LA Times – April 14, 2016 – “5 Things of Note from Opening Night at Paul McCartney’s One on One Tour”
“As he’s been doing in recent years, along with return visits to major markets, the former Beatle and double Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee includes cities he has never visited, and chose to launch the new tour with his first performance in the Central Valley town of a half-million…The show ran nearly three hours, with no intermission, and spanned the full range of the 73-year-old musician’s career.”
Rolling Stone – April 14, 2016 – “Paul McCartney Plays Beatles Hits, Solo Deep Cuts at Marathon Tour Opener”
“Paul McCartney came to Fresno, California, Wednesday night to open his new One on One tour, and delivered nearly three hours of music that moved gracefully from the intimate to the explosive. There were bright lights and stirring images from his history, but the emphasis never drifted from the music, ranging from generational anthems (‘Let It Be’) to post-Beatles deep cuts (‘Temporary Secretary’).”
The Oregonian – April 16, 2016 – “Paul McCartney in Portland: As Good as it Gets”
“Calling a McCartney gig a concert is like calling ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ a movie. The legacy, the nostalgia, the expectations—McCartney understands all of it. His ‘One on One’ show rolled out the expected lighting rigs and video screens, but the real stagecraft was his storytelling: he touched on playing ukulele with Harrison, meeting Russian officials who learned English from Beatles songs, being nervous in the studio recording ‘Love Me Do’ with late producer George Martin, and penning ‘Blackbird’ to support the 1960s civil rights movement. These moments from rock history were funny and humble—or as humble as one can be about, say, Jimi Hendrix learning your new song in two days, as the guitar god did for ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ upon its release. On Friday, McCartney returned the tribute with an instrumental jam through ‘Foxy Lady,’ taking his major guitar solo for the evening.”
Consequence of Sound – April 18, 2016 –“Paul McCartney at Seattle’s Key Arena”
“Many fans liken seeing Sir Paul McCartney to a religious experience…As one of the two surviving members of The Beatles, he’s certainly earned this type of hype…It became clearer and clearer throughout the set just how omnipresent McCartney’s music has been over the generations.”
OnMilwaukee – July 9, 2016 – “McCartney Marathon Raises Summerfest Bar”
“McCartney is the consummate showman, as ever, engaging in banter, doing his little two-step dances, striking poses and reading aloud signs held aloft by audience members. Toward the end of the two-hour and 45-minute show, he invited a pair of sign holders – a father and daughter – on stage for a hug…Reviewing a Paul McCartney gig is a difficult thing for someone who has spent his whole life listening to the Beatles, who were as ubiquitous in my youth as hamburgers and baseball. Reviewing McCartney is sort of like reviewing my left arm. Sure, it’s showing some signs of age and maybe it doesn’t move quite as quickly as it used to, but I’ve gotten a lot of use, enjoyment and benefit out of it, and I can’t imagine my life without it.”
PopMatters – July 19, 2016 – “Paul McCartney Takes Nothing for Granted on ‘One on One’ Tour”
“The former Beatle didn’t play it safe, nor did he pander to the Philadelphia audience with some easy hits. In fact, McCartney invited them to celebrate (“Good evening Philadelphia… we’re going to have a party here in this place tonight”) as he packed 38 songs from all eras of his life into his revamped tour…In spite of the size of the venues, McCartney and his music forge a personal connection with each and every one in the audience.”
Toronto Sun – July 22, 2016 – “Good Time with Paul McCartney in Hamilton”
“No maybes about it. I’m definitely amazed that 74 year old Paul McCartney, on his current One On One tour, is continuing to deliver marathon shows with the energy of a musician a third of his age. Macca arrived at the FirstOntario Centre (formerly Copps Coliseum) on Thursday night to play his first ever show in Hamilton and the sold-out crowd of 15,000 were on their feet, cheering, singing and clapping along from the moment he opened the two hour-and 50-minute show with The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night…What was unrehearsed was his sheer enthusiasm for his job after more than a half-century as a singer-songwriter-musician.”
Paul brings his show to Golden 1 Center for two nights in early October. Are you ready?
