GREEN BAY - He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997, and now Sir Paul McCartney can say he's a Green Bay Packers shareholder, too.

The Packers bestowed the title on the former Beatle by presenting him with a stock certificate with his name on it before he took the stage Saturday night at Lambeau Field. He also received a game ball to commemorate the date of the sold-out stop on the Freshen Up Tour — his first time in Green Bay in a career that spans the planet and more than 60 years.

“I didn’t realize he was left-handed,” said Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy, who made the presentation backstage. “He threw a pass with his left hand, and (Packers vice president of marketing and fan engagement) Gabrielle Valdez Dow made a perfect catch.”

Everything about Green Bay’s first date with McCartney felt like a touchdown. The incredible performance. The made-to-order weather. The nearly 50,000 happy people having the time of their lives. The flawless start to finish of only the fourth major concert in Lambeau’s history.

The scenario must be similar wherever McCartney goes — utter joy from crowds in awe of his songs (and his stamina) and eternally grateful for an indescribable connection to an era that is long since gone. When he played the Kohl Center in Madison two nights earlier, members of rock band Greta Van Fleet were in the audience as fans.

What it must feel like to travel the world giving that gift to people night after night, and yet still somehow come off on onstage like an unassuming Brit just sharing stories about John and “Georgie,” singing a love song for his wife “Nance” and reflecting as a grandfather on how his grown-up baby now has four babies of her own.

“Time flies when you’re having fun,” he told the crowd.

It sure did on Saturday night. It was a marvel that McCartney, at 76, could perform for just shy of three hours without ever leaving the stage, and yet, it still seemed like it was over in the blink of an eye. The 38 songs only a sampling from McCartney’s career, but so meaningful to people, they didn’t want to miss a one.

“It hurt our concession sales,” Murphy joked. “Nobody wanted to leave their seats.”

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Fans like Mike Fameree, of De Pere, who splurged on the VIP experience, actually got a total of 51 songs from McCartney that day. He and his band performed 13 songs they don't play in concert during a soundcheck show at 5 p.m.

It was Fameree’s 13th McCartney concert, and it ranks in his top two, just behind the one in 2014 in Fargo, North Dakota, when someone with the tour upgraded his seats from the nosebleeds to the front row.

He had to settle for Row 4 in Green Bay.

'It was just a perfect night'

The Packers and Live Nation had been working on the concert for years, Murphy said. McCartney doesn’t play many football stadiums anymore, and Lambeau is believed to be the largest venue on the tour, he said.

“It was just a perfect night. Beautiful weather. Part of it was just his personality. He was engaging, and I think everybody really felt good,” Murphy said. “A lot of people here put a lot of time and effort into it, and it’s great to see everything come off the way it did.

“A number of people told me it was the best concert they’ve ever been to. I would be included among that,” said Murphy, who had not seen McCartney live prior to the Lambeau show. “That was pretty special. He’s legendary. I’m showing my age, but I knew every single song except for some of the new ones he played.”

When McCartney asked during the show who was from Green Bay, who came from elsewhere in the state and who came from points farther away, the crowd response indicated a fairly even split among the groups. For many, it was likely their first time to Lambeau.

“There were a lot of people there who probably aren’t football fans but now they have a flavor of what Lambeau Field is like,” Murphy said.

For those Beatles fan who also also know their Packers history, it was extra special. One fan wrote on Twitter: “Greatest moments in Lambeau Field history: 1. Bart Starr crosses the goal line in the 1967 Ice Bowl. 2. ‘Live and Let Die’ on June 8, 2019.”

Dave Lowy, a 67-year-old fan from Iowa, followed the Freshen Up Tour from Madison to Green Bay to Moline, Illinois, to see three Macca shows in six days. His right leg and his sing-along voice were both a little wobbly by the end, but no regrets.

So how did the Lambeau show stack up with the other two?

“I felt the sound was superb, especially considering the crowd in Lambeau was about four times larger than the other two,” he said. “Also, it seemed the interaction between Paul and the crowd was smoother. You could really tell that he had never been there before and felt the awe and love from the fans.”

Murphy too got the feeling when he met McCartney, whom he described as down to earth, humble and “a very nice man,” that the significance of the venue was not lost on him.

“He seemed to have an appreciation for the Packers and how different our organization is, and I think particularly Lambeau Field,” Murphy said.

McCartney shared a photo on Instagram on concert day that showed him onstage in an empty Lambeau with the caption: “Hey Lambeau, let’s go! Ready to rock this iconic American football field!”

A birthday wish come true after the show

Speaking of the field, Murphy said it looks “very good” after the staging was loaded out. It will be back in tiptop form in time for Family Night on Aug. 2, the next big event at the stadium.

The Packers remain committed to hosting one major non-Packers event a year. The Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin football game is already on the calendar for Oct. 3, 2020.

That means the memories of this concert will have to hold music fans over for the next two years — or a lifetime.

The latter won’t be a problem for Beth Jean, an Eau Claire fan whose flowery neon “It’s My Birthday” sign caught the eye of McCartney, not during the concert when he sang The Beatles’ “Birthday,” but after the show.

Jean slipped out of the concert before it was over in hopes of getting a glimpse of him as he pulled out of Lambeau. As he stood in the front of the bus, the small crowd cheered, and that's when it happened.

“He spotted my sign, waved, pointed and mouthed 'Happy Birthday,' saying it slowly enough to make sure I got the message. In true Paul fashion, I also got a thumbs up,” she said.

It was enough to make a birthday girl cry, and this one did.

“Thank you, Lambeau. Thank you, Green Bay. Thank you, Wisconsin. Thank you, cheeseheads,” McCartney said as he left the stage on Saturday night.

Right back at you, Sir Paul.

Contact Kendra Meinert at 920-431-8347 or kmeinert@greenbay.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KendraMeinert.