When a rock legend makes an appearance in the ATL, people will braveeven the worst summer storms to see him. Paul McCartney performed to an
ocean of onlookers in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park on Saturday, August 15.
The former Beatle rocked the massive crowd at Piedmont, even as the
summer sky released a torrential downpour. Sir Paul showed why he’s
still one of the biggest ticket draws in the world, playing to a crowd
that extended past race, class and age.
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Still the affable, likeable stage personality he’s been for over 40
years, McCartney performed a perfect mix of Beatle classics, solo hits,
and new material. “I wrote this in the 60s, when there were some
problems with race relations, particularly here in the southern
states,” he announced, before finger-picking the familiar opening lines
of “Blackbird.”
“It’s history. It’s a once in a lifetime type of event,” said David
Marsh, who drove to Atlanta from Baltimore to hear McCartney. “I saw
the Beatles in 1965 at their Shea Stadium show — the
Shea Stadium show — and I’ll never forget it. The girls’ screaming was
unbelievable, and it never stopped — through the entire show.”
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McCartney’s music is just as relevant today as ever. Rapper 88 Keys recently sampled “Mrs. Vanderbilt” on his Death of Adam
album, and Bobby Ray (aka B.O.B.) practically covered McCartney’s
Beatles classic “Eleanor Rigby” on his single “Lonely People.” And it’s
not just the kids who show respect to Macca. KRS-One can be heard
singing McCartney tunes with slightly-altered lyrics on the Boogie Down
Productions classics, “Criminal Minded” and “Jimmy.” And who could ever
forget Paul’s (ahem) “duet” with Jay-Z at the Grammys a few years back.
Ironically, the McCartney show was on the same weekend as Woodstock’s
40th anniversary. Although the Beatles didn’t perform at the legendary
60s counter-culture festival, their music and spirit was a direct
inspiration for the “Peace, Love & Music” ethos of that
generation-defining weekend. The McCartney concert raised money for the
Piedmont Park Conservatory. –todd williams
