Palm Desert

From Paul McCartney | News | Penned on the Run: ‘GOT BACK’ Tour Diary 2025:

Who’s up for another Desert Trip?

It had been nearly a decade since that historic stretch in October 2016 when Paul headlined “Old-chella” two weekends to record crowds at the Empire Polo Club—on a bill featuring Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Who, Roger Waters and the Rolling Stones—with a detour deeper into the desert to play one of the most intimate club shows of his storied career at the 350-capacity Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace. Having made such an indelible mark on the greater Palm Desert region, Paul’s impending return to the area begged the question: What could he possibly do to top that?

The answer came as soon as that first exclamation of ‘Help!’ echoed through the cavernous Acrisure Arena—truly “a knockout moment in a show full of them,” as ROLLING STONE raved in a review they rushed to post practically before the arena had fully emptied.

Such was the adrenaline rush that infused the crackling cold air of the Acrisure — the ice rink attached to the arena made for a markedly chilly contrast to the warm desert night outside — for nearly three hours of old, new and in-between songs. The first full-production arena show of Got Back 2025 found Paul and the band in “young and fresh and reckless” early tour mode, as evidenced by super-charged renditions of ‘Got to Get You Into My Life’ and ‘Drive My Car’ sandwiching a slinky ‘Letting Go’ that showcased some blistering leads from local resident Brian Ray. ‘Come on to Me’ and ‘Let Me Roll It’ each elevated the energy in the crowd and on the stage, culminating in another peak in the form of a dazzling ‘Getting Better’.

And it did indeed keep getting better, as a transcendent first Got Back 2025 airing of ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ was followed by a few of the evening’s many heartfelt tributes to loved ones, both with us in spirit (Paul’s mother Mary, marking the occasion of her 116th birthday, later George Martin and of course John Lennon and George Harrison) and still here on the physical plane with us (daughter Mary and her children: “That baby in my jacket? She’s a grown-up now with four kids of her own.”)

The quieter numbers took on that special resonance unique to Paul’s first time performing a song in an arena he’s never previously played. ‘Something’ was a straight up tearjerker, with Paul ritualistically playing the first half of the song on the same ukulele George gifted him, adding at the song’s conclusion, “A shout-out to someone special who’s in the audience tonight — George’s wife Olivia.” ‘Here Today’ and ‘Now and Then’ paid touching tribute to John, the former affording Paul the chance to say the words “I love you” to John at last, while the latter concluded with an equally sincere “Thank you John for writing that beautiful song.”

‘Let It Be’ enveloped the arena in an air of optimism and hope, which gave way to the utter chaos of ‘Live and Let Die’ featuring the thunderous return of the pyrotechnics barrage that Santa Barbara had been spared so as not to immolate a thousand or so of that close quarters crowd—with BILLBOARD incidentally taking notice that “three of the songs that got the biggest applause of the night in Palm Desert were three Wings’ bangers that raised the roof: ‘Jet,’ ‘Band on the Run’ and ‘Live and Let Die.’” Having been there to witness, can confirm!

‘Hey Jude’ closed the set proper, with “na na na na na na na” refrains rattling the Acrisure walls. And by the time the final coda of ‘The End’ united the thousands of voices present in song one last time, there was nary a trace of that ice rink freeze remaining — hopefully someone checked to make sure it hadn’t been melted, either by the ‘Live and Let Die’ pyro display or by the warmth that permeates arenas over the course of nearly three hours of Paul McCartney playing live.

Steve Martin – Paul’s US publicist – From Paul McCartney | News | Penned on the Run: ‘GOT BACK’ Tour Diary 2025