Yeah, you can call me predictable. For a 40-plus-year-Beatles fan, jumping from Ringo Starr to Paul McCartney really wasn’t exactly a leap. And when I spotted the below clip earlier today, writing about Macca was a no-brainer. While Ringo and His All Starr Band were rockin’ Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada, approximately 1,400 miles to the south Paul McCartney got back to Orlando, Fla., his first time in five years to hit the sunshine state, as noted by Orlando Weekly.
McCartney and his great band have been on the road since late April when they kicked off their Got Back Tour at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash. The gig at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium on Saturday night was the 10th show of the 16-date North American tour. Orlando Weekly reported it attracted tens of thousands of folks who “converged from across the state, of all backgrounds and generations, spending a not insignificant amount of hard-earned money to sing long-loved songs together” and were treated for a nearly three-hour set. All you young cat musicians out there, listen up, three hours!
Here’s a bit more of what Orlando Weekly had to say about the gig: “McCartney was in prime-form, taking the stage with his iconic Höfner Violin Bass to overjoyed fans. The Beatle turns 80 next month, a stunning revelation considering he played three-dozen songs and a nearly three-hour set. The setlist was majority Beatles classics, a healthy balance of songs from the Fab Four’s expansive discography, while also weaving in Wings’ classics alongside more recent and obscure tracks for “the real ones.” Never before played live included “You Never Give Me Your Money” from the Beatles’ Abbey Road; as well as a virtual duet with John Lennon singing Let It Be’s “I’ve Got a Feeling,” incorporating remastered video from The Beatles’ last rooftop concert 53 years ago.”
Following is You Never Give Me Your Money (evidently without the piano intro), combined with She Came Into the Bathroom Window – oh, that magic feeling! Based on Setlist.fm, this was 23 tunes into the show! You also gotta love when Paul after a false start says, “we’re gonna start that again [laughter in the audience], aye, come on, it proves it’s live!” Yes, it is!
Let’s throw in another beautiful moment from that Orlando gig: The finale including Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight and The End. This is followed by Paul’s final words, “Beautiful, thank you so much, and all that’s left to say we’ll see you next time.” Okay, before I’m getting really emotional, let’s play the clip!
Tomorrow, Paul and his band are bringing their show to Thompson Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. The schedule for the remaining dates of the Got Back Tour is here. Taking a peek at Ringo’s remaining tour dates reveals there isn’t any direct overlap with his former Beatles mate.
With Macca playing Baltimore on June 12 and Ringo’s two scheduled gigs there June 14 and June 15, they will just miss each other. Ringo is playing Providence on June 12. But Mr. Starr looks free on June 16 when Macca is wrapping up at MetLife in New Jersey, which is where I’m supposed to see him. Baltimore is only about 200 miles away from East Rutherford, N.J. Now there would be an idea…
Sources: Orlando Weekly; Setlist.fm; Paul McCartney website; Ringo Starr website; YouTube
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