On September 16, former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney cranked up the amps and blasted off his US Tour from the American Airlines Arena. The crazed audience was a mix of plastered middle-aged women, screaming like pubescent girls, and bothered older men, reprimanding the youth to sit down and quit blocking their views. In a battle of generations, I retorted, "Are you serious? This is a concert." You do not sit in a mannerly fashion and tap your feet to the melody at a friggin' concert.

      Therefore, I continued to jump, sing, and flail my arms, righteously rocking out in the mayhem of McCartney's music. When the band delivered a power hit like "Back in the USSR," there was no way I could possibly confine my body to the limits of a chair. It would have been physically impossible with the music pumping through my veins at such hyper speeds. With the touching ballad "Hey Jude," McCartney let the audience take the chorus, voices resonating in perfect unison. In turn, the baby-faced rock legend relished in the echo of thousands of obsessed fans, his smile stretching from Miami to Liverpool.

      Surely many baby-boomers scratched their heads in my direction, and the other high school and college kids in attendance, since we listen to "garbage rap." But actually, the echo generation is no different than any other, and there will always be people who prefer and appreciate the raw musicality of classic rock to the synthesized pop of modern day.

      Down on the floor, people were getting down and groovy, boogying like it was 1965, but in the upper sections the environment was more calm and refined. The teens and twenties definitely held their own and represented in the pandemonium of the sold-out arena. As the chords of "Let It Be" flooded the air, glowing cell phone lights and fiery lighters created an enchanting atmosphere. Personally, this visual of the young and old in harmony signified the timelessness of The Beatles and their masterpiece compositions. Not many bands or artists have the talent or appeal to transcend the boundaries of their own generation, or even retain popularity and fame.

      One of the fabulous four, McCartney generously supplied the audience with hits from Wings, such as "Band on the Run" and "Live and Let Die." But Sir Paul schematically arranged his set-list with everyone in mind, and didn't deny The Beatles fanatics chart-toppers and favorites like "Eleanor Rigby," "The Magical Mystery Tour," and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." McCartney clearly understood that he could not force his new material upon longtime fans. It would be unfair and disappointing to ignore a repertoire of music so expansive and idolized. Songs from the new album, "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard," were slipped in seamlessly with golden oldies, and hence were very well received.


      Remarkably at sixty-three years of age, McCartney did not take a single water break until the supposed finale of the concert, nearly three hours later. Ironically, in his twenties, Paul sang the lyrics "Will you still need me? Will you still feed me? When I'm sixty-four." Far from the weakened state he once feared, McCartney rocks as hard as he ever did, with all the vigor and energy of a fresh artist - yet he possesses the experience and professionalism that rank him as a virtuoso performer and musician. He gladly took center stage for three highly demanded encores and switched back and forth between the piano, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and bass throughout the show. It's no wonder our generation comprehends the mass hysteria and celebrity that glorify The Beatles. They were the musical innovators of their era and left a legendary imprint for all rock stars of today. Compare The Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" off Abbey Road and Coldplay's "Twisted Logic" off "X&Y"... you'll hear the inspiration.