McCartney Opens U.S. Portion of 2013 ‘Out There’ Tour

Amway Center, 05/18/2013 Sentinel Photo

Paul McCartney opened the US portion of his current “Out There” tour with two opening dates In Orlando Saturday and Sunday.   And music credit for The Orlando Sentinel, Jim Abbott writes Saturday night’s show at the Amway Center was a generous and stylishly presented 2 hours and 45 minutes performance.

In an opening salvo of “Eight Days a Week,” “Junior’s Farm,” “All My Loving,” “Listen to What the Man Said” and “Let Me Roll It,” McCartney nicely reproduced familiar studio versions, his voice situated clearly atop a pleasing sound mix.

The band closed “Let Me Roll It” with a whiff of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady,” which McCartney followed with an endearing tale that tied Hendrix to the Beatles.

Behind the band, songs were embellished by a sea of spotlights, swirling geometric designs and video clips of long-ago McCartney scenes.  Not that you need special effects when the material includes “The Long and Winding Road,” “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Hey Jude,” “Let It Be” and “Yesterday.”

Along with the obvious favorites, McCartney also showcased a few lesser known gems, such as an exuberant take on Wings’ “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five,” a lilting “Hope of Deliverance” (off 1993’s “Off the Ground” album) and “Here Today,” a moving acoustic tribute to John Lennon. He strummed ukulele as a tribute to George Harrison in “Something.”

Amid the nostalgia, the show was a testament to McCartney’s own longevity. At age 70, he has lost surprisingly little of the charm, energy, instrumental skills and vocal flexibility that make him a legend, one of the rare pop musicians to really deserve that over-used title.

It might be accurate to call these songs oldies, but it’s hard to imagine them ever getting old.

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Setlist, Orlando 5/18/2013:
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

Hope of Deliverance

Another Day

And I Love Her

Here Today

Your Mother Should Know

Lady Madonna

All Together Now

Mrs. Vandebilt

Eleanor Rigby

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!

Something

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

Band on the Run

Hi, Hi, Hi

Back in the U.S.S.R.

Let It Be

Live and Let Die

Hey Jude

Encore:

Day Tripper

Lovely Rita

Get Back

Encore 2:

Yesterday

Helter Skelter

Golden Slumbers

Carry That Weight

The End