Yes, it was a home run that sparked those fireworks high above Citi Field Friday night – not from one of the usual sources, but from pop music’s most-dependable slugger, Sir Paul McCartney.

The blasts that punctuated “Live and Let Die,” both on the massive stage set up in centerfield and above it, served as a not-so-subtle reminder that the man who ushered in the era of stadium rock in 1965, whenThe Beatles made history by playing Shea Stadium, was in town to christen another stadium. In true McCartney fashion, though, that bombastic statement was followed by a bit of aw-shucks theatrics, some pretending that all the smoke got in his eyes and that he really wasn’t worth all that fuss.
That’s the thing about McCartney that often gets lost in the shuffle – his incredible sense of balance. His set pulled from the first Beatles hits to his recent experimental album done under the pseudonym The Fireman, masterfully navigating that tightrope of playing what he wanted to play and what the bulk of his fans wanted to hear.
Few artists would see the connection between the cranky strut of The Fireman’s “Highway” and the lush orchestrated ballad “The Long and Winding Road,” but McCartney effortlessly makes that transition, along with welding the present to the past.
“Long time since I was here,” McCartney said. “I've got a feeling that we're going to have a little bit of fun tonight.”

He often reminded the crowd how no one could hear anything when The Beatles first played Shea Stadium. This time, though, the acoustics were a little better.
And actually, so is McCartney.
Harmonies sweetened a revved-up “Jet.” Bluesy guitar and organ built a new groove on “Let Me Roll It,” which got a dose of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady.” “Paperback Writer” developed a bit of a punk snarl and honky-tonk piano riffs freshened “The Long and Winding Road.” Billy Joel, who invited McCartney to perform at the final concert at Shea Stadium last year, served as the special guest during a raucous “I Saw Her Standing There.”
McCartney was careful to pay tribute to those who helped get him to where he is, dedicating “My Love” to his late wife Linda, a ukelele version of “Something” to George Harrison and the poignant “Here Today” to John Lennon, whose “Give Peace a Chance” also became part of “A Day in the Life.”
But when he made a jarring turn from the lovely “Yesterday” to the wild “Helter Skelter” seem elegant? That was a true sign of a master at work.

SETLIST: Drive My Car / Jet / Only Mama Knows / Flaming Pie / Got To Get You Into My Life / Let Me Roll It/Purple Haze / Highway / The Long and Winding Road / My Love / Blackbird / Here Today / Dance Tonight / Calico Skies / Mrs. Vanderbilt / Eleanor Rigby / Sing the Changes / Band on the Run / Back in the U.S.S.R. / I’m Down / Something / I’ve Got a Feeling / Paperback Writer / A Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance / Let It Be / Live and Let Die / Hey Jude // ENCORES: Day Tripper / Lady Madonna / I Saw Her Standing There (with Billy Joel) / Yesterday / Helter Skelter / Get Back / Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band/The End

PHOTO: Paul McCartney at Citi Field from Associated Press