Sao Paulo
The Briton Paul McCartney surprised the audience in Brasília this Tuesday (28) when he performed at the city’s Clube do Choro. The presentation, announced a few hours in advance, took place in front of 200 spectators, whose cell phones were sealed before the event began.
The show started at 6 p.m. and lasted just over an hour, with hits the musician played on his current “Got Back” tour.
According to Mariana Sanmartin, a 40yearold civil servant, the show was an invitation to a part of the public who bought tickets for the artist’s performance in the city, which takes place this Thursday (30). The event was charged R$200 per ticket, with the public able to purchase up to two tickets Mariana was the guest of her friend, who received a message from the organization via email.
Paul interacted a lot with the audience during the presentation and took the risk of giving speeches in Portuguese several times. The singer’s proximity to the audience led to more intimate interactions: for example, when playing “Hey Jude,” the singer asked only the women to sing a part, and later only the men present.
According to Mariana, the experience was very different from the artist’s other shows in Brazil and other countries she claims to have attended 15 Paul McCartney performances, including one in Miami in the United States. “It was really incredible to be in such a small place and so close,” says Mariana. “It was as if he was a lesser artist, which as we know is far from the case.”
As on the tour, the repertoire of the show at Clube do Choro included several classics from Paul’s career, whether solo or with the Beatles and Wings, but also included some smaller songs. After opening with the Beatlemania hit “A Hard Day’s Night,” the show followed with “Junior’s Farm” and the Wingsera “Letting Go.”
The presentation also included performances of “Blackbird,” “Let Me Roll It,” “Get Back,” and “Helter Skelter,” and concluded with “Golden Slumbers.” It was a shortened version of the show, with tracks such as “She’s a Woman” and “Love Me Do” omitted.
Mariana says that the audience’s cell phones were sealed while they were still in line and that the organization closely monitored the use of such devices during the presentation. “I think the decision was made to prevent people from filming the time to ensure the exclusivity of the show,” says Mariana, adding that she didn’t see anyone using a cell phone at the event.
The official also states that she did not see any politicians at the event. Of the celebrities, the only one present was singer Samuel Rosa, former lead singer of the band Skank.
The Clube do Choro is one of the most traditional clubs in Brasília. It was founded in 1977 by a group of choral musicians who were looking for more informal performances following the recovery of Jacob do Bandolim.
The group is located in a building designed by Oscar Niemeyer in collaboration with the Escola de Choro Raphael Rabello, with permanent exhibitions on the choro genre. The space was listed as an intangible heritage of the Federal District in 2008.
Paul McCartney will perform five shows in Brazil on his new visit to the country, just four years after his last. In addition to Brasília, the singer plays in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba and Minas Gerais. The last date is December 16th.