Tonight: Paul McCartney's One On One Tour hits Tampa's Amalie Arena

 Richard Perry of Seminole shows off his ticket for the Paul McCartney concert Monday night at Amalie Arena. Perry was the first person in line and and bought one ticket on the floor in the sixth row. JAMES BORCHUCK | Times



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Tonight: Paul McCartney's One On One Tour hits Tampa's Amalie Arena
Jay CridlinJay Cridlin, Pop Music/Culture Critic
Monday, July 10, 2017



It's been a long and winding road, a magical mystery tour indeed, but today, after 12 long years, Paul McCartney will finally get back to Tampa.

McCartney's One On One Tour hits Amalie Arena at 8 p.m. tonight, his first local show since 2005. And the Tampa Bay Times is ON IT. We'll be coming at you all evening with photos and reports from the scene.

The tour kicked off in Miami Friday night, with reviewers calling his 37-song performance"incredibly varied" and "a night of communion and joy, sing-alongs and standing ovations" and "an endless series of highlights -- some might call it an embarrassment of riches."

Throughout July, we've been celebrating McCartney Month on Soundcheck by exploring the history, popularity and influence of McCartney and the Beatles. Got some time to kill before tonight's show? Check out some of these stories:

-- From the moment it was announced, this show was one of the biggest of the year. People lined up before dawn to shell out hundreds of dollars for tickets; the show sold out in hours. Click here to read about what it's like to stand in line for Paul McCartney tickets in 2017.

-- McCartney's first concert in Tampa came on April 12, 1990, the city went a little nuts. Some 60,000 seats sold out almost immediatley, and the Tampa Tribune published commemorative sections before AND after the concert at Tampa Stadium. Click here.

-- In 2002, McCartney delivered a powerhouse performance of Beatles, Wings and solo hits at the Ice Palace in Tampa. Click here.

-- McCartney's last concert in Tampa came at the St. Pete Times Forum in 2005, and it was during that show that he almost kicked the bucket. Well, not quite, but he did take a nasty tumble on stage. Click here.

-- Will anyone in Tampa get to meet McCartney? Probably not. But that won't stop everyone from trying to get close to the most important musician alive. People who've had a magical moment with McCartney say the experience is unforgettable. Click here.

-- Paul McCartney, honorary Floridian? Not quite. But Macca and the Beatles do have quite a few interesting Florida ties that date back to the early '60s. Click here.

-- Beatles superfan Sara DiNatale recalled that one time a complete stranger handed her front-row tickets to a Paul McCartney concert in Buffalo, N.Y. Click here.

-- We sifted through crates and crates of Beatles vinyl at Bananas Music, which celebrated its 40th anniversary over the weekend. Click here.

-- We also sifted through countless punk, pop-punk and metal covers of Beatles songs, in honor of the Vans Warped Tour. Click here.

-- The Beatles are reuniting! Well, sort of. On Friday -- his 77th birthday -- Ringo Starr announced a new album coming this fall, featuring a couple of appearances by McCartney. Click here.

-- Speaking of Ringo, he's coming to Tampa Bay, too -- although you might not have heard anything about that private show. Click here.

-- For everything else you might want to know about the show, click here. We'll see you at the show.

-- Jay Cridlin