Paul McCartney Nashville Show, July 26th, 2010

I couldn't help but jot down the track list of last night's Paul McCartney show. What an amazing evening Michelle and I had listening to Paul and band rock out for 3 hours. Here's the rundown:

Sir Paul is on.

On the Hofner bass...
• Venus and Mars straight into...
• Rock Show straight into...
• Jet. Some stage banter and into...
• All My Loving with Beatles multimedia show, more banter and into…
• Letting Go
• Got To Get You Into My Life

On electric guitar...
• Highway by alter ego Fireman
• Let Me Roll It and then a Jimi Hendrix jam, told story about Jimi memorizing Sgt Peppers the weekend it came out and opening his show with it. And asking Clapton to tune his guitar in the middle of the show.

On piano...
• The Long and Winding Road with bizarre photos of Arizona
• 1985
• Let 'em In
• My Love, talked about writing it for Linda

On acoustic guitar...
• I'm Looking Through You
• Chiquita jam
• Two Of Us

On acoustic all alone...
• Blackbird with opening comment about 60s and civil rights
• Here Today with touching intro about John Lennon

On Mandolin…
• Dance Tonight

On acoustic guitar ...
• Mrs. Vanderbilt
• Eleanor Rigby

On Ukulele...
• Ram, then talked about how good a ukulele player George Harrison was, and told story about how George gave him one. Paul learned one of George's songs and played it for him- and into...
• Something with awesome photos of George

On Hofner bass...
• Sing the Changes
• Band on the Run with awesome vintage footage of the photo shoot for the album cover
• Obla di obla da, never heard live until this tour
• Back in the USSR Back

On electric guitar...
• I've Got a Feeling
• Paperback writer (using original guitar Paul recorded the song with) and a wrap jam

On Hofner Bass...
• Day in the Life straight into...
• Give Peace a Chance

On piano...
• Let it Be
• Live and Let Die

On Psychedelic piano...
• Hey Jude

Encore (on Hofner bass)...
• Day Tripper
• Lady Madonna
• Get Back (with a goofy Mexican kid from the audience)

2nd Encore...
• Yesterday
Then he signed the back of a girl who had a Hofner bass tattooed on her back

3rd Encore...
• Helter Skelter, final comments and closed with...
• Sgt Peppers (reprise) straight into...
• The End

Vuvuszel Horn Sickness

I tried to watch my first World Cup soccer game yesterday. I had heard about the vuvuszel horn craziness, but I hadnt ever heard one. After 10 minutes of watching the game and hearing the constant buzz of the horns I started to feel a bit dizzy and stick to my stomach.

No more World Cup for me.

Here's an interesting article from The Guardian/UK:

World Cup 2010: BBC may offer vuvuzela-free matches

South Africa defends plastic horns which have sparked global debate over loud drone and are selling out in Britain

The BBC was investigating the possibility of transmitting an alternative "vuvuzela free" version of its World Cup coverage tonight, as the fierce debate over the buzz of the horn looked set to be heading for football grounds all over Britain.

As players, fans and coaches weighed in on whether the loud drone of the plastic horns was an annoying irritant or joyful expression of African culture, South African organisers hit back and encouraged visiting fans to export them back to their own countries.

At the same time, fans in Britain have been snapping up the horns at the rate of one every two seconds and suppliers claimed the UK had been gripped by "vuvuzela fever".

"Vuvuzelas are here to stay and will never be banned," said Rich Mkhondo, a spokesman for the local World Cup organising committee. "People love the vuvuzelas around the world. Only a minority are against vuvuzelas."

And yet again... I'm in the minority.

Interesting Quote of the Day

Interesting quote of the day:

"During an interview on CNN’s Reliable Sources on Sunday, Rabbi David Nesenoff, known for exposing Helen Thomas’s anti-Semitic views, informed viewers that, up until now, he has considered himself to be a liberal Democrat – who even opposed the Iraq War and supported Barack Obama – but now asserts that...

"I have to really reevaluate liberal and conservative and really find out where I stand because I think I've been a little blind."

If I Were President

My 8 year old girl R completed a 1st grade school project, “If I Were President.” It’s a 7 page packet with lead-ins for each panel, and a space for her to add her thoughts and ideas. In 2040, please consider her as you vote for US President.

If I Were President by R

If I were President, the first thing I would do is:
Help everyone. But I would not take money from the rich and give it to the poor. Because the poor did not earn that money.

If I were President, I would eat:
good things like broclie, corn and beons.

If I were President, I would travel to:
Hawaii and Montana.

If I were President, I would have a pet:
dog and cat named Bella and Nickey.

If I were President, I would pass a law that: There would be no bullying! (I guess they don’t teach 1st graders yet that Presidents don’t pass laws).

If I were President, I would help: everyone. (Not just ACORN and the unions. OK- that last bit was mine).

Final Comments: I don’t think I would like to be the President. I think it is too much work! I mean, I would love to help people, but it would not work.

Carrie Underwood is no Paul McCartney

I’m a huge Paul fan. Huge. If I ever got to meet him I’d for sure lose my cool and start babbling on and on like an idiot peppering him with comments and questions that would ID me as a crazed fan in an instant. I loved this and that song! What did you mean when you wrote this line? What was it like writing and performing with John Lennon? Could you sing ‘Michelle’ for me right now so I could record it on my phone and show my wife? And on, and on…

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet and spend time with Carrie Underwood as part of a project at work I’m involved with. I knew who she was- I’m not living under a rock- but I had never listened to a song by her, nor spent the last 30 years memorizing all her music, learning it on guitar and piano, and trying to imitate her voice and delivery style. For one reason at least… she wasn’t even born 30 years ago. To me- she was a famous singer that I knew little about and I was thrilled that she was part of our project. End of story.

So when I got to meet her, it was like meeting anyone else- simple and honest conversation. Where are you from? Tell me about your family. What’s going on in your life? What’s next for you? It was great getting to know her, learning she’s a neighbor (has a place right down the road from us in Leipers Fork and her main home is up the road a bit farther away), and sharing about our respective favorite music, people, places and food. Later in the week there was a party for the folks on the project and I even got to sit next to her and ended up harmonizing on a song when the party shifted from chit-chat to group sing when a couple guys got out guitars. It was Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours.”

She is a lovely person, wonderful voice, great spirit- and now I’m a fan. Started listening to her music and it’s amazing. I’ve been missing out. But- If I get the chance to hang with her again, I’m afraid I might come off a bit different now. And of course I’ll want pictures with her and for her to sign my shirt with a sharpie.