Something special happens whenever Paul McCartney plays a show. People of all ages “come together” to celebrate one of their favorite musicians, whether for the first time or umpteenth.
In the hours leading up to the first show of McCartney’s latest tour on Monday, Sept. 29, fans — from little ones who could barely pronounce the rocker’s name to those who saw the Beatles back in the 1960s — mingled with each other outside Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert. Many wore vintage tour T-shirts, while others donned their best “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” colorful uniforms.
No matter their age or generation, they all seemed to have a unique story to share about the singer and his impact.
Jo Stringfield of Crestline recalled seeing the Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl in 1964. She won tickets from a radio station, and among the things she remembers most is all the young women around her screaming — though she says she was not one of them. Since then, she has seen McCartney eight times, and it never gets old.
“He’s so versatile and happy when performing,” Stringfield said, holding a few newly purchased McCartney merch items.
Victor Tocco of San Diego was gearing up to see the English singer for the first time. Making the evening even more special were his two sons, Liam, 2, and Jameson, 5, who couldn’t wait to see “Paul Cartney,” as they called him.
“They’re already showing an interest in his music,” Tocco said, adding that his sons pretend to play the drums and guitar whenever they hear “Hello, Goodbye.” He’s even included “Hey Jude,” “Let It Be” and John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy” into their lullabies.
“They might be too young to be here, but there’s a first time for everyone,” Tocco added.
Many of the younger concert attendees credited their parents for introducing them to the Beatles. Madison Greer-Woolery of Los Angeles said her father raised her on the iconic band’s music, and she “went crazy” after that, not only taking in McCartney’s work, but that of The Doors and The Who.
“Old people are my people,” the 28-year-old said, wearing a vintage, orange, paisley outfit. “Young people don’t know good music.”
Her love of the Beatles is so serious that she has a tattoo inspired by the album “Yellow Submarine,” and she just recently scored a job at Sony Pictures Animation because of her love of the animated film of the same name, she said. She even attended Ringo Starr’s birthday party one year and spoke to him.
Greer-Woolery missed McCartney’s last tour and said she would not make that mistake again. Not only was she attending his kickoff show at Acrisure Arena, but she’s also heading to Las Vegas later in the week to watch him with her partner and father.
“There’s no way I’m missing this,” she said.
Gretel Lopez Garcia, of Riverside, attended the show with her father, Miguel Lopez, as the perfect birthday present.
“Mexicans love the Beatles,” Lopez Garcia, 18, said. Her parents gave her the middle name Lucy, in reference to the song “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” and there’s a mural of the four band members in their hometown of Mexicali, Mexico.
Overtime, she’s come to love the group just as much as her parents. For the Monday concert, she was dressed in a blue “Sgt. Pepper” uniform in honor of her favorite album, wore makeup inspired by McCartney’s “Ram” album and had on a “I’m bugs about the Beatles” pin. She’s also currently taking a music class on the Beatles at the University of California, Davis.
“I skipped class to be here. I took a flight,” she said with a smile.
Some people also drove several hours to catch Macca, including James and Sandra McFarland from Phoenix. Both can clearly remember how they felt when they first saw the rocker perform. Sandra was 14 at the 1964 Hollywood Bowl show, and she was “freaking out” when she caught a glimpse of the cute, young superstars. James attended the 1976 Wings Over America tour, and he was so impressed with not just McCartney’s musicality but also the visuals on stage.
Since then, they’ve seen many shows together, and they made “Maybe I’m Amazed” their wedding song.
No matter what the evening would bring, it was clear that McCartney fans were all on the same wavelength as they headed inside the arena: “It’s wonderful to be here, it’s certainly a thrill.”
Paul McCartney concerts 2025
Miss the Acrisure Arena show? Here are all of McCartney’s other upcoming shows you can try snagging a ticket to:
-Oct. 4: Las Vegas, Nevada — Allegiant Stadium
-Oct. 7: Albuquerque, New Mexico — Isleta Amphitheater
-Oct. 11: Denver, Colorado — Coors Field
-Oct. 14: Des Moines, Iowa — Casey’s Center
-Oct. 17: Minneapolis, Minnesota — U.S. Bank Stadium
-Oct. 22: Tulsa, Oklahoma – BOK Center
-Oct. 29: New Orleans, Louisiana — Smoothie King Center
-Nov. 2: Atlanta, Georgia — State Farm Arena
-Nov. 3: Atlanta, Georgia — State Farm Arena
-Nov. 6: Nashville, Tennessee – The Pinnacle
-Nov. 8: Columbus, Ohio — Nationwide Arena
-Nov. 11: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — PPG Paints Arena
-Nov. 14: Buffalo, New York — KeyBank Center
-Nov. 17: Montreal, Quebec, Canada — Bell Centre
-Nov. 18: Montreal, Quebec, Canada — Bell Centre
-Nov. 21: Hamilton, Ontario, Canda – TD Coliseum
-Nov. 24: Chicago, Illinois — United Center
-Nov. 25: Chicago, Illinois — United Center
(This story was updated to add information.)
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: From toddlers to college kids playing hooky, the Paul McCartney tour opener had it all
Reporting by Ema Sasic, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
