Sparking nostalgia throughout campus, pop icon Jesse McCartney performed at UW-Madison on Jan. 29. Tickets for both the concert and the meet-and-greet sold out within an hour, which proves just how much the early-2000s heartthrob is still able to attract college students even though he hasn’t been in the spotlight in recent years.
As one of the lucky 150 people who scored a meet-and-greet ticket, I was able to meet McCartney in person and get a photo with him. Most of the people in line had assumed they wouldn’t get nervous around him because he’s no longer an A-list star, everyone became anxious as soon as McCartney was within seeing distance. Thankfully, his down-to-earth personality made everyone feel relaxed and comfortable around him. He seemed to have genuinely enjoyed meeting and connecting with every single person in line, which made the whole experience even better.
After the meet-and-greet, people began to cram into the concert hall for good seats. The speakers played 1990s-2000s pop, which got everyone in the mood for McCartney. While it took quite a while for the concert to begin, the fun music kept everyone occupied and in high spirits. UW-Madison had Fundamentally Sound open for McCartney. The a cappella group sang a few hits, beatboxed, talked about the ICCAs, and even teased the crowd by performing the chorus of what is arguably McCartney’s greatest hit, “Beautiful Soul.” They had a way of getting the crowd pumped.
When McCartney took the stage, everyone in the crowd, which composed of mainly female college students, went wild. He appealed to the audience by playing his older songs like “Body Language,” “She’s No You,” and “Just So You Know.” Even though he is now 10 years older than he was when the songs were released, McCartney had no trouble hitting all the notes— he sounded almost exactly the same. He often held the microphone towards the crowd to have them sing the choruses, but he still proved that his singing abilities haven’t disappeared since he left the spotlight. He also sang a few songs from his recent album, “In Technicolor.” He seemed especially excited to perform his newer work. He also announced that he has been working on an album he hopes to release within the next year. Perhaps his recent performances at universities are just promotions for it.
McCartney’s personality on stage appeared to be slightly different from his personality during the meet-and-greet. He seemed slightly overconfident, making sexual gestures and crooning to the audience. That said, he probably came off as a cocky singer who was banking off of his previous stardom to people who only attended the concert. However, as someone who met him beforehand, it was clear that his overconfidence was just part of his stage persona.
At the end of the concert, everyone was anticipating McCartney’s big hit “Beautiful Soul.” He walked offstage and the crowd went crazy— we chanted his name for over a minute. When the suspense was over, McCartney walked back onstage and performed his final, and arguably the best song of the night. Overall, the concert was incredible. The timing was great, the venue was perfect, and the performance was spectacular. With so many students learning to be adults and dealing with stressful jobs and responsibilities, the concert was a great way for people to reminisce their carefree childhoods and be kids again.