Paul McCartney lights up the Erwin Center

Paul McCartney in his Austin debut at the Frank Erwin Center, 5.22.2013
The Austin Chronicle


www.austin360.com
Paul McCartney lights up the Erwin Center
By Peter Mongillo
Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017

Editor’s note: This article was originally published May 23, 2013


Paul McCartney 
Date: May 22, 2013 
Venue: Frank Erwin Center City: Austin

Two songs into the first of two shows at the Erwin Center, Paul McCartney announced, “we are going to have a party here tonight.”

For three hours on Wednesday night, McCartney fueled that party with a mix of hits from his days with the Beatles and his later career with Wings, showing off his skill as a writer of both simple, poignant ballads and more complex rock pieces.

With McCartney it isn’t so much a question of what songs he will play — his setlist remains mostly the same across a tour, and is widely available online — but how he will play them. He was all smiles on the swinging opener “Eight Days A Week” (with a somewhat strange series computer-generated bubbles on the screen); that Beatles staple stood in contrast to “Junior’s Farm,” with its big guitar solo and dramatic climax.

The band shined on a bright, punchy “All My Loving” and the soulful arena blues of “Let Me Roll It.” They followed that song with a tease of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady,” after which McCartney told the story of how it was “one of the biggest tributes” he ever received when the late guitarist covered “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” just two days after they released the album.

“Paperback Writer” made a perfect racket with McCartney on the guitar used to record the song; he took to the piano for the new song “My Valentine,” a theatrical “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five,” “The Long and Winding Road” and “Maybe I’m Amazed,” which he restarted and still left the crowd alternating between singalong and awe.

An acoustic “I’ve Just Seen a Face” released some tension, as did an uplifting “We Can Work It Out,” which featured keyboardist Paul Wickens on the accordion. More acoustic McCartney: “Another Day;” “And I Love Her;” “Blackbird,” with Paul alone atop a platform, explaining that he likes that so many people learn to play it on guitar (“how cool is that for me?”).

There were more psychedelic moments, with McCartney behind his brightly painted piano on “Your Mother Should Know.” “”All Together Now” had the entire 12,500-person crowd singing, as did “Lovely Rita” (making its live debut on this tour) and “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.” “Band on the Run” drew huge applause as McCartney led the group into the main section of the operatic Wings hit; “Let It Be” found him leading something of a religious meeting, with the band joining in on haunting harmony.

If you are going to the show Thursday and do not want too many spoilers, stop reading: “Live and Let Die” was a blazing piece of pyrotechnics, with giant flames and fireworks accompanying Sir Paul as he crashed down on the piano keys. The set closed with an equally moving “Hey Jude,” again inspiring a 12,000-person singalong.

Of course, that was not the end — the band returned quickly for a punchy trio of “Day Tripper,” “Hi, Hi, Hi” and a triumphant “Get Back.” Another quick return yielded “Yesterday,” and a raucous “Helter Skelter,” with searing guitar work and drummer Abe Laboriel wreaking havoc. And, finally, the “Abbey Road” medley of “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight” and “The End” — a predictable conclusion, but like the rest of the night, a big, joyous trip.



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Setllist:

Eight Days a Week

Junior’s Farm

All My Loving

Listen to What the Man Said

Let Me Roll It

Paperback Writer

My Valentine

Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five

The Long and Winding Road

Maybe I’m Amazed

I’ve Just Seen a Face

We Can Work It Out

Another Day

And I Love Her

Blackbird

Here Today

Your Mother Should Know

Lady Madonna

All Together Now

Lovely Rita

Mrs. Vandebilt

Eleanor Rigby

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!

Something

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

Band on the Run

Back in the U.S.S.R.

Let It Be

Live and Let Die

Hey Jude

Day Tripper

Hi, Hi, Hi

Get Back

Yesterday

Helter Skelter

Golden Slumbers

Carry That Weight

The End


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