PAUL McCARTNEY, RETURNS TO MINNEAPOLIS AFTER NEARLY A DECADE — AND 60,000 FANS WATCHED A LEGEND TURN BACK TIME IN REAL-TIME. Only 8 shows in Minneapolis across his entire life — just one with the Beatles back in 1965 — and yet, the moment Paul stepped onto the U.S.

The legendary artist’s long-awaited return to the Twin Cities was a joyful and magical experience.

Paul McCartney has performed in Minneapolis only 8 times before tonight, only one of those was with the Beatles, in 1965. His last concert in the area was in 2016 at the Target Center for his “One on One” tour. Waiting almost a decade for his return, fans were incredibly excited to be in the presence of Sir Paul this evening at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The set list has changed a bit over the last 3-plus years that this tour has been running, almost continuously, all over the world, but he still includes tributes to his former Beatles bandmates. On “I’ve Got A Feeling” he sang along with a clip of John Lennon from the 1969 rooftop concert. “Here Today” is a loving, somber eulogy to his lost friend. He also played a beautiful interpretation of George Harrison’s “Something” on a ukulele that was gifted to him by Harrison, with photos of them together projected behind him.

I’ve heard McCartney talk about how he struggled initially, after The Beatles’ breakup, to play anything from their catalogue because he wanted to start fresh and establish himself as a solo artist. He has long since softened on that perspective, instead choosing to play Beatles songs as a way to honor his friends and to give the audience the pleasure of hearing them, many of which were never played live by Fab Four.

McCartney and his band played many Beatles favorites: “Help,” “Got To Get You Into My Life,” “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” and others. They also played several Wings songs (“Let Me Roll It,” “Jet,” Band on the Run,” and “Letting Go” with “Foxy Lady” coda as a tribute to Jimi Hendrix, et al) and some of his solo work (“Coming Up” with “Peter Gunn” coda, “Maybe I’m Amazed”). They also included a few deeper cuts like “My Valentine” (from Kisses on the Bottom, which he recently re-recorded as a collab with Barbara Streisand) that was written for his wife, Nancy Shevell, who was in attendance at the show, and “Dance Tonight” (from 2007’s Memory Almost Full).

Watching McCartney live is a supremely surreal and magical experience for those of us who are lifelong fans. We may have heard the stories before, but hearing him tell them in person is charming every time. His disarming Scouse accent, his little chuckle here and there, his comedic timing are exactly what we are craving. It’s impossible not to feel immense joy being around this seemingly ever-vibrant 83-year-old.

It’s also delightful to watch the faces of the crowd as you can almost visibly see them turn back time—remembering hearing these songs on their bedroom stereos, seeing The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show, or, if they were lucky enough, in person. There are also legions of younger fans for whom the canon of The Beatles’ and McCartney’s music are every bit as accessible and beloved as those of their parents and grandparents.

The energy McCartney brings to his performances is still incredible. He loves this music and all that it has represented for him, but most of all, it’s clear that he loves performing and the electricity of a live audience. From beautiful photo/video montages of The Beatles to pyrotechnics, the show was over the top exciting from start to finish.

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