06/20/2022
Musicians continue to tour into their old age
After almost 1,000 concerts with The Beatles, more than 140 shows with Wings and 870 solo concerts, Paul McCartney’s 17th solo tour ended just days before his 80th birthday on June 18. McCartney’s latest tour took across the U.S. — performing for fans who have followed him since the '60s. A typical show is two hours and 40 minutes with 36 songs, and that’s often after a pre-show soundcheck of as many as 13 songs for VIP ticket holders. Critics lauded McCartney’s performances as lively, high-energy and showing little signs of slowing down.
■Class discussion: Why do people often pay high prices to go to concerts by very old performers? Are many of these concertgoers old fans, recalling their long-lost youth? Do your parents and grandparents listen to the music that was popular they when they were young? Can you imagine going to see your favorite musicians, singers or actors in 50 years? Why or why not? Do you enjoy hearing your favorite performers’ hit songs, or do you like to hear new music from them?