Each decade produces a certain style of music—disco in the 70s, pop in the 80s, alternative in the 90s—the styles are so distinct that some radio stations play only songs from each decade. And each style of music has its own distinct group of listeners. It’s rare to find a band whose music remains popular through different decades—not just one or two, but five or six. Former Beatle, Paul McCartney, has accomplished just that. The Beatles first became famous in the 60s with their hit, Love Me Do, but they continued to release hit after hit until the band broke up in 1969. Shortly after the Beatles broke up, McCartney launched his solo career with his band, Wings.

McCartney and Wings rocked at the Frank Erwin Center last night. There wasn’t an empty seat in the place, and that was after a sold-out concert the night before. And the tickets weren’t cheap. The pricing ranged from $49 to $277.00. But even $277.00 was a small price to pay to see a musician as legendary as Paul McCartney.

I must admit, I wondered if 70-year-old McCartney’s voice had held up as well as his body had and whether he’d be able to wow the crowd. He did remarkably well. His voice was strong and firm. Yes, he got off-tune a couple of times, but at least we know he wasn’t lip syncing like so many artists do today. As he sang, he was almost always playing an instrument: the piano, the guitar, even a ukulele—and he played them all beautifully. Granted, he wasn’t one of those performers who spend the entire night jumping up and down, but he didn’t need to. People were there to listen to music, not see a circus act.

Some people had brought their children, so the ages ranged from about 5 to 70—an anomaly for any rock-n-roll concert. Young couples in their 30s sang along as they swayed to the music. People in their 60s and 70s danced and waved their hands as they too sang along. My husband reminisced about his very first make-out session with a girl when McCartney played, “Hey Jude.” The lady beside me wiped tears from her eyes a few times as McCartney belted out some of her favorite songs. She has been a fan since she was in the 5th grade. She’s now in her late 50’s.

Given McCartney’s age, one might have expected the concert to be short and sweet, but it was quite the opposite. Although it started a little late, 8:30 instead of 8:00, the show continued until 11:30 p.m.—no breaks, no intermissions, no costume changes—just great nonstop music. McCartney played 36 of his most popular songs.

All in all, it was a great night, and great music.