Things I Shall Regret a Long Long Time:
1. I am not at the Paul McCartney concert right now.
Why did I pass up this opportunity? Because it was very expensive. Because the cheapest tickets would be far, far away from the stage. Because I would have had to call off work. Because everyone I might have gone with kind of laughed at the idea, like, "wouldn't that be nice." Because I thought it was sold out, originally, but then they decided to do this second show tonight as well as last night, but by the time I realized that, I'd already decided that I probably couldn't go.
AND YET: I never go to concerts anymore. It's not like I'm shelling out money on cheaper concerts on a regular basis. And this? This is the ONE CONCERT that I absolutely MUST SEE in my life. This isn't just a rock concert. This isn't just the concert of a very talented musician. This is the concert of the MAN WHO CHANGED MY LIFE. By doing a concert where I happened to see it (on TV). And in doing so, he unwittingly gifted me with the first half of this very livejournal/internet alias of mine! Without Sir Paul, I'd be ...Librarian. Showtunelibrarian?
And although the man tours a LOT (he WAS the only one of the Beatles who actually DIDN'T want to give up touring in 1966), he keeps NOT COMING TO PITTSBURGH. The last time he was here was 20 years ago. I remember it actually. I was riding home from a piano lesson and heard a commercial for the concert on the radio and I kind of scrunched up my face and said, "what's so special about that guy?" I didn't know the name. It was a dumb sounding name for a rock star, "Paul McCartney," it's not flashy enough, it sounds like some guy off the street. And my mother, appalled, tried to explain to me what a HUGE, HUGE influence he had had on popular music-- my MOTHER, mind you, not the music fanatic that is my dad. My completely non-musical mother. I should have believed her. I didn't get it until a few years later, when I saw for myself; when he did another tour, not stopping in Pittsburgh, but at least putting it on TV. And then I understood. And he kept doing tours. But not stopping in Pittsburgh.
Perhaps he decided Pittsburgh was okay this year only because he'd be the inaugural concert in a brand-new arena. But if he waits another twenty years to come back... he will be 88 years old. Somehow I don't think that's happening.
So this is one of those times when my tendency toward inaction has given me something to regret. I will regret not trying for tickets. I already do!
Why did I pass up this opportunity? Because it was very expensive. Because the cheapest tickets would be far, far away from the stage. Because I would have had to call off work. Because everyone I might have gone with kind of laughed at the idea, like, "wouldn't that be nice." Because I thought it was sold out, originally, but then they decided to do this second show tonight as well as last night, but by the time I realized that, I'd already decided that I probably couldn't go.
AND YET: I never go to concerts anymore. It's not like I'm shelling out money on cheaper concerts on a regular basis. And this? This is the ONE CONCERT that I absolutely MUST SEE in my life. This isn't just a rock concert. This isn't just the concert of a very talented musician. This is the concert of the MAN WHO CHANGED MY LIFE. By doing a concert where I happened to see it (on TV). And in doing so, he unwittingly gifted me with the first half of this very livejournal/internet alias of mine! Without Sir Paul, I'd be ...Librarian. Showtunelibrarian?
And although the man tours a LOT (he WAS the only one of the Beatles who actually DIDN'T want to give up touring in 1966), he keeps NOT COMING TO PITTSBURGH. The last time he was here was 20 years ago. I remember it actually. I was riding home from a piano lesson and heard a commercial for the concert on the radio and I kind of scrunched up my face and said, "what's so special about that guy?" I didn't know the name. It was a dumb sounding name for a rock star, "Paul McCartney," it's not flashy enough, it sounds like some guy off the street. And my mother, appalled, tried to explain to me what a HUGE, HUGE influence he had had on popular music-- my MOTHER, mind you, not the music fanatic that is my dad. My completely non-musical mother. I should have believed her. I didn't get it until a few years later, when I saw for myself; when he did another tour, not stopping in Pittsburgh, but at least putting it on TV. And then I understood. And he kept doing tours. But not stopping in Pittsburgh.
Perhaps he decided Pittsburgh was okay this year only because he'd be the inaugural concert in a brand-new arena. But if he waits another twenty years to come back... he will be 88 years old. Somehow I don't think that's happening.
So this is one of those times when my tendency toward inaction has given me something to regret. I will regret not trying for tickets. I already do!