Orchestral Enclave

If you like your classic rock done classically, then this is the show for you.  It’s Billy McGuigan’s Pop Rock Orchestra currently running at SumTur Amphitheater under the auspices of Rave On Productions.

It was a beautiful night for an outdoor show and I was grateful for the cooler temperatures because Billy McGuigan and his orchestra truly heated up the night.  For those of you unfamiliar with the Pop Rock Orchestra show, Billy McGuigan and his musicians take you on a tour of music from the 50s to the 80s, but turn the traditional rock concert on its head by merging it with a big band orchestra of horns and strings to complement the standard guitars, basses, and percussion.  The end result is a dancing in the aisle, hand clapping, foot stomping good time.

I sometimes think Billy could create a new show based entirely around his storytelling.  He’s a raconteur without peer and never seems to lack a clever witticism, an off the cuff joke, or a poignant anecdote suitable for the moment or number.  This, combined with his stellar musicianship, is what makes him one of today’s premier acts.  McGuigan seemed extra energized tonight and used that juice to fuel a non-stop barrage of hits that the audience lapped up with a spoon.

Some highlights of McGuigan’s performance were his killer rendition of Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s All Right for Fighting”, a blazing take on Sinatra’s (Nancy, that is) “These Boots Were Made for Walking”, a haunting cover of the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” and a spot on version of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World’.  McGuigan also featured numbers off his latest album, Together, including a version of “Little Metal Shed” rearranged by local sax legend, Darren Pettit, which tore the house down.

Aside from McGuigan’s powerful vocal chops, we were also treated to excellent featured performances from Matthew McGuigan who had a smooth and elegant interpretation of “My Girl” and Jay Hanson shone in one of my favorite numbers of the evening, George Harrison’s “I’ve Got My Mind Set on You”.  Steve Gomez’s musical direction always hit the mark and I thought the fingers of Omaha’s guitar guru, Max Meyer, would burst into flame with the speed and ferocity of some of his guitar solos.

A few instances of instruments overwhelming the voices of singers did little to stop the storm of this production and you’re going to have a beautiful weekend to take advantage of the final performances of this top flight production.  And I hope you will.

Billy McGuigan’s Pop Rock Orchestra runs at SumTur Amphitheater through August 15.  Remaining showtimes are Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 7pm.  Tickets cost $35 for stadium seating and $20 for lawn seating and can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/billy-mcguigans-pop-rock-orchestra-tickets-153047839207.  SumTur Amphitheatre is located at 11691 S 108^th St in Papillion, NE.

My Monday with McCartney

He was a member of the greatest band in the history of rock.  He’s the most commercially successful singer/songwriter of all time.  He’s a melody man without peer who has written some of the most memorable tunes of all time.  His career has spanned over 50 years.  He is Paul McCartney.

I was first introduced to this master musician when I was a child.  My dad had shown me his lone Beatles album, Meet the Beatles and I was drawn to this music the way a man lost in the desert is drawn to water.  This music just seemed to complete me.  Instantly, the Beatles became my favorite band and I would tell anyone and everyone that they were the greatest group of all time.

As I grew older and my ear for music evolved, I appreciated the Beatles on a whole new level.  I became enthralled with the complexity and intricacies of their songs and how they seemed to speak to certain parts of me.

While I’ve always loved the music of the Beatles, I think I really became a fan of Paul McCartney’s music back in 2002 when I bought Flaming Pie.  I was so blown away by that album that I started buying his past albums and have purchased every new album he’s released.  Even today, at the age of 72, his musicianship and songwriting abilities are still stellar and he has released nothing less than a quality album since 1989.

Last night I finally had the chance to see this music legend live in concert at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, NE.  And it. . .was. . .awesome!!!

From the moment he stepped onto the stage, McCartney had the crowd in the palm of his hands.  Of all the Beatles, Paul was the one who always got the most charge out of performing in front of a live audience and his performance last night truly reflected that.  He really seemed to enjoy the energy of the crowd and used it to fuel a non-stop 3 hour block of songs.

All I can say is that I hope I have McCartney’s energy when I’m his age.  His voice, matured like a fine wine, belted out rockers such as Let Me Roll It, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five, Save Us, and Everybody Out There.  On the turn of a dime, he would move to softer ballads and classics such as Eleanor Rigby, Hey Jude, Here Today, and My Valentine.

Between songs, he would engage the audience with little stories.  The best moment of the night was when he talked about how we sometimes want to say something nice to a person and decide we’ll tell them later and suddenly it’s too late.  Just as Sir Paul started to speak again, someone from the audience shouted, “I love you, Paul!!”  McCartney smiled and chuckled and said, “That was good.”

What was amazing was looking around the audience and seeing that fans of Paul’s music came in out shapes and sizes from the young to the young at heart.  The music is so timeless that the audience often sang along to the tunes.  The best moment of audience participation was when we all  joined in the Hey Jude chorus.

After 2.5 hours, McCartney and his band took their bows and left the stage to the thunderous applause of the audience.  Clearly we wanted more and two minutes later, McCartney obliged us with a 3 song encore.  After that we still wanted more and he came back out to the stage and gave us another 5 song encore.

Clearly we wanted to rock out even more, but McCartney told us, “There comes a time when we simply have to go. . .We’ll see you next time.”

Yes, you will, Sir Paul.  Yes, you will.