Maybe I’m Amazed

 

June 6, 2022

Maybe I’m Amazed

I have had the good fortune to have been to see Sir Paul McCartney live many times, but he is one of those artists that when they announce a tour, I find myself scouring the tour itinerary to see when and where I can find a ticket and the opportunity to see them once again. I think I had seen McCartney six times in the five years before the pandemic and that is just the most recent shows.

I thought the latest tour, his first since the pandemic restrictions have lifted, was going to be one that I missed as he seemed to be playing everywhere that I wasn’t, playing Florida while I was away in Indianapolis and with most of the other shows similarly out of reach.

Then I happened upon the fact that he was playing for the first time ever in Knoxville, Tennessee and it just so happened to coincide with my drive from Indianapolis to Key West. I would not even have to detour all that much. I was fortunate to find a ticket on the 4^th row of the side of the stage on the secondary market for a good price and I was off to Knoxville.

The Thompson-Boling Arena is the basketball arena for the University of Tennessee and has a capacity of just over 21,000. It was sold out for what may have been one of the most anticipated concerts in Knoxville history. The crowd was beyond excited and it added energy to McCartney who at just shy of 80 years old is just starting to show the wear and tear of constant touring. As cool as it is to see an icon of music, his voice and stamina are just beginning to slip somewhat.

Having said that, it is a miracle that he can deliver a two and a half hour set, night after night and have as much energy as he does. He still gives it his all to an audience that is beyond appreciative.  He doesn’t have to be doing this at all, his legacy is beyond cemented and he could just be at home basking in his well-earned glory.

Yet there he is, performing a 36 song set that puts most current touring acts to shame both in its duration and quality. Hit after hit after hit and yet he just scratched the surface on what he could have played. He could play a few more 36 song sets without repeating and the crowd would still have known the majority of the songs.

McCartney may not be doing any spins, kicks, or jumps, but he still knows how to hold an audience's attention. From witty stage banter, old stories from his day in The Beatles, to interaction with the sea of signs in his honor, McCartney's stage presence was everything you could hope for. The band is terrific as well and the stage craft was amazing with plenty of cool huge videos and amazing pyrotechnics.

The highlights of the show are too many to mention, though the performance of “I’ve Got A  Feeling” featured a duet with the image of John Lennon performing at the famous final rooftop concert by the Beatles. The video of Lennon trading verses with the onstage McCartney had the crowd roaring and was a moment of nostalgia that was pretty damn cool.