Paul McCartney and Minneapolis, a love affair in photos and portraits:
Ryan Zoolie, Minneapolis; Jay Weber, Stillwater; Dietrich Wilke, New York; Nick Pooras, Stillwater; Paul Hoffman, Stillwater; Maddy Matre, Minneapolis.“This is generations of people coming together for one purpose, and people who don’t normally see eye-to-eye on certain topics can come together and see eye-to-eye in a musical sense,” said Weber. “We’ve been best friends forever. We used to listen to this stuff back in the day. Now that we’re getting older, things change, we don’t get to see each other, and this brings us back together.”
Kurt and Tina Bauer, Houston.“This is our second time seeing Paul,” said Kurt. “Each of the four Beatles on their own are amazing, but for them to come together like that at one time with George Martin and Brian Epstein, it was just something in the cosmos came together, whirlwinding out of that little town of Liverpool and made this amazing stuff. We’re going to see Ringo in Houston in November and we’re going to the Hollywood Bowl at the end of August for the 50th anniversary of the Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl.”
Damara and Liz Scheeler, St. Paul.“We saw him in Milwaukee last year and I cried the whole show and I’m pretty sure I’ll do the same thing [tonight],” said Damara. “The Beatles are by far my favorite musical artist. I did a history day performance of them when I was in ninth grade at Christ’s Household of Faith, a tiny private school in St. Paul, and we did it on how they changed the world and I’ve loved them ever since.”
Amnesty International booth inside Target Field.
Bob Fuchs, Minneapolis.“Before the show tonight, one of the radio stations was playing all McCartney and Beatles songs, and all these feelings came over me. I couldn’t believe how strong the connection was, to so many points of my life. I mean, I wouldn’t have guessed the connection would be that deep, but he just keeps hitting me with all these memories.”
Scott, Caily, Cody, and Karen Webster, Minnetonka. “Nine years old, Ed Sullivan, had to watch, changed my life, Beatles wig the next day at Woolworth’s for 99 cents, changed my life. Did I mention that? Seriously,” said Scott. “And I play in a band, Skewed View, I play bass like Paul. We’re celebrating our 34th wedding anniversary tonight and we walked down the aisle to ‘And I Love Her.’ This is our second time seeing Paul as a family. Next week when we play Beatles songs with the band, I’ll literally be tearing up.”
Target Field in full Sir Paul bloom.
John Shiner, North Oaks, and Lisa Michalski, Bay City, Michigan.“I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan,” said Shiner, “and ever since then I’ve followed them, and I’ve never seen one of them in concert and I wasn’t going to miss McCartney this time.”
Chris Strouth, Minneapolis.“I love the Beatles, of course I love the Beatles. How can you not love the Beatles? Did you know that Osama bin Laden actually liked the Beatles? There was actually a quote from him somewhere, saying something like, ‘I hate all Western culture,’ but he liked the freaking Beatles.”
Elizabeth Munger, Bill Callahan, Megan Callahan, Michelle Callahan, Eau Claire Wisconsin.“We’re sisters,” said Megan. “This is our dad. We grew up listening to the Beatles, because that’s just the way it was: Get in the car, put on the Beatles. Our dad is treating us today.” Said Bill, “I was listening to the Beatles when I was 5, in 1965. They shaped my life and made me who I am today. My goal has been to bring my entire family to see Paul, and we’re here today, all eight of us.”
Lights up at the conclusion of “Hey Jude”
Jodi and Maddy Fidler, Minnetonka.“My entire family loves the Beatles,” said Maddy. “I’ve been listening to them since I was teeny tiny and I was 32 weeks pregnant with her when I saw Paul in Vegas,” said Jodi.
Freebies on the way out of Target Field.
Aidan and Bill Coy, Minneapolis.“The Beatles are great because they’re one of the few bands that everybody knows everybody’s name in the band and the music’s just great and they all have great voices,” said Aidan. “They’re probably my favorite band, along with Bruce Springsteen and Imagine Dragons.”
Suki Dardarian and Peter Callaghan, Minneapolis.“We didn’t have tickets, but we’ve been here [outside the gate], listening,” said Dardarian. “I’m in my 50s and he’s been talking to me since I was in my teens. I live a few blocks from here and he was calling my name.”