Get Signed On Stage By Paul McCartney...CHECK!

Paul McCartney hugged me. Paul McCartney signed my foot on stage.  Paul McCartney let me dance with him on stage in front of 20,000 people.....Those are just a few sentences I never thought I would say in this lifetime that I can roll off my tongue truthfully from now on.

Photo by: Kerry McGehee 

For those of you who have been following my Paul journey, you know what a quest this has been.  Despite my young age of 25, I am an over-the-top, crazy, obsessed Beatles fan, especially when it comes to my favorite Beatle and all-time favorite musician Sir Paul McCartney.  I once even sold my beloved Mini Cooper to see Paul in the front section at Desert Trip.  My quest to meet the more-than-man legend began 4 years ago and involves wearing a Walrus costume, and to save this story from becoming a novel, I suggest you read my other articles about my previous attempts.


Almost 2 years had passed since I had last seen Paul, so you better believe I was stoked when he finally announced this tour!  I bought tickets for San Diego, San Jose, and Los Angeles, but because of ridiculous ticket inflation, I only had enough money to spend the big bucks on close seats for one show...and I wisely chose San Jose.

The day of the concert, my friend and I arrived at San Jose's SAP Center around 3 PM to once again watch Paul arrive in his limo with other fellow crazy Paul fans who, as you might imagine, I get along with phenomenally.  Of course, I was in my walrus costume as usual and held a sign that read "I Am The Walrus Who Sold Her Mini Cooper To See You" with a picture of Paul Mccartney with his Mini Cooper back in the '60s.  My friend Alicia's sign said "This Crazy Walrus Is Telling The Truth. Please Sign Her" with a picture of me in my mini.

During this Beatlemania-filled limo arrival, Paul's crew that we have befriended over the past years began to storm out to us.  Our main man Charlie, Paul's videographer who has grown to really admire us, approached us and asked where we were sitting.  After we told him 8th row, he said some magnificent words..."I'm going to try to get you front row."  We couldn't believe it...I mean really we did not really believe he could actually get us front row, but we appreciated the thought.

Paul's videographer Charlie, a true homie!

After we watched and screamed like the 12-year-old fan girls we really are during the substantial 5 seconds of Paul waving through the window as his limo passed by, we killed the next few hours with some pizza and tacos.  We came back to the venue and took our 8th row seats and were shocked by how close we were going to be.  Then, Charlie told us to look out for a man named Tommy who was about to change our lives forever.  Sure enough, a few minutes later Tommy approached us and asked if we would like new tickets.  As we looked down at the beautiful artifacts we realized we were not only receiving FRONT ROW tickets, but FRONT AND CENTER!  Our seats were directly in front of the microphone Paul was going to be using to sing right to us.  We began shrieking and freaking out and causing quite a scene to everyone around us.

Front row!

About an hour later, the 3D Beatle made his entrance onto the stage and the crowd, along with us, went wild!   Alicia and I danced ourselves silly as Paul opened his set with the high-energy "A Hard Day's Night."  Now, dancing in a full body walrus suit is not the easiest task.  By the end of the second song I was so drenched in sweat you may have thought I had just gone swimming.  For a second I did not know how I was going to survive the next 3 hours, but the Paul adrenaline really keeps your energy soaring, despite the sweat and exhaustion.

A Paul McCartney performance is much more than a show; It is an experience.  It is communal.  Paul encourages participation through the whole night, tells the audience stories as if you were in the living room drinking tea together, and all the strangers in the crowd bond together over their love of Paul.  There was a powerful sense of love and magic flowing through the audience this night.

Half-way through the concert, Paul did his traditional "reading of the signs" as he asked all those in the audience with signs to hold them up so he could read them.  My friend and I held ours up as close as we could get to the sky, knowing he could read ours clearly since we were directly in front of him.  He took a moment to read about five other signs, thanked everyone, and played one note on his guitar.  We were a tad bummed that he ignored our sign even though we were right in front, but then while staring directly into my eyes says "Wait a minute...What's this...I am the walrus who sold her Mini Cooper to see you."  AHH!!  He read our signs and we realized he was playfully tricking us by pretending to not see ours until the end.  That alone made this a night to remember.



The 3 hours of Beatles, Wings, solo, and cover songs by the 77-year-old were so energetic that the night sped by extremely fast.  Then Paul sat at his piano, and his beautiful, young-sounding voice sang the words "Hey Jude," and then we knew the night was sadly almost over.  After the dramatic performance of one of The Beatles' greatest hits that led the entire audience to wave their arms through the air and chant "Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, Hey Jude" Paul left the stage to prepare for the encore.  Alicia and I have gained the wisdom to know this is when Paul tells his crew what kind of fun he wants to have for the encore, which includes the occasional "fan interaction."

As Paul and his band came back to the stage waving around their giant flags symbolizing peace in all nations and states, I looked to my left and my heart stood still.  Brian was coming!!!!  Brian, Paul's head security guard, marched up to us and pointed saying "YOU TWO! THIS WAY!" while directing us to the side of the stage.  Our mouths dropped and everything became a blur at this point.  We found our way to side-stage jumping, dancing, and screaming for joy as Paul began playing The Beatles song "Birthday."  Paul's incredibly kind crew was almost as excited as we were for this moment, but not quite.

All of a sudden the song ended, and somehow we began walking over to SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY.  I'm pretty sure I heard a choir of glowing angels at this point.  I immediately grabbed his angelic arm and asked him if he was real.  Paul laughed and said he was just a look-a-like and asked if I was real.  Still in shock and holding back a pit of giggles, we began chit chatting over the microphone and left the audience in an uproar of laughter.  The moment felt so comfortable as Paul made me seem like a casual friend and in no way tried to use his authority as a celebrity.  I then told him about my ultimate goal I had been trying for four years...getting my foot signed by Paul so that I could get it tattooed.  Paul jokingly asked if my mother knew about this and then fiercely stuck his knee out for a perfect placement for my lucky foot.  I placed my wet foot on Paul McCartney's knee and apologized for it being so sweaty, in which he responded on the mic "Could you wipe it down please."  My friend was given a towel and started patting the sweat down and then Paul excitedly exclaimed on the mic "OOH! Sidekick AND foot wiper!"  Then the moment came.  Sir Paul began signing his famous, legendary, and influential name across my now-dry foot.  My goal had been accomplished!

Photo by: Kerry McGehee

After the signing, Paul went in for a group hug with Alicia and I, but I did not want the fun to end just yet.  There was something else I really have wanted to do this whole journey outside of getting my foot signed.  Because I did not want to put pressure on Paul, I whispered a question in his hear.  He repeated it on the mic.  "She whispers to me 'Is there any chance we could dance for a song?'" He proceeded to tell us "Alright, we got a short one for you!" and motioned his band to start playing "SGT Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

Photo by: James Liverani

Alicia and I went crazy on the stage, especially because we knew this song was only about a minute and a half so there was no time to waste!  I couldn't believe I was actually dancing WITH Sir Paul and in front of 20,000 people.  It was another blurry moment and felt so surreal.  As the song was winding down and we were preparing to say goodbye, Paul looked and us and mouthed "Wait, one more?"  PAUL MCCARTNEY ASKED US TO DANCE FOR ANOTHER SONG!  Of course, our answer was a very confident "YES!"  Then he began the infamous intro to the hardest-rockin' Beatles song, and one of the longest songs of the night, "Helter Skelter!"  Once again, my friend and I went nuts on the stage, not caring what we looked like or how much sweat was dripping down.  Paul was laughing and smiling at us the entire song and frequently faced us and sang right at us.  It was obvious how much of a kick he got out of a spastic dancing walrus.  I think he may have also appreciated that I was air-bassin', instead of air-guitarin', right at him.  My smile has never been so big for so long.


As "Helter Skelter" was ending, Paul then motioned me over to the microphone with him.  I do not know what kind of bravery came over me, but somehow I courageously wrapped my arms around him so tightly and together we began shrieking the finishing "OH YEAH"s back and forth on the microphone.  Another moment of disbelief.

Paul McCartney and I singing "Helter Skelter"

When the song ended, we were embraced in more group hugs with Paul and said our finishing fan-girl praises "I love you Paul!  You're my absolute favorite, thank you so much!"  Paul seemed so touched and appreciated by all the entertainment we had just brought to the stage.  Our numb bodies walked off the stage and were greeted by Paul's crew who were so congratulatory of us.  As we made our way back to the seats, we tried to process what had just happened, but couldn't quite understand.  We were then bombarded by members in the audience congratulating us and wanting to take our pictures and hear our story.  I have never felt more like a celebrity.



My story is a perfect example of why you should follow your hearts instead of logic.  Logic pointed to the fact that every Paul McCartney show is filled with 20,000 to 100,000 Paul-adoring fans and that the chances of getting on stage were one in a million.  But my heart told me to go for it and that it was going to happen if I kept trying.  The perseverance paid off in a way more epic than I could have ever imagined.

Photo by: James Liverani

This experience is also a perfect example of the kind of musician Paul is.  Paul McCartney, a member of the most successful band in history, the 2nd richest musician on the planet, one of the most influential people of all time, is also an extremely humble being.  Anyone who has attended a Paul concert will tell you how much Paul genuinely loves his fans and loves bringing them joy and surprising them.  I mean, he saves the entire front-row middle-section for surprise upgrades!  The fact that he brought us on stage, got to know us for quite some time up there, signed my foot, and let us dance for TWO whole songs proves his love for all us fans.  He let me interrupt his concert for over ten minutes, apparently more time than he has ever given to an on-stage fan!  I also have the honor of being the only fan that was brought on stage this entire tour (which ended the following Saturday), which I will forever be so appreciative of.

Here are some videos of the night in action!

I do not know how any moment in my life will ever top this.  Don't worry though...I went to the tattoo shop the next day and had Sir Paul McCartney's signature memorialized on my foot forever.  Thank you Paul McCartney not only for the greatest music of all time that you have brought to the world, but for your love of spreading joy to all your fans!