, flute and shared lead vocals on a couple songs. Mr. Bissonette included a few familiar drum parts during his solo, like The Beatles Ticket to Ride and Led Zeppelin's Rock & Roll.

  A great concert, and so grateful to get the chance to be there.

 

 Here is the setlist:

 Matchbox (Beatles song / Carl Perkins cover) - Ringo

 It Don't Come Easy - Ringo

 What Goes On ( Beatles song)

 Rosanna (Toto song) - Steve Lukather & Warren Hamm

 Pick Up The Pieces  (Average White Band song) - Hamish Stuart

 Down Under ( Men at Work song) - Colin Hay

 Boys (Beatles song / Shirelles cover) - Ringo

 I'm The Greatest - Ringo

 Yellow Submarine (Beatles song) - Ringo

 Cut The Cake (Average White Band song) - Hamish Stuart, no Ringo, Gregg Bissonette drum solo

 Octopus's Garden (Beatles song) - Ringo

 Back Off Boogaloo - Ringo

 Overkill (Men at Work song) - Colin Hay

 Africa (Toto song) - Steve Lukather & Colin Hay

 Work to Do (Average White Band song) - Hamish Stuart

 I Wanna Be Your Man (Beatles song) - Ringo

 Who Can It Be Now (Men at Work song) - Colin Hay

 Hold The Line (Toto song) - Steve Lukather

 Photograph - Ringo

 Act Naturally (Beatles Song / Johnny Russell cover) - Ringo

 With a Little Help From My Friends (Beatles song) / Give Peace a Chance (Plastic Ono Band cover) - Ringo

    

 

 

Warren Hamm, Steve Lukather, Ringo Starr, Hamish Stuart, Gregg Bissonette, Colin Hay

In Memoriam - Alec John Such

                                                              Rest in Peace