Miami • Friday, July 7, 2017

About

This was the first night of the new US leg of the “One On One” tour.

From paulmccartney.com, April 25, 2017:

Paul McCartney has added a massive new run of US dates to his ‘One On One’ tour.

The newly announced dates kick off July 5th at Miami’s AmericanAirlines Arena — Paul’s first Miami appearance since his ‘Up & Coming’ Tour hit Sun Life Stadium in 2010 — then head northwest to Tampa, where Paul will play July 10th at the Amalie Arena, returning to the city for the first time since his 2005 ‘US Tour’. From there, ‘One On One’ takes Paul to three cities and venues he’s never played before: July 13th at the Infinity Energy Arena in Duluth MN, July 15th at CenturyLink Center in Bossier City LA, and July 19th at the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita KS. On July 21st Paul plays the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines IA followed by a July 23rd stop at CenturyLink Center in Omaha NE, returning to both cities for the first time since 2005’s ‘US Tour’. The tour’s July run concludes on the 25th at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Tinley Park in Tinley Park IL — Paul’s first appearance in the region since his now-legendary 2015 Lollapalooza headline.

‘One On One’s 2017 US run will resume with Paul’s first-ever show at the Prudential Center in Newark NJ on September 11th. Paul will then take up residence in New York City, playing his first full show at Madison Square Garden since 2005 on September 15th, then getting back to the scene of his unforgettable 2013 Brooklyn shows to play the Barclays Center on September 19th. Paul will then head upstate to make his debut appearance in  debut appearance in Syracuse NY, playing the Carrier Dome on September 23rd, followed on September 26th by Paul’s first show at Long Island’s Nassau Coliseum since 2002’s ‘Driving USA’ Tour. ‘One On One’s fall dates will draw to a close October 1st at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, Paul’s first show at the brand new venue and first visit to the Motor City since 2015.

From paulmccartney.com, May 17, 2017:

[…] Paul McCartney’s ‘One On One’ tour’s July 5th U.S. opener at Miami’s American Airlines Arena has been re-scheduled to FRIDAY JULY 7th to accommodate enhancements to the tour’s production. […]

From Miami New Times, July 7, 2017:

Backstage at the American Airlines Arena just hours before Paul McCartney is set to arrive for a soundcheck, LeRoy Bennett is previewing the show’s special effects before Friday’s performance. […] While Bennett provides the technical details, the album cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band appears on an enormous screen behind the stage. Suddenly, one of the figures in the iconic image jumps out of place.

Did that man just move?

“Oh, yeah,” Bennett says. “Paul is going to see that for the first time today.”

In the world of production design, Bennett is a titan. He designs lights and effects almost exclusively for A-list music stars, including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Nine Inch Nails, and Bruno Mars. He’s worked with Paul McCartney on every show and tour since the former Beatle’s halftime performance at Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005. He’s also done a few other Super Bowls since then, including this year’s with Lady Gaga and a flock of drones (and, no, she didn’t actually dive into the stadium; that bit was pretaped). Then there was Beyoncé’s halftime show, when the pop star lay on a stage made of LED panels while virtual body doubles surrounded her like synchronized swimmers.

[…]  The moving album cover, commissioned to celebrate the album’s 50th anniversary, is just one of the many stunning effects on display. Several layers of V-Thru screens hang behind a huge, movie-size main grid, with each single piece measuring about five square feet.

Along with the video screens, four smoke machines and hundreds of lights will be used in the performance. The most impressive part of the performance, however, will happen when McCartney performs acoustically. As he steps onto the front of the stage, a robotic arm will lift the platform and suspend the singer above the audience.

It’s all an incredibly complex display of technical wizardry, but it’s all needed for the show to go on. If audience members never forget the moment their favorite rock star flew above them, LeRoy Bennett will have done his job.

From Miami New Times, July 8, 2017:

The sold-out crowd at American Airlines Arena was old – not geriatric, but certainly approaching retirement age. Younger faces could be seen throughout the audience, from children and young adults to professionals in their 30s and 40s, but make no mistake, the gray-haired, t-shirted Baby Boomers were out in fullest force.

This is the audience Paul McCartney, himself 75, has been performing for since 1963. He knows exactly what they want, and he’s the first to admit it.

“We can tell which songs you like the most,” he said in between songs. “When we play a Beatles song, the place lights up like a galaxy with all the phones. When we play a new song it’s like a black hole.”

[…] He also took time to dedicate songs to the three other members of the Beatles – Ringo got “Birthday” in celebration of his 77th – producer George Martin, McCartney’s wife Nancy, and even the Rolling Stones. “This idea of a rivalry,” he said of the band, “it’s a fake thing. Fake news!” […]

Maybe it’s this undeniable verve that made the show such a hit. Maybe it’s the fact that so many music fans have a connection to the Beatles that we can’t help but find something to like in the incredibly varied performance. I wouldn’t call Paul McCartney’s latest South Florida appearance a perfect show – he could stand to trim a few songs from the set – but it was damn close. And I know because what gave me hearing damage last night wasn’t the bang of the fireworks or the crash of the drums: it was the cheering crowd, young and old (but mostly old), screaming for an encore.

Last updated on March 20, 2021

American Airlines Arena

This was the 2nd concert played at American Airlines Arena.

A total of 2 concerts have been played there • 2005 • Sep 16th • 2017 • Jul 7th

Setlist for the soundcheck

Setlist for the concert