Showing posts with label The Beatles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Beatles. Show all posts

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Paul McCartney: a concert review

Dead center seats. Photos by Yvette Wild

There’s nothing better than a performer who does a little jig with glee on stage because he is genuinely happy to be performing for you. Beatle or no, a Paul McCartney is certain to please, even if you’re not so familiar with some of his more recent material. The evening of Saturday July 10, 2010 was a cool one, but not so chilly as some Giants fans might have experienced right on The Bay during a San Franciscan summer.

AT&T Park was packed and the energy was buzzing as fans awaited Paul McCartney’s first performance in San Francisco since The Beatles' last concert tour appearance at Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966. McCartney said that things have changed since then, rather than just hearing the screaming girls, we have these “loud things” referencing the ginormous sound system.

I bought the $59 dollar seats, just to see what extra $10 would get me. Turned out to be totally worth it as we were in the View Box in second, row directly over home plate and right smack center.

McCartney and his band played a set list 35 songs long basically alternating between Beatles and non-Beatles tunes.

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE

NOTE: Some people have been complaining (on examiner.com) about a comment I made addressing McCartney's age. It is true that Paul is 68, but what I unfortunately failed to mention is how in awe I am of his energy on stage. He truly is a wonderful performer and a joy to watch - jigs and mumblings and all (I sing and dance and mumble to myself and I'm 30!) The man is adorable and a living legend, wouldn't it be nice to be so totally on your game at that age? What else can I say?

AT&T Park gets decked out for a live show - that's Oakland and the Bay in the background

"Live and Let Die" fireworks

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Who is your favorite Beatle?: The results to an informal survey

The Beatles battle it out for your affections

For months I've been asking you all: "who is your favorite Beatle?" (Sorry if it's been annoying!)

In honor of Ringo Starr’s 70th birthday and Paul McCartney’s live performance return to San Francisco at AT&T Park this Saturday, July 10th, I’ve finally posted these articles on Examiner.com (one for every Beatle).

Thank you to all of you who responded. Your responses were fascinating and I had so much fun writing about this topic!

In my findings, the order of most popular to least popular went like this: John, George, Ringo, Paul. A scientific national poll of Americans had a very different opinion (Paul is "America's favorite Beatle").

So who is your favorite Beatle? Are you a fan of the rock’n’roller who got political? How about the quiet spiritual one? Maybe your favorite was the cute one who wrote silly love songs? Or perhaps you go for the underdog? Please feel free to disagree.


And just because: please read this fabulous essay on mightygodking.com (if you haven't already) entitled "Scenes From An Alternate Universe Where The Beatles Accepted Lorne Michaels' Generous Offer." If you are a Beatles fan, you will be moved. Please read at least until the battle of the bands between The Beatles and the Electric Mayhem. It's brilliant.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Happy 30th birthday to me and perhaps the worst Beatles song ever written


Today is my 30th birthday! I'm happy to leave the 20's behind and start acting like and adult. HA, yeah right.

I know a couple other people with my same birthday (I was with one of them last night at midnight and we sang to ourselves) and in an attempt to wish them a happy birthday, I remembered the Beatles' song "You Say it's Your Birthday." I never really thought about it, but this is a pretty terrible song. Thanks Paul McCartney.

For my birthday I've arranged for Billy Joel and Elton John to personally serenade me, my Mom, my Dad and 25,000 of my closest friends at the Oakland Coliseum. Can't wait.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Scenes From An Alternate Universe Where The Beatles Accepted Lorne Michaels’ Generous Offer

Imagine a world where the Beatles continue to make music well into the 80s and 90s and work to change the world for the better - together - until they were old men.

Thanks Greg for tweeting about this. It made me way too emotional for a Wednesday morning. But I loved it!

READ IT HERE on MightyGodKing.com

My favorite part: A battle of the bands on the Muppet Show with the Electric Mayhem:
The episode [where the Beatles appear] is the highest rated episode of The Muppet Show in the show’s history and the most watched television program of the entire year, beating even the news coverage of the 1980 American presidential election. The undisputed highlight of the episode is the “battle of the bands” between the Beatles and the Electric Mayhem (although Starr says his duet with Fozzie the Bear remains his personal favorite moment). Jim Henson would later say that the Beatles episode “rejuvenated” his joy in working on the show, which by that point he had begun to feel was growing stale: the show continues for another seven seasons.
Read the rest here

(I'm noticing that I post a good deal about Muppets... interesting)

Thursday, July 30, 2009

People who yell at each other on the internet

I just wanted to point out that there are two people that have been yelling at each other on one of my Michael Jackson vs. Beatles articles from last month and continue to do so. 

I don't even know what they're arguing about anymore. But just yesterday one of them admitted to being from Canada and then the other one started to lay into him for that. He even brought up "Blame Canada" from South Park. It's pretty funny.

I thought about stepping in at pointing out how ridiculous they are being, but then it might stop. And this is just too fun.

Check out the back and forth here on Examiner.com

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Counter rebuttal: Michael Jackson vs. The Beatles in worldwide popularity

Frenimies: Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson

I've heard many fantastic opinions and facts commenting on whether Michael Jackson was more popular worldwide than The Beatles.  I guess Elvis and, as one smart lady suggested, Frank Sinatra are out of the running.  Really, this is a ridiculous comparison since you can't compare the world music industry of the 80s to that of the 60s. The world is a different place, record distribution and radio/television is different and music is itself, of course, totally different.

Read my original post "Was Michael Jackson more popular worldwide than The Bealtes or Elvis?" here.

Read the counter rebuttal "No, Michael Jackson was not more popular than The Beatles" from The Beatles Examiner here.

My response to Beatles Examiner Steve Marinucci is this: you, and many others, have spent a lot of time quoting record sales and musical influence; unfortunately record sales equals popularity in this world of music we live in. I personally don't own any Michael Jackson records (I'm a much bigger Beatles fan by the way) and I know all of his hits. All of them, word by word.

Read more of my Examiner.com article and some of the fantastic comments that readers have left arguing one side or the other.

I'm pretty proud of the debate I started...  : )

Friday, June 26, 2009

Michael Jackson the most popular artist in the world?




I have a theory that Michael Jackson is the most popular musician in the world, more popular than Elvis and The Beatles.

I'm not saying that more people have heard of him than The Beatles or Elvis, but that he has more DIEHARD fans across the world that LOVE his music and idolize him.

READ MY ARTICLE WHERE EVERYONE STARTS YELLING AT ME ON EXAMINER.COM

I once read a story (and now the image is left in my memory) of a man somewhere in the world on a camel with a huge boombox blasting some MJ. I wish I could remember where I read that.

I also heard a story on NPR yesterday that a reporter was at a party with people who were too cool to dance. The DJ, desperate to get the party started, played an MJ track and everyone started dancing. Then he played another and another and another and worked the crowd into a frenzy.

You know, something like this...


Even if you don't own any MJ, you will know it.

Please let me know what you think of this theory. Especially if you do not live in the Western/first world. I'm interested to know.

One thing is for sure, the guy led a tough and misunderstood existence. But he brought the world some amazing music and will be greatly missed.

Thanks for the grooves Michael!

Please share any stories that you might have of being far away from Motown and seeing or hearing some Michael Jackson in a unexpected place. I'd like to know.

***UPDATE***

So after I posted the original article on Examiner.com, the Beatles Examiner posted this rebuttal. What I noticed about all of the folks who disagreed with me is that no one really understood what I was saying: record sales, money, music industry stuff and ratings prove NOTHING when we're talking about third world and non-western countries. But folks kept quoting numbers and charts.

So I wrote this counter-rebuttal and then the Beatles examiner wrote this second rebuttal. It was fun. My post received a lot of hits and many many of people yelling at me and each other.

I still hold true that Michael Jackson is the most well loved entertainer in the world at this moment. We can look at this topic again in ten years and re-evaluate.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Who is your favorite Beatle and why?


Take a moment to pick your favorite Beatle in the poll over there on the right.  And if you have another moment, please comment and explain why you've made that choice. Be as specific or ridiculous as you want.  

This is a little survey that will hopefully make things interesting on my Band of Boys blog.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

I love this moment: Ferris Bueller and "Twist and Shout"


I know we all love this movie, and we all love this moment.  I just thought you should relive it, just for fun. 

What I really love about this scene is how, twenty years or so after its release, a song recorded by The Beatles brings an entire city together.  I know it's a movie and these people were probably paid to do this, but all of these people KNOW this song. They LOVE this song.  And they are having a good time grooving to it.  It's just a universal super feel good moment.  It makes me smile every time I watch this movie. 

I love the folks dancing down the stairs, the window washer, the busty Bavarian float dancers shimmying their stuff, the little kid hold his hands over his ears and that one guy playing the Sousaphone (a wearable tuba) out in front who is totally getting down!

Enjoy. 


Sunday, October 26, 2008

What's YOUR favorite Beatles song?: Let's get interactive



Hello reader!  I know you're out there, and there are quite a few of you! Thank you so much!  I'm having such a good time with this blog, and I'm so excited that so many of you enjoy reading.

Everyday I think of more and more things to write about, so I won't be going anywhere. As this blog is so aptly named, "there's always more to hear" and I don't see my interest in good music going anywhere.

SO, because I want to hear from you: Here's a question:

What is your favorite Beatles song and why?  Do share.  Please leave your answer as a comment. I know this question is VERY hard to answer, but give it your best go.  Just pick one.

If I had to chose (and this choice might change tomorrow depending on my mood), I would say my favorite is "Tomorrow Never Knows," the last track on Revolver.  Whenever I hear it, I sort of celebrate a little.

Why?  The lyrics are awesome.  They are so indicative of the late 60s and The Beatles' humanitarian pacifism:
Turn off your mind,
Relax and float down stream
and 
That love is all 
And love is everyone
I love the sitar and the use of that seagull like sound which I believe to be a recording of Paul laughing played backwards at various speeds.  I also think Ringo plays one of the phattest drum beats he ever laid down.  I also remember reading somewhere that John told producer George Martin that he wanted to sound like the Dali Lama singing from a mountain top. And George's backwards guitar solo?  How cool!

What's your favorite Beatles song and why?