PAUL MCCARTNEY 5/31/22 AT THOMPSON BOLING ARENA KNOXVILLE TN

The Thompson-Boling Arena was packed to the brim Tuesday night in anticipation of one of the greatest musical masterminds of all time.

Paul McCartney played the city of Knoxville for the first time ever this past week, and there was not an empty seat in the house. Hot off the heels of Peter Jackson’s 3 part mini-series, The Beatles: Get Back, and McCartney’s new album, McCartney III (2020), the Got Back Tour brings Paul stateside for the first time in 3 years. The 13 city, 16 show tour began on April 28^th in Spokane, WA, and has Paul and his band traveling to multiple cities and venues that he has never before played, leaving many to speculate that this could very well be his last stateside tour. With Paul pushing 80 years old, it is hard to imagine him touring much longer, but after witnessing my first McCartney show it is safe to say that this man has many years ahead of him.

With a 36-song setlist, Paul and his band took us on a 2 ½ hour magical journey, playing hits and rarities alike. Music from The Quarrymen, The Beatles, Wings, as well as Paul’s solo work, took the crowd on a musical adventure spanning 60 years in the making. What is even more incredible is that before every show, Paul performs a 12-14 song soundcheck in front of VIP ticketholders, totaling almost 4 hours of playtime for each show. That is an insane amount of time for anyone to play.

Bands such as Grateful Dead and P-Funk would regularly play 4-5 hour shows in their prime, but imagine doing that every night when you’re 80. It is this level of dedication that propels Sir Paul into a class of his own, bringing multiple generations of fans out to witness one of the greatest musicians from the single greatest band of all time. McCartney is one of the most accomplished musicians in history, with 18 Grammy awards, 2 Rock and Roll HOF inductions, Rolling Stones #1 artist of all time (The Beatles), Rolling Stones #1 album of all time (Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band), and many, many more, including being Knighted in the United Kingdom. A far greater achievement, in my opinion, is the number of lives he has directly impacted with his music. This music has become the soundtrack to many of our lives: Babies have been made, wars have been fought, families have been raised, and friendships forged, through love and heartache alike, all with a little help from our friends The Beatles. Looking around the arena brought a big smile to my face. Grandparents with their grandchildren, young couples, and middle-aged hippies like myself who were born a generation too late, all gathering in unison to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. We laughed, we cried, we relived 60 years of the most incredible music ever written.

                The Paul McCartney Band has remained relatively unchanged for the past 20 years, consisting of long-time keyboardist and tour musical director Paul “Wix” Wickens, drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., guitarist Rusty Anderson, and guitarist and bassist Brian Ray. Also joining Paul for the tour is the brass trio, Hot City Horns, providing the iconic horns in such classics as “Live and Let Die” and “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”. The night opened up with The Beatles’ classic “Can’t Buy Me Love,” followed by the 1974 Wings single “Juniors Farm.”  It was clear from the start that everything from the production, to the lighting and sound, was top-notch for this tour, and I would expect nothing less from Sir Paul. The stage sets were phenomenal as well, with everything from pyrotechnics to an elevated stage rising over 20 feet in the air. The first half of the show consisted of the band rotating between Wings and Beatles classics such as “Letting Go,” “Got to Get You Into My Life,” and “Getting Better.” Eight songs into the show Paul took his place behind his beautiful black grand piano where he stayed for the next 4 songs. First up was the single “Let ‘Em In,” from Wings 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound, followed by a heartfelt rendition of “My Valentine,” which he dedicated to his wife Nancy, who was in the crowd that night.

He finished off his piano set with one of his most famous songs as a solo artist, “Maybe I’m Amazed,” showing no signs of his age as he belted off the high notes. Throughout the night, I had to stop and pinch myself multiple times. Is this real life? Am I actually in the same room as Paul McCartney right now? As I scanned the crowd, I knew I was not alone. Eyes welled up with tears, Beatlemaniacs screamed like they were 16 years old again, and 16-year-olds screamed like they were Beatlemaniacs, the crowd seeming to intensify with each passing song. The middle of the set was packed with hit after hit, with such Beatles classics as “We Can Work It Out,” “Love Me Do,” “Lady Madonna,” and “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” The band even played a Quarrymen rarity, and their first recorded demo as a band, “In Spite of All the Danger.” One of the many highlights of the night came when Paul performed solo on The Beatles’ hit “Blackbird.” The stage lifted over 20 feet into the air, revealing a large screen that displayed a beautiful animation to accompany the song. As one would expect, Paul saved some of the best music for the end. Performing the George Harrison masterpiece “Something” on a Ukulele that was gifted to him by George himself, was nothing short of amazing to see in person. After one of my personal favorites, “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” they played “You Never Give Me Your Money,” which to my surprise, had never been played live before this tour. Nearing the end of the setlist, we were blessed with some of the most iconic songs that have ever been written or will ever be written: “Get Back,” Band on the Run,” and “Let It Be,” followed by an absolute banging version of “Live and Let Die,” that was complete with a perfectly timed, full-on pyrotechnics show.

The last song of the set was “Hey Jude,” which had the entire arena of some 20,000 fans singing along to “na-na-na-nanana-naaaa, Hey Jude!” The crowd kept that energy alive to draw Sir Paul back out for his highly anticipated encore. All the hype about this tour has been over the virtual duet that Paul sings with John Lennon, and for good reason. Peter Jackson was able to extract John’s vocals from the infamous 1969 rooftop show, allowing Paul and John to sing “I’ve Got a Feeling” together for the first time in over 50 years. Paul then went into the fun and lighthearted song “Birthday,” followed by an absolutely rocking performance of “Helter Skelter.” The show then ended in traditional fashion with the final 3 tracks off of Abbey Road: “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End,” capping off an unforgettable night with a living legend that I will cherish forever. Surprisingly absent from the setlist was “Yesterday,” which he actually hasn’t played since 2018. I can’t help but wonder if the John Lennon song “How Do You Sleep” has anything to do with that, even though Paul has clearly proven that he’s done a lot more than just that one song. Even with a 36-song setlist, there were a ton of hits that weren’t played. With a catalog as extensive as McCartney’s, that is to be expected though, we will just have to hope for another tour to hear some more. With only 5 shows left on the tour, two of which are at Fenway Park, I highly recommend catching a show if you can. This could be your last chance to hear Beatles songs by an actual Beatle, so get back, get back to where you once belonged!

*This article and the photos that accompany it are dedicated to my good friend Joseph Thurman. Thank you for turning me on to The Beatles and letting their music carve the grooves that created an everlasting friendship and brotherhood that I will never forget. RIP Brother, I Love You.

Set List

1. Can’t Buy Me Love
2. Junior’s Farm
3. Letting Go
4. Got to Get You Into My Life
5. Come On to Me
6. Let Me Roll It
7. Getting Better
8. Let ‘Em In
9. My Valentine
10. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
11. Maybe I’m Amazed
12. We Can Work It Out
13. In Spite of All the Danger
14. Love Me Do
15. Dance Tonight
16. Blackbird
17. Here Today
18. New
19. Lady Madonna
20. Fuh You
21. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
22. Something
23. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
24. You Never Give Me Your Money
25. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
26. Get Back
27. Band on the Run
28. Let It Be
29. Live and Let Die
30. Hey Jude

Encore

1. I’ve Got a Feeling
2. Birthday
3. Helter Skelter
4. Golden Slumbers
5. Carry That Weight
6. The End 

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