Janet Caldwell calls Paul McCartney her “teenage heartthrob.”
So when the 60-year-old Lower Sackville woman learned the ex-Beatle was coming to town to perform at the Halifax Common, Caldwell did what she’s never done before – attended a live music show.
And to say it was everything Caldwell wanted and more would be an understatement. As the 67-year-old McCartney wound down his remarkable show Saturday night, Caldwell was clearly in seventh heaven.
“He delivered and then some,” she said, beaming as McCartney’s singing voice rang out in the background during his second of two encores. “Awesome. Just terrific.”
Words like “awesome,” “terrific” and “unbelievable” were the norm from fans who stood (or sat) on the Common, taking up a space about the length of a football field from the stage where McCartney put on a close to three-hour show that will surely go down as one of the greatest events this city has seen.
“Fabulous … a dream come true,” said Halifax’s Jim Appleton, who was one of many who watched the concert from the comfort of his fold-in-the-bag chair. “It was worth every penny.”
While the estimated crowd of more than 50,000 fans loved McCartney’s music, his regular interaction with them also stood out as a highlight. You could hear many taken aback by how much he seemed to be enjoying himself on stage.
“You’re a great crowd here tonight,” McCartney said during the performance. “You’re making us feel at home.”
The gates didn’t open for Saturday’s show until 3 p.m. but people lined up by mid-morning to get in. After finally gaining access to the concert grounds, fans steamrolled in right up to about 9 p.m., when Sir Paul and his band took the stage.
