How do you prefer your Paul McCartney?
Do you prefer McCartney the Beatle, from the simple but unforgettable three-minute pop masterpieces of Lennon and McCartney of the early 1960s to the more psychedelic and anthemic songs of the late 1960s?
Is it the McCartney of Wings, the 1970s band often branded as too commercial but still a bone fide hit-making machine and perhaps underrated because of McCartney’s first band? Or do you prefer McCartney the solo artist, less commercial and perhaps ignored through the eras of grunge, hip hop and today’s pop music, but often introspective and occasionally brilliant?
The good news for Coachella Valley music fans — and those who traveled from outside the area to see him locally — McCartney has dished out something for everyone. His 2009 headline appearance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, his 2016 two-weekend stint at Desert Trip and his pop-up visit in between Desert Trip sets at Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneertown all showed the depth and the scope of his musical catalogue.
As McCartney returns to the desert to start a new tour Sept. 29 at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, fans can be assured that McCartney’s biggest and most popular hits will be in the set. The Cute Beatle couldn’t show up and not sing “Hey Jude,” right?
It’s interesting to think about how different McCartney’s past performances in the desert have been. It’s arguably even more interesting to consider how the 83-year-old’s age — he was 66 when he played Coachella in 2009 and 74 when he played Desert Trip and Pappy’s in 2016 — might be part of his changing sets.
2009: Paul McCartney headlines Coachella
McCartney’s headlining set on the Friday of the Coachella 2009 was truly a singalong. And he made a statement by starting the set with “Jet,” a Wings song, though there is a fine line between Wings songs and McCartney as a solo act with a really good band. That was followed by “Drive My Car,” a Beatles song, again making the statement that McCartney’s full songbook would be on display for those who care to stick around after Morrisey had played the main stage before McCartney.
The Coachella set might have been McCartney at his crowd-pleasing, singalong best, including pyrotechnics for “Live and Let Die,” followed by “Hey Jude” to end the main set. But Coachella 2009 will always truly be remembered for two epic encores by McCartney, which ran the set over by 52 minutes, costing promoter Goldenvoice $1,000 a minute.
It was money well spent, as McCartney’s final encore began with the iconic “Yesterday,” slid into “Helter Skelter,” then “Get Back,” then the reprise for “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” It was Beatles Shangri-la.
2016: Paul McCartney plays Desert Trip
Desert Trip (I was there for Weekend 2) began almost as brilliantly with the goosebump-producing opening note of “Hard Day’s Night.” Still, there were differences between the two performances seven years apart.
Yes, McCartney played his John Lennon tribute “Here Today” and his ukelele performance of “Something,” his tribute to George Harrison, as he had at Coachella. But somehow, under a full desert moon, a warm breeze and playing to a Desert Trip crowd that was certainly older and perhaps more invested into the 1960s and 1970s, the performances seemed more introspective. So did the completely underrated ballad “My Valentine,” which wasn’t released until 2012, three years after McCartney’s Coachella set.
There were other changes, like “Queenie Eye,” another song that wasn’t written when McCartney played Coachella. But the biggest change was two guests McCartney invited on stage, something that didn’t happen at Coachella.
First was Rhianna, who joined McCartney in “FourFiveSeconds” a song she, McCartney and Kanye West wrote. Then came Neil Young, McCartney’s opening act for the night. The two legends performed “A Day in the Life,” the Beatles epic that Young regularly performs in his own show, follow by a rousing version of “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?” and the chorus of the John Lennon-Yoke Ono song “Give Peace A Chance.” It seemed a perfect blend of the two Hall of Famers’ talents.
While the main set might have been a bit more Wings-tinged than the Coachella set (four of the first nine songs at Desert Trip were Wings songs), the Desert Trip encore was just as Beatles heavy, including “Helter Skelter,” “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry that Weight” and medley ending “The End” from Abbey Road.
2016: Paul McCartney surprises local fans with a pop-up show at Pappy and Harriet’s
McCartney’s performance on Oct. 13, 2016 — between the two weekends of Desert Trip — at Pappy and Harriet’s was a surprise to many when it was announced that morning around 9 a.m. on KCRW. There were only 400 tickets available at $50 each and thousands were turned away as the line grew.
Something was missing at Pappy & Harriet’s that night, which contributed to its reputation as the famous roadhouse in Pioneertown. Aside from the music, the aroma of grilled meat and pork over mesquite chips that typically fills the air was absent. The antler mounts on the walls inside were covered with black sheets, adding to the unusual atmosphere. Instead, a vegan dinner was offered on the back patio for $13.95. This menu change aligned with Paul McCartney’s vegan lifestyle, as venues often switch to meatless options during his performances.
The set was also notably different from a typical McCartney concert, especially in contrast to the weekends of Desert Trip. He opened with “Save Me,” a track from his 2013 album “New,” which was unexpected but a highlight of the night. He also omitted regularly performed songs such as “Jet,” “Maybe I’m Amazed,” and “Blackbird,” instead opting to perform rarities like “Junior’s Farm” and “Hi, Hi, Hi.” Another highlight was “Birthday.”
Seeing Paul McCartney, a member of The Beatles, perform in a small roadhouse for 400 people in Pioneertown was a sublime experience. The crowd included notable celebrities such as artist David Hockney, Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, singer-songwriter Victoria Williams, and Homme’s former Kyuss bandmate Brant Bjork.
There was a humorous moment when McCartney asked if the people in the back of Pappy’s were doing OK. Meanwhile, someone in the front was trying to get his attention. McCartney then mockingly reminded that person that he was inquiring about those in the back. This exchange highlighted how he and the rest of The Beatles were accustomed to dealing with hecklers and distractions from their time performing in the small clubs in Hamburg, Germany during the early ’60s.
One highlight from that set was the performance of “Band On The Run, a three-medley song that sounded extra special in a small venue. Another was the emotional response “Hey Jude” received before the encore, when members of the bar staff were standing on the bar holding up lighters.
McCartney performs in stadiums and arenas around the world, but he also enjoys playing surprise concerts in smaller venues. For example, he performed at the Bowery Ballroom in New York in February, Liverpool’s Cavern Club in 2018, and Amoeba Records in Los Angeles in 2007, and various other intimate shows over the years. The 2016 Pappy and Harriet’s concert was one of those unforgettable experiences for those who attended.
Next Paul McCartney concert? Sept. 29
So, McCartney has given the desert a feel-good singalong at Coachella, a more career-spanning set at Desert Trip and a rare intimate experience at Pappy and Harriet’s. What secrets and surprises does McCartney have up his Liverpool sleeve for Acrisure Arena? We can’t wait to find out.
(This story was updated to add a gallery.)
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Paul McCartney has a history of epic desert performances. Will his Sept. 29 set compare?
Reporting by Larry Bohannan and Brian Blueskye, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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