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‘No such thing as a lousy seat for McCartney concert’

The British icon will take the stage Aug. 4 at the Great American Ball Park.

AP Photo Paul McCartney performs his On the Run tour at Yankee Stadium. He'll bring the tour to the Great American Ballpark Aug. 4.

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By Eric Robinette 11:17 PM Thursday, July 28, 2011

One of my co-workers recently told me on Facebook that he had “lousy seats” to Paul McCartney’s concert on Aug. 4 at the Great American Ball Park.

I replied, “There is no such thing as a lousy seat at a Paul McCartney concert.”

I mean, think about it. Whether you’re way up high in the nosebleeds or near the stage in center field, you are breathing the same air as a Beatle. And there’s nothing bad about that.

Trust me, I know. I’ve been to five Paul McCartney concerts, and I’ve had seats that made it hard to tell if I was looking at a beetle or an ex-Beatle. But all five of the shows have been powerfully memorable, and not just for the music.

1. Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, February 1990

My first McCartney show will always be my favorite. For a Beatlemaniac like me, there’s simply nothing that compares to seeing Macca step out on stage for the first time. The greatest fun of this show actually happened later, when the performance of “Hey Jude” was issued on the album “Tripping the Live Fantastic.” That means I’m there with tens of thousands of people singing “Na-na-na-na, Hey Jude.” So for 21 years I’ve told people that I sing backup on one of Paul McCartney’s albums — and I’m not lying.

2. Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, July 1990

This was pretty much the same concert that I saw earlier that year, but my favorite memory of this particular show was when McCartney sang “The Long and Winding Road.” About halfway through the number, his microphone went out, and it was fun to watch the sound technicians scrambling like ants in a storm. Paul was classy enough to start the song again from where his mic went kaput, but alas, the new mic went kaput also when he tried to adjust it. Exasperated, Paul went from the piano to his center stage mic and said “I’m not touching this one.”

3. Riverfront Stadium, May 1993

Paul and his band usually pay tribute to local sports teams. When he gave a shout-out to the Cincinnati Reds, he seemed surprised when the crowd jeered. Later on, he asked how many of the crowd were from out of town. When a significant number cheered, that’s when Paul said “So that’s why the Cincinnati Reds aren’t universally loved!”

4. Gund Arena, Cleveland, April 2002

This was the first concert I saw featuring Paul’s touring band that has stuck with him ever since: Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray on guitar, Paul “Wix” Wickens on keyboards and Abe Laboriel on drums. This was also the first concert I saw after Paul’s wife, Linda, passed away, and I remember Paul dedicating “My Love” to her, saying she had family in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights.

5. Shottenstein Center, Columbus, October 2005

Paul threw some real surprises into this set list, including “Too Many People,” my favorite song from the “Ram,” album, and “I’ll Get You,” the first Beatles song he played that was an equal Lennon/McCartney co-write. One of the most fun moments was when he played “I’ll Follow the Sun,” from 1964. The song was so short, he stopped and started the song, repeating the end refrain three times.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 orerobinette@coxohio.com.

How to go

Who: Paul McCartney

When: 8 p.m. Aug. 4

Where: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati

Cost: $39.50-$250

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