WRCO Blog

My first 45 record was Have You Seen Her by the Chi-Lites.  After getting that late 1971 hit, I wanted more vinyl!  I still do after all of these years.  I would hear a song on the radio and than scrape up 69 cents to go buy it.  My goal was to see how many records I could own that were on the Top Forty countdown.   This Saturday night I will pay tribute to the 45 by playing some of my favorite purchases from over the years.  Although thousands of those small wonders are packed away in my 'man cave',  there are a few that stand above all of the rest.  We all graduated to 33 1/3 long playing albums and many other formats for our music.  Those little two sided gems, still hold a place in our hearts. Sometimes the 'B' side was as good or better than the hit side.  Many of us that grew up in the Richland Center area remember going to Saffel's (and later the Music Shop) to scan the chart and determine what number the song that we desired was at.   I wanted to save enough to buy the entire Top 100, but I never had enough coins in my pocket.  This week on  Those Were The Days,  you will be able to hear some of my requests.  We will not have the phone line open this week.  I will be back next week to take your calls.  Have a great weekend and remember WRCO FM 100.9 on Saturday night.

Phil

"Starting at center..........Phil Nee...nee...nee...nee"    It was an exciting time during the Fall of 1981.  My amazing high school football career was winding down (it was amazing that I did not get hurt).   Our school was working on a Fall musical, Bye Bye Birdie, and I was appearing as Mr. Harry Macafee on that old Ithaca High School stage.  During my free time I was milking cows in the morning and evening.  Music was a big part of my time management. Cool Top Forty tunes would wake me up in the morning and put me to sleep at night. I met my future wife during that era.  We would remain friends for several years before actually becoming a couple. We have been married since 1987.   Some of the hot '81 tunes that were blasting from the '75 Ford Maverick dashboard included: Start Me Up-Rolling Stones,  Private Eyes-Hall and Oates,  Urgent-Foreigner,  I've Done Everything For You-Rick Springfield,  Super Freak-Rick James,  She' A Bad Mama Jama-Carl Carlton,  In Your Letter-Reo Speedwagon,  and Burnin' For You-Blue Oyster Cult.   This Saturday night on Those Were The Days, I will get the chance to play of few of those gems again.  Our guest on the phone will be Wayne Famous of the group the Producers.  They had four songs playing in rotation during the early days of MTV.  Only one made the Top 100 (What She Does To Me), however, they were heard a lot on Wisconsin radio stations with tunes such as; She Sheila,  What's He Got That I Aint Got? and I Love Lucy.  They played in many cities in the Badger state and were regulars at a Madison club known as Headliners.

This Saturday night I will be in the studio to take your phone call requests and trivia answers. It will again be an honor to play the best tunes from the fifties through the eighties.  We are 'old school' each and every Saturday night from six to midnight during Those Were the Days.

Phil

When I have been asked over the years about my favorite album,  I don't have to think about the question very long.  Several of my five thousand plus albums are near and dear to me.  The Beatles' Abbey Road has long been a fave of mine, though.  Many Beatles fans cite Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band as their top long player, or Revolver.   They are both great, however, Abbey Road does not have a song that I skip over.  The album was the last one recorded by the Fab-4.  They put their troubles aside and recorded a gem.  It begins with Come Together and ends with a medley of songs on the second side.  The two George Harrison songs are amazing (Something, and Here Comes The Sun)!  Even Ringo's Octopus's Garden is pretty good.  During this weeks Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 100.9, we will remember the Abbey Road album which was released fifty years ago this Fall. Another Beatles anniversary album edition has been released.  I stole from my retirement fund to buy the White Album last year and now I have scraped money together to hear the new mix by Giles Martin and Sam Okell of the 1969 classic.  You can hear a few tidbits from the new Abbey Road Saturday night.  I will be in the studio to take your fifties through the eighties requests.  It will be good to get back to the regular schedule which includes trivia.  We have some cool prizes for the winners.  I hope to hear from you this Saturday night.

Phil

On Saturday night WRCO FM 100.9 will turn back the clock to 1969 and 1979.  I will highlight the many news making events of 1969 and the music that was playing on the radio.   During the night we will go parking in 1979 with the radio on.  There were many great songs that came out that year.  I will be spinning some of the records I bought with my hard earned 'hay making money'.  Don't be surprised if you hear a few pops and hisses from the vintage vinyl blasting through your radio speakers!  The last year of the sixties and seventies featured some amazing music.  It is hard to believe that a song like Get Back by the Beatles is fifty years old.  My Sharona by the Knack is forty years old!  When I hear those songs, I am right back listening to the radio in the barn or working on my school work right next to the Westinghouse radio at the kitchen table.   Those Were The Days will be highlighting music from two remarkable charts and remarkable years during Saturday nights' six hour salute to classic rock n' roll.  I will not be in the studio to take your requests this weekend.  It will be my honor to accept a tribute award from the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association following the Ithaca Homecoming day Saturday.  It will be a fun day, however, I will miss the chance to talk with all of you loyal listeners.  Have a great weekend and thanks for reading.

Phil

It seems like we have been paying tribute to our fallen childhood music faves often.  After we highlighted Eddie Money music last Saturday night following his death, we learned Sunday about the death of Rick Ocasek.  His group the Cars gave many of us an awesome soundtrack as we grew up.  By 1978 I was already tuning out pop music and digging through records of the past.  All of a sudden a band from Boston hit the radio and breathed life into the middle of the road and disco charts.  They did not sound like any other group.  When they appeared on the Midnight Special, they barely moved while playing their songs.  The first Cars' album was one of the best debuts for a rock and roll group of all time.  Everytime I hear the song 'Lets Go' from their second album,  I remember being out on my first double date.  That song was brand new and we heard it at least three times that night.  

During Those Were The Days Saturday night on WRCO FM 100.9, we will pay tribute to the career of Rick Ocasek.  We will also hit some highlights from this weekend in 1964.  We will answer the rotary dial phone so that you can help us with our playlist.  You might be one of the trivia m.v.p.'s.  Perhaps you will win a pair of tickets to see Elvis tribute artist Tony Rocker this Sunday September 22nd at the Richland Center Performing Arts Center  (downtown auditorium).  I can't wait to take those old records off the shelf again Saturday night between six and midnight!

Phil

Saturday night we will take a cruise to the fifties through the eighties during Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 100.9.  Lita Ford will be our special guest.  She recently played through these parts on her Summer tour.  I had the chance to chat with her and we will feature that conversation and some of her best known songs.  Find out which record was the first that she ever bought and which guitar was her first.  I first knew about Lita when I discovered the 70's band the Runaways while reading Creem magazine.  I did not find a Runaways record until the early 80's when Joan Jett gained fame as a solo act.  Mercury records released a Runaways 'Best Of'  and I picked up a copy at the Music Shop in Richland Center.   I learned of Jett's other former band members such as guitarist Lita Ford.  Later in the 80's she would become a big star with the release of her album 'LIta' which made her a favorite in concert and on video.   Join me for the words and music of Lita Ford on Saturday night during Those Were The Days.  The rotary dial phone will be on the hook and you can call with your requests and memories.  Perhaps you will win one of six trivia prizes (one per hour).   You could be the one that gets hooked up with two tickets to see Elvis tribute artist Tony Rocker on September 22nd in Richland Center courtesy of Galaxie Entertainment!  All of this and more will come your way Saturday night on WRCO FM 100.9.

Phil

In September 1974 I was getting on the bus with my new school pants and a rugby shirt that looked like what the kids on the PBS program 'Zoom'  were wearing.  It was a great time to be living.  The music on Top Forty radio stations was the soundtrack to our lives.  Some of my favorite September songs from '74 were the following: The Night Chicago Died-Paper Lace,  Clap For The Wolfman-Guess Who,  It's Only Rock n' Roll-Rolling Stones,  Tell Me Something Good-Rufus,  Who Do You Think You Are?-Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods,  Another Saturday Night-Cat Stevens,  Can't Get Enough-Bad Company,  You Little Trustmaker-The Tymes, and Beach Baby-First Class.  While attempting to do my home work in the middle bedroom at the old farm house, I would have the radio tuned to my favorite songs.  With the metal clothes hanger antenna bent just right, I could get FM stations for the first time in my life.  A brand new Madison Top Forty was debuting that fall and it was called Z-104. WRCO AM/FM  featured a rock and roll format after 7 pm and it was called Music Scene.  For a small town station, they played some cool tunes.  Far away AM stations could be heard later in the evening.  It was cool to hear what was hot on KAAY- Little Rock,  WLS-Chicago, and CKLW-Windsor, Canada.  WISM AM 1480 out of Madison was a very good station.  They had a great play list that did not always follow the national trends. I could get them on the old tube radio in the barn.  The cows were rocking back and forth!   Unfortunately that station lowered power at 6:45 pm and I would lose their signal right in the middle of Rock Me Gently by Andy Kim (or any other current hit of the day).  

We will attempt to recreate some of that 1974 magic on WRCO FM 100.9 this Saturday night during Those Were The Days.  You can request a song and challenge yourself with trivia.   I will be in the studio to play the best of the fifties through the eighties between six and Midnight.  Be one of the cool kids and join the party!

Phil

Hey Rock and Rollers!  During WRCOs' six hour classic rock and roll show Saturday night,  I will be saluting the working folks of Southwest Wisconsin with some blue collar songs.  There are many songs that talk about work including;  Summer Breeze-Seals & Crofts,  Takin'' Care Of Business-B.T.O.,  16 Tons-Ernie Ford,  A Hard Days Night-Beatles,  Blue Collar Man-Styx, and Bang The Drum All Day (I don't want to work)- Todd Rundgren.  I will be in the studio to take your requests during the holiday weekend Saturday night.  Last week you hit a lot of home runs when you asked for songs that we have not played since my hair was brown.   Keep up the good work!   It is so much fun when I hear stories from radioland.  Last week a lady called and told about the first record she bought.  She made 25 cents per hour baby sitting.  After four hours she had a dollar and would go the store and buy a 45 record.  The first one that she ever bought was Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White by Prez Prado and his Orchestra in 1955!  Thanks for being so loyal to the Saturday night show, Those Were The Days.  I have been successful at acting like I've been working for the past 33 years.  I really like the following quote from Bob Dylan....“A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.”      I hope to hear from you on Saturday night between six and midnight.

Phil

In August of 1982 I jumped off the tractor and went away to learn the radio trade in Wausau at Trans American School of Broadcasting.  My friend Marty and I were ready to leave Richland County to see if we could wreak havoc on Marathon County.  We met a lot of interesting characters that also wanted to be radio d.j.'s.  Music was always on in the back ground while we were taking part in our hoot and hijinks.  Wausaus' Top 40 radio station WIFC was playing all of the hits and MTV was brand new.  We also made lots of mix tape cassettes so that we could jam on the way to the arcade at Schofield Shopko Mall.  Some of my favorite August of 1982 jams included: Abracadabra-Steve Miller Band,   Out Of Work-Gary U.S. Bonds,  Vacation-Go-Go's , Jack & Diane-John Cougar (Mellencamp),  Do You Wanna Touch Me?-Joan Jett,  I Think I'm In Love-Eddie Money,  Hot In The City-Billy Idol,  Somebody's Baby-Jackson Browne, and Eye Of The Tiger-Survivor.  Join me Saturday night when I put my broadcasting tech school education to the test on WRCOs' Those Were The Days.  Between six and midnight you can contribute a song suggestion.  You could be the winner when we ask the trivia question of the hour.  Perhaps you will be the winner of tickets to see Elvis tribute artist Tony Rocker September 22nd at the Richland Center Performing Arts Center/City Auditorium.  We will have a rock and roll  party Saturday night during Those Were The Days radio when we feature the best music of the fifties through the eighties.  All the cool kids will be listening!

Phil

This Saturday night we will look back at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair which happened fifty years ago this weekend.  We will play some tracks from the artists that were at that history making festival.  I have watched the Woodstock documentary movie many times over the years and I have been blessed to be able to interview a few of the artists that graced that stage at Yasgur's Farm. You can hear a few stories from those that were there.  Join our Those Were The Days retro show on FM 100.9 for trivia and requests.  You could be the winner of tickets to see Elvis tribute artist Tony Rocker.  He will be playing in Richland Center on September 22nd courtesy of Galaxie Entertainment.  It will be a great show, and you can be one of the first to hold tickets for that concert at the Richland County Performing Arts Center (downtown auditorium).    You can be one of the cool kids and come to our Those Were The Days party on WRCO Saturday night.  We will take you to Woodstock and all over the World courtesy of our 45 RPM records.

Phil

We will playing some real classic rock and roll Saturday night during Those Were The Days radio show on WRCO FM 100.9.  You will be able to hear forty of the best charting hits from the psychedelic era of rock and roll.  All of the heavy hits that we will play were released between 1966 and 1969.  Many of these songs have been requested on a regular basis.  You will be able to hear tunes from artists including:  The Doors,  Steppenwolf,  Beatles,  Yardbirds,  Canned Heat,  Cream,  Jimi Hendrix Experience,  Blues Magoos,  Vanilla Fudge, and Deep Purple.  This was an outstanding era for rock and roll music.  There was so much experimentation and a return to more roots music and the beginning of what became known as heavy metal.  I will not be in the studio this week to take your requests.  Hang on to those and we will let you assemble the playlist again next Saturday night.  This week we will pay tribute to the 80s In The Dells concert Friday August 16th at the Crystal Grand Music Theater.  It will be a full fun night of great rock and roll.  I can't wait for you to hear all of the cool vinyl tunes during this weeks Those Were The Days.

Phil

This Saturday night on FM 100.9,  I will be looking back at the career of Lou Gramm and his former band Foreigner.  This will be a great show especially since some of our listeners will be seeing Lou perform with John Payne and Asia in a couple of weeks at Crystal Grand in the Wisconsin Dells.  Earlier this week , I had the chance to interview Lou Gramm and that was a real treat.  All through my younger days in the seventies and eighties the songs of Foreigner were on the radio.  The Lou Gramm solo single 'Midnight Blue' still is a popular request during Those Were The Days.  When I hear a song like 'Cold As Ice' or ' Long, Long Way From Home', I have flashbacks of riding in Larry Ferguson's Dodge on the way to the movies or Center Lanes (the bowling alley). Foreigner's first eight singles cracked the Billboard Top 20, making them the first band since the Beatles to achieve this.  It is such a blessing to be able to thank one of the creators of the hits of your youth and I have had the chance to do that over the years.  I hope that you will join me for a six hour tribute to the fifties through the eighties music on WRCO FM 100.9.  The magic cowbell will ring and trivia questions will be shared. Perhaps you will win tickets to see a show at the outdoor stage at 80s' In The Dells August 16th and 17th.  This Saturday night you can help me program the music on Those Were The Days when you request a song. 

Phil

My special guest on WRCO FM 100.9 on Saturday night will be Taylor Dayne.  She has sold over 75 million records worldwide and is considered one of the top dance artists of all time.  I was in charge of getting the new songs on the radio back in 1987 when Tell It To My Heart was released by Arista records.  All of our new music came to the station on 45 rpm records.  After her first record went to the Top 10, she followed it quickly with Prove Your Love,  I'll Always Love You,  Don't Rush Me,  With Every Beat Of My Heart,  Love Will Lead You Back, and I'll Be Your Shelter.  These were also top 10 records and they were released in a span of just two years!  During this weeks Those Were The Days radio show,  I will feature an interview with Taylor Dayne.  You could be the winner of tickets to see her show at the Crystal Grand Music Theatre's 80s' In The Dells August 16th and 17th.  I will be answering the WRCO 'hot line' so that you can contribute a song suggestion to the program.   It is still a joy to host Those Were The Days after all of these years.  I received a letter in the mail last week from a listener near Prairie Du Chien that just discovered the show.  It is very rewarding to hear that people still appreciate the show.  Thank you so much for reading this and listening Saturday nights.  Lets have another rock and roll party this weekend!

Phil

When I was young,  it was fascinating to read about the Apollo missions.  The school 'Weekly Reader'  often had stories of the upcoming moon missions.  I do remember the glow of the Curtis Matthis television set on July 20th, 1969.  My parents and other family members were glued to the screen while I was playing with my Tinker Toys trying to build a rocket.  Sometime during the night, I wandered onto the screen porch and looked up at the moon to see if I could see Neil and Buzz.  Do you remember watching or listening to this historic event?   You can share your memories with me during our Those Were The Days radio show Saturday night on WRCO FM 100.9.  We will countdown to the exact moment (9:56 pm CDT) when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface fifty years ago.  During the six hour tribute to the fifties through the eighties, we will be playing a few space/moon songs including:  Space Oddity-David Bowie,  Rocket Man-Elton John,  Dancing In The Moonlight-King Harvest,  Moonshadow-Cat Stevens,  Bad Moon Rising-C.C.R,  Space Age Love Song-Flock Of Seagulls,  and Major Tom-Peter Schilling.  Perhaps you have an idea for a song to go along with this weeks theme?  I will be in the studio Saturday night and you can check in with me.  It might be your night to win a big trivia prize like tickets to 80s' In The Dells at the Crystal Grand Music Theater.

Phil

Hey Rock n' Rollers!  I look forward to visting with you this Saturday night during my Those Were The Days radio show.  On this weekends WRCO FM 100.9 program, we will feed you with some fun food songs.  You could have a 'Cheeseburger In Paradise', 'Jambalaya', 'Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie', and other delicious song treats!  I hope you are 'Hungry', for 'Bread And Butter'.  It will be 'Yummy, Yummy, Yummy'.  We featured this theme a few years ago.  It is back by listener request.  There are many food songs that are easy to think of.  What about tunes such as; Popcorn by Hot Butter,  Eat It-Weird Al,  A Taste Of Honey-The Beatles,  I Want Candy-Strangeloves,  Sugar Sugar-Archies,  and TV Dinner-ZZ Top.  The request line will be open for those of you who want to contribute a song choice.  You can request your favorite song from the fifties through the eighties between six and Midnight this Saturday night.  Perhaps you will win tickets for the outdoor concerts during 80s In The Dells August 16th and 17th at Crystal Grand Music Theater.  Brush up on your trivia and be ready when you hear the 'Magic Cow Bell'  on Saturday night during Those Were The Days.

Phil

This is your old buddy Phil Nee.  I will be sitting by my rotary dial telephone this Saturday night.  You can help me with the playlist for my Those Were The Days radio show.    It will be great to be back in the studio with a live show.  During the six hour tribute to the first four decades of rock and roll, we will play a few songs that were at the number one position on the 4th of July.  These are tunes that take me back to those old days of Summer.  Many friends, neighbors, and relatives would come to our family farm during the Independence Day weekend.  We always had a lot of fresh from the farm food and a wash tub full of ice that was chilling bottles of Ski, Double Cola, and Hillbilly Beverages that were bottled in Richland Center.  Music was always in the background.   If I wasn't pretending to be a d.j.,  we would warm up the tubes in the radio.  Some of the biggest hits of Summer were number one during the first week of July.  Bill Haley and the Comets helped bring rock and roll to the mainstream.  Rock Around The Clock was the number one song back in 1955 on July 4th.  It was a hit when it was used in the movie Blackboard Jungle.  My dad told me a story about being in downtown Richland Center when that movie was showing at the theater.  Outside on the street they were playing Rock Around The Clock continously over loud speakers.  In 1989, my wife (June) and I were at Graceland in Memphis hanging out at the Elvis mansion.  That was a great trip and an outstanding place to be for the holiday.   The old Saturday night tunes take me back to those great celebrations and special occasions.

This Saturday night you could be the winner of two weekend passes to the Crystal Grand Music Theaters' 80's In The Dells which will be held August 16th and 17th.  We will also be giving away tickets to see the Beatles tribute band the Britins on Friday night July 12th at Richland Center High School. Get ready for a quiz!  It is going to be a really big shoe this weekend on FM 100.9.

Phil

Saturday night on WRCO FM 100.9, I will be spinning some of the hot tunes from the Summer of 1980.  Some of my favorites from that era include:  Cars-Gary Numan,  I'm Alive-ELO,  Brass In Pocket (I'm Special)-Pretenders,  Gimme Some Lovin'-Blues Brothers,  All Night Long-Joe Walsh,  Misunderstanding-Genesis,  Clones (We're All)-Alice Coopers,  We Live For Love-Pat Benatar,  Let My Love Open The Door-Pete Townsend,  and Into The NIght-Benny Mardones.  These were the songs that were running through my head as I ran the two row cultivator attached to the Farmall Super C tractor or threw hay bales. The Summer of 1980 I made a trip to Dubuque, Iowa.  That was a highlight for a farm boy who had rarely been out of the county.  It seemed like such a big city!    I remember crossing the bridge into Iowa just as Tired Of Toein' The Line by Rocky Burnette came on D-93 FM (The Love Rock) out of Dubuque.  Please stop by and check on us this Saturday night during Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 100.9.  I will be celebrating with songs from other memorable Summers.  We will also have a cool in studio guest that will play us a song.  The request line will not be open this Saturday night.  We will resume that feature during five Saturday nights in July.  Starting next Saturday night, you could win tickets to 80s In the Dells at the Crystal Grand Music Theater.  This is going to be a great music bash coming up August 16th and 17th.  Later this year Elvis impersonator Tony Rocker will be in Richland Center (September 22nd) at the Richland Center City Auditorium.  We will be telling you more about that and giving you chances to win tickets later this Summer.   Thank you for reading.

Phil

Saturday night on WRCO FM 100.9 we will create new memories with those classic Pop songs of the past.  The spotlight band will be the Dave Clark Five.  They arrived in America just after the Beatles fifty-five years ago.  They always seemed to finish second to the Fab-Four and the Rolling Stones.  I always have loved the songs they put out.  They packed so much excitement in a two minute record.  They were one of my favorite groups to collect.  Dave Clark has been known as a shrewd business man over the years, however, he has not authorized many re-releases of his groups material.  I believe that the group would be better remembered today if their songs would have been allowed to be used in movies and commercials.  Despite the challenge, I was able to buy good used copies of their original U.S. albums over the course of about ten years.  All have been converted to digital and we can play some of those high energy tunes for you during Those Were The Days salute to the DC5 this Saturday night.  In 2003 I had the honor of interviewing lead singer Mike Smith while he was doing a brief tour of the states.  I will feature a few highlights during the show.  Mike died in 2008 and I have great memories of how nice he was to me during our chat.  Those Were The Days will officially celebrate the arrival of Summer on FM 100.9 Saturday night.  Please give me a call and contribute a request to the program.  It would be awesome to hear from you.  Perhaps you can be on of our trivia winners! 

Phil

The Summer of 1979 was a good time in my life.  Things were looking up on the farm and with the power of music, I was getting my chores done by day and making mix tapes at night.  I did not have my drivers permit yet, however, there were a few girls I could call that did not hang up on me right away.  Older friends of mine were nice to pick me up and give me a ride to Dog n' Suds for a Texas Burger or a Coney Dog.  A bunch of farm friends would pile in for a ride to town to see movies such as:  Star Trek The Motion Picture,  Meatballs,  The Muppet Movie, and Moonraker.  Some of my favorite songs that Summer included:  The Logical Song-Supertramp,  Rock N' Roll Fantasy-Bad Company,  I Want You To Want Me,  Dance The Night Away-Van Halen,  Gold-John Stewart,  and ShakeDown Cruise-Jay Ferguson.   Disco music hit its peak that Summer.  I may not have admitted it at the time,  however, there were some memorable songs in the Summer of 1979 with a disco beat.  The group Kiss even stepped into the dance spotlight with I Was Made For Lovin' You.  New wave band Blondie had the groups first hit, Heart Of Glass, which has a Studio 54 feel.  On July 12th  a Disco Demolition publicity stunt went awry at Comiskey Park in Chicago.  The White Sox had to forfeit their second game of the doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers.  It was a great time to grow up!   Some 1979 youth grew up and I never have.  Those old songs are like old friends.  It will be great to meet them again this Saturday night on WRCO FM 100.9.  Please invite your friends to join Those Were The Days between six and midnight.

Phil

Paul McCartney played Madison Wisconsin for the first time on Thursday night June 6th. This was his 5th appearance in the Badger State counting the Beatles only appearance in Milwaukee in September of 1964. I attended this show by myself. My wife, kids, and friends were not interested and I was not paying for a pricey ticket for someone that did not really want to be there. Several family members and listeners told me that they thought Sir Paul should have retired a while back and that his voice was shot. I agree that the latest videos of his live singing have been rough. I simply wanted to go see him because he may never be this close to my house again. When I went to the Kohl Center, I expected a decent show but figured I could be a bit let down by the 76 year old (soon to be 77) as he struggled to hit the notes. This may be the biggest surprise concert that I have ever attended. Paul played from 8:15 p and when the band finished Carry That Weight/ The End it was 11:15 p. Entertainers that are half his age sometimes can not generate that much energy. I will admit that a few of the first few songs sounded a bit rough at times. Let Me Roll It (from the Band On the Run album) may have been his weakest vocal of the night. That is a tough song to sing. He looked a bit tired at first and the vocals were raspy, however, he sounded better and seemed to have more energy three hours later! I counted only two sips of water in all of that time. His band does help with some of the high notes. His powerful drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. is simpy amazing with his playing and backing vocals. Paul was very funny and did a great job with stories and he read many of the signs that were being held up in the audience. One gentlemen had a sign that exclaimed that this was the 123rd time that he had attended a Paul McCartney concert. “You know we love you, but it’s slightly obsessive,” McCartney responded with a grin. Previously I have gone to his concerts at stadiums with 50 thousand plus. The 15,000 that saw the show at the Kohl Center witnessed a much more intimate setting. The three person horn section really added to songs such as: Got To Get You Into My Life, Let Em In, Lady Madonna and many others. There were two high school boys that sat by me and they sang along to every song. I asked them how they knew the music so well. They said that they and all of their friends are McCartney fans. "He is the greatest ever" said one of them. I can't think of another living artist that has that kind of reverence from young to the older than me. I am so glad that I went to this concert. Here is the playlist.

1. A Hard Days Night 2. Save Us 3. Can't Buy Me Love 4. Letting Go 5. Who Cares 6. Who Cares 7. Got To Get You Into My Life 8. Come On To Me 9. Let Me Roll It 10. I've Got A Feeling 11. Let 'Em In 12. My Valentine 13. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five 14. Maybe I'm Amazed 15. I've Just Seen A Face 16. In Spite Of All The Danger (The Quarrymen Song) 17. From Me To You 18. Dance Tonight 19. Love Me Do (George Martin tribute) 20. Blackbird 21. Here Today (John Lennon tribute) 22. Queenie Eye 23. Lady Madonna 24. Eleanor Rigby 25. Fuh You 26. Being For the Benefit Of Mr. Kite! 27. Something (George tribute) 28. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da 29. Band On the Run 30. Back in the U.S.S.R 31. Let It Be 32. Live And Let Die 33. Hey Jude Encore: 34. Birthday 35. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) 36. Helter Skelter 37. Golden Slumbers 38. Carry That Weight 39. The End

Phil