Photos and words by Kevin Estrada

Sir Paul McCartney brought his 2019 Freshen Up Tour to an end for a sold out crowd last night at Dodger Stadium. Besides the dozens of hits one would expect at a McCartney show, we were treated to a surprise mini-reunion as Ringo Starr joined McCartney and his band on stage for Beatle’s classics “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (reprise) and “Helter-Skelter.” The show concluded with Joe Walsh of the Eagles who came out as one of the three guitarists recreating the part of “The End” where McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison took turns doing two-bar guitar solos.

Creating a set list of songs by one of the greatest songwriters of all time is no easy task, however the 38 songs chosen had just the right balance of McCartney’s solo material, Wings’ favorites, and of course, classic Beatles. Sir Paul delivered a nearly 3 hour show, yet there was still quite a handful of numbers missing that didn’t make the cut.

But the true magic of the show was not the hit songs, it was not the pyro and ferocious fireworks during “Live And Let Die,” it wasn’t seeing Starr drumming alongside McCartney, the true magic was the way in which McCartney was able to make a sold out Dodger Stadium feel like an intimate coffee-house show. McCartney lowered his defenses and put it all out on the line. He made each song a special moment for the fans, telling the back story of each track and unheard tales that so much make Paul McCartney who he is.

McCartney’s “Here Today” is a moving and touching example. He explained to the crowd, “Sometimes you need to tell someone something–you want to say ‘I love you man,’ but you just can’t, because you need to be tough or whatever the reason. And then before you know it, it’s too late. I wrote this song about my friend John. When we were kids in Liverpool, we just couldn’t get around to say ‘I love you man.’ So I wrote this song in the form of a conversation.” Alone, on a small riser with an acoustic guitar, an emotional and teary eyed McCartney poured his heart out, allowing everyone in that stadium to feel as if we were the only person he was singing to.

That is the magic of Paul McCartney and that is why there is no one like him.

Setlist via setlist.fm:

A Hard Day’s Night (The Beatles song)
Junior’s Farm (Wings song)
Can’t Buy Me Love (The Beatles song)
Letting Go (Wings song)
Who Cares
Got to Get You Into My Life (The Beatles song)
Come On to Me
Let Me Roll It (Wings song) (followed by “Foxy Lady” jam)
I’ve Got a Feeling (The Beatles song)
Let ‘Em In (Wings song)
My Valentine
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five (Wings song)
Maybe I’m Amazed
I’ve Just Seen a Face (The Beatles song)
In Spite of All the Danger (The Quarrymen song)
From Me to You (The Beatles song)
Dance Tonight
Love Me Do (The Beatles song)
Blackbird (The Beatles song)
Here Today
Queenie Eye
Lady Madonna (The Beatles song)
Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles song)
Fuh You
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! (The Beatles song)
Something (The Beatles song)
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (The Beatles song)
Band on the Run (Wings song)
Back in the U.S.S.R. (The Beatles song)
Let It Be (The Beatles song)
Live and Let Die (Wings song)
Hey Jude (The Beatles song)

Encore:
Birthday (The Beatles song)
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (The Beatles song) (with Ringo Starr)
Helter Skelter (The Beatles song) (with Ringo Starr)
Golden Slumbers (The Beatles song)
Carry That Weight (The Beatles song) (with Joe Walsh)
The End (The Beatles song) (with Joe Walsh)