PAUL MCCARTNEY AT SAP CENTER AT SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA

ByBeatles Magazine

Jul 10, 2019

Performing at San Jose’s SAP Center on Wednesday, July 10, Paul McCartney kicked off the evening’s proceedings with the iconic opening strains of “A Hard Day’s Night.” From there, he never let up as he barreled through decades of hits from every phase of his career.

McCartney brought the crowd to a hushed reverence during a stirring rendition of “Blackbird,” while later on, the mood was decidedly different when the riff-laden excess of “Back in the U.S.S.R.” brought everyone to their feet. It’s no surprise that McCartney’s contributions to pop rock’s greatest songbook continue to enthrall generation after generation.
“When we do a Beatles song,” he playfully moaned, “a galaxy of phones light up. When we do a new song, a black hole suddenly emerges. That’s OK though. We don’t care.”
Throughout the night, Paul pivoted between bass, guitar, and piano, quickly working up a sweat that required him to remove his jacket after half a dozen songs. Always willing to reaffirm McCartney’s status as first-ballot rock star, the crowd gamely cheered as he partially disrobed. “That’s the only wardrobe change of the whole evening.” he quipped.

At one point, he called for the house lights so that he could better see some of the numerous signs held up by dedicated fans. One advised McCartney that a fan had traveled from Long Island, N.Y. to be there. Another celebrated a woman’s 55-year fandom for the artist.
“I am the walrus who sold my Mini Cooper to see you,” McCartney read at one point, squinting to make out the words of one sign.
Dressed in a walrus costume she apparently wore to the show, the sign’s creator confirmed to McCartney that she had indeed sold her car to attend his performance. Later, she and a friend would reemerge on stage with McCartney during his encore. Upon request, McCartney graciously signed the fan’s foot with a sharpie so that she could eventually turn it into a tattoo.
“Does your mother know?” he teased.
Then, just as the young women were about to leave the stage, the fan dressed as a walrus whispered something in McCartney’s ear.
“Do you know what she just whispered to me?” he asked the crowd a moment later. “She just asked if they could stay and dance for a song!”

Clearly touched, McCartney granted the pair’s request. As the walrus-costumed fan and her friend danced along with inspired abandon to “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Helter Skelter,” it was obvious that after all this time, it still meant something to McCartney to see fans truly enjoy his music.

Setlist
1) ‘A Hard Day’s Night’
2) ‘Junior’s Farm’
3) ‘All My Loving’
4) ‘Letting Go’
5) ‘Who Cares’
6) ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’
7) ‘Come On To Me’
8) ‘Let Me Roll It’-‘Foxy Lady’
9) ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’
10)‘Let ’Em In’
11)‘My Valentine’
12)‘Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five’
13)‘Maybe I’m Amazed’
14)‘I’ve Just Seen A Face’
15)‘In Spite Of All The Danger’
16)‘From Me To You’
17)‘Dance Tonight’
18)‘Love Me Do’
19)‘Blackbird’
20)‘Here Today’
21)‘Queenie Eye’
22)‘Lady Madonna’
23)‘Eleanor Rigby’
24)‘Fuh You’
25)‘Being For The Benefit Of Mr.Kite’
26)‘Something’
27)‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’
28)‘Band On The Run’
29)‘Back In The U.S.S.R.’
30)‘Let It Be’
31)‘Live And Let Die’
32)‘Hey Jude’