PAUL LIVE: US 2005

(you can also submit YOUR concert review!)

On November 4, 2005, I saw Paul during his "US" 2005 tour at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, OR.

getting the tickets
       
        Getting the tickets for my third Paul show turned out to be a bit of a bittersweet experience.  Things started out great: tickets went on sale about 5 minutes after one of my classes let out, so I ran back from class to my house, anxious to get the best seats possible.  My friend, Diana, already had a Ticketmaster window ready on both of our computers so that we could begin refreshing until tickets were finally available.  I was met with quite a shock, though - upon checking my e-mail, I discovered that I had won free tickets to see Paul play in Seattle.  I had entered a raffle put on by a local classic rock station awhile back, and especially considering my usual bad luck with raffles, I was astounded.  Clearly the stars were in alignment. ;)  I decided to go ahead and get tickets for the show in Portland so that I could actually see Paul twice in a row.  I managed to get tickets in the ninth row on the floor.  I was ecstatic - I'd be only nine rows away from the stage, and I'd get to see Paul twice!

        Unfortunately, my luck didn't seem to last.  As the date for the Seattle show kept getting closer, I was getting more and more nervous, having not received my free tickets from the radio station.  I finally called them, and after several phone calls in which I heard all sorts of different stories, a manager finally told me that there had been a mistake at the Seattle show: they had oversold tickets to the show, and consequently didn't have my tickets.  Now, this really wasn't that devastating since I would be seeing Paul in Portland.  Nonetheless, by this time I had my heart set on seeing Paul at both shows.  I was pretty frustrated with the station and with ClearChannel (who were putting on the show), but the station was kind enough to order a box of tour souvenirs for me from Paul's web site. 
       


pre-concert
       
        My friend and I made the drive down to Portland after class on the fourth, listening to Paul's live CDs the whole way.  We grabbed a bite to eat before heading to the Rose Garden Arena, and I was too anxious to really eat much.  There were countless concert-goers pouring into the restaurant as well - everyone was wearing a Paul shirt.  It was a great feeling of solidarity. :) 

        We headed to the show hours early and left our cameras behind, since a strict camera-check was supposedly going to be enforced.  We wondered around the arena, got our pictures taken with the Hofner Lexus (like the true geeks we are), and tried to figure out where Paul's limo would be entering/exiting.  We decided to get in line, and were actually the first and second people to form the ticket line.  Soon everyone else started to show up, and the doors finally opened.  After a security check, we were off to explore the merch tables.  Besides buying t-shirts and other goodies, I bought a numbered (#54/100) poster commemorating the show in Portland.  After getting bags full of souvenirs, we headed to our seats.

        Having seats on the floor was great - there were so many hardcore Paul fans everywhere, introducing themselves from Paul's forum and talking about previous shows they'd gone to on this tour.  Finally, the lights went down, and the show began.



Twin Freaks
       
        A DJ wearing a green mask (Roy Kerry, I assume) began the show, playing tunes from Twin Freaks.  The remixes were pretty interesting (I hadn't heard them up until that point), and the music was definitely getting the crowd energized.  Soon a brief ten minute biography of Paul began to play on the huge screen behind the stage.
 

Paul's set
       
        When Paul skipped onto the stage, I had my usual response: uncontrollable sobs.  Even watching his life DVDs brings tears to my eyes.  There is something incredible about his life performances; I think he's truly unique in his ability to put on such an extremely emotive show.  Being in the ninth row made the show even more intense - Paul was so close!  He played all his old classics, as well as some new classics off of his most recent album, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard.  When he began one song which I was particularly excited to hear ("Drive My Car"), I jumped up and down, screaming and waving my arms - and Paul actually waved at me.  I know it sounds a bit silly, since there were so many people in that area, but honestly, we made eye contact and he waved.  My life was pretty much complete from that moment on. 

        After playing "The Long and Winding Road", Paul excused his band and had some 'one on one' time with the audience.  He played "I Will," "Jenny Wren," etc., and did an amazing job, as usual.  Hearing Paul playing the acoustic guitar by himself in a huge, packed amphitheater is a beautiful experience: it somehow feels intimate, even though his voice and the sound of the guitar is echoing through an arena.

        The band rejoined Paul, and he played the Wings classic "Too Many People."  Immediately my hands shot up to display the Wings "W", and I had another brief moment with Paul: he pointed at me and did a thumbs up!  This of course sent me into hysterics.  Paul's interaction with his audiences is always so impressive.  He makes a point to read the various signs displayed throughout the room and shares grins with so many fans.  He also showed Space Shuttle footage during "Good Day Sunshine," since he had previously broadcast that song live to the shuttle.

        I was thrilled when Paul played "I've Got A Feeling" - it's one of my favorite Beatles songs, and I had never expected to hear it live, since John sings half of the song on the record.  The band did a great job playing John's part, though.  It was a worthy rendition.

        When he sat down at the piano and began playing "Baby Face", I knew what to expect: my favorite song of all time, "Hey Jude."  Paul seems to really enjoy playing random little introductions to "Hey Jude" - it reminds me of the demo version of the song on disc 1 of Anthology 3.  At any rate, Paul's performance of "Hey Jude" was stellar as usual.  The crowd swayed together, singing their hearts out along with Paul.  He of course paused his own singing to let the audience take over the "na na na" chorus.

        Paul and his band exited the stage, and the audience excitedly cheered for him to return.  When he came back on stage, he played a three-song encore (including "Yesterday") and then left the stage once more.  I got a bit nervous, since I was anxious to hear "Let It Be," which I had expected to be in the encore (not yet knowing there would definitely be a second encore).  Fortunately, Paul played "Let It Be" upon his second return (on the piano painted by The Fool), and it was a stunning rendition.  As he had done with his acoustic set, he managed to make the huge arena concert feel like a solo show in an intimate venue.  He appropriately ended the show with the "Sgt. Pepper's" reprise, and red, white, and blue confetti streamed from the ceiling as the lights went up.  I desperately tried to make my way to the stage to greet Paul (with tears streaking my face, of course), but crossing those nine rows was easier said than done.  I collected some confetti, said goodbye to the people who had sat near my friend and I, and made my way out of the arena (picking up a few more items from the merch table on my way out, of course). 



post-show
       
        Trying to recover from a Paul show can be a difficult thing.  The shows are emotionally exhausting, and trying to function after so much exhilaration can be surprisingly hard.  It was an amazing experience.  Immediately after the show, I could hardly wait to see Paul live again.  His performances give such a feeling of warmth and beauty.

This was one of the few photos we managed to get with a cell phone, so the quality is rather poor.  It was taken at the end of the show, when Paul's initials blazed on the screen

.....................

You can read more accounts of Paul's 2005 performance in Portland, OR at Macca-Central.

.....................