Paul McCartney @ JMA Dome Syracuse, NY 6-4-22

We were super pumped to cover the Syracuse show on Paul McCartney’s ‘Get Back’ tour. The last show we covered of his was at this exact location almost 5 years ago. A few changes to the building (new roof) and name change (formerly the Carrier Dome) were made since then. His band still consists of Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens on keyboards, Abe Laboriel Jr. on drums, Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray on guitar.

First and foremost, we showed up early to get a glimpse of McCartney entering the Dome. This has become a tradition before most shows that he does. His security sets it up so fans can view him driving in. It’s quick and lasts only a few seconds but the window is rolled own and he will wave to the crowd. It’s still a nice thrill for all the fans that get to see this. For a man who is about to turn 80 on June 18, McCartney seems to be in the same physical shape since he last performed in the area, back in 2017.

It seems Paul only tinkers with maybe three tracks. “Let ‘Em In,” “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and “New” were the ones we heard in Syracuse. These songs have been interchangeable with “Getting Better,” “We Can Work It Out” and “Queenie Eye.” For fans waiting to hear a hint of “Yesterday,” it didn’t appear in the set in Syracuse. Will it make an appearance in the last shows at Fenway, Oriole Park or MetLife Stadium? Who knows? But Beatles fans with tickets hope it does.

During the song “Valentine,” Johnny Depp and Natalie Portman were on separate screens hand signing throughout the song. During “Dance Tonight,” Laboriel Jr. was dancing behind Paul and gave the fans a nice chuckle during the song. A 3 piece horn section appeared during a few tracks throughout the set. I was built up with anticipation for the song “I’ve Got a Feeling.” This was played during the encore and what made it special was the isolated vocal track of John Lennon that accompanied Paul on the 2nd half of the song. He also appeared on video as the track was taken from the Beatles last ever concert on the roof of Apple’s offices. It was worth the wait and special moment for everyone in attendance.

McCartney at one point stated how he knows peoples reactions to songs. For the songs they know, you see people hold up their phones which looks like galaxy of stars. For the new ones, he said it’s almost like a black hole. Then he said we still like the new ones and we don’t care. They went on to play “Fuh You” off of 2018’s ‘Egypt Station’ soon after. Kind of appropriate or ironic, however you decide to look at it.

It was a close to sellout crowd if not sold out. It appears that some seats were released the day of, but you would have been hard pressed to find empty seats throughout the dome. And, of course, you find all kinds of fans at a McCartney show; ones that have seen Paul with The Beatles in the ’60s to whole families sharing their love for the famed Beatle. Not many musicians are able to bring different groups of people like McCartney does. In fact, this was a cathartic experience for me as I just lost my mom 2 weeks ago. I had to attend this show. Back in 2015 I attended McCartney’s show in Buffalo with my mother. To this day this still remains the most memorable concert experience of my life. That connection came full circle in Syracuse.

Consistency is the key at a McCartney show. These musicians have all worked together for over 20 years now. Having that type of camaraderie really shows throughout the performance. McCartney’s voice may not have the same strength as it did even a few years ago. However, it was still all live, with no additional tracks or anything else pumped in to cover or hide the flaws shown. What you see is what you get on the Got Back tour. A living legend who still breathes and sings amongst us. Paul McCartney is a world treasure and who knows how much longer he will choose to continue to do this kind of touring. We all know he doesn’t need to. For that we applaud him!

Setlist:

Can’t Buy Me Love (The Beatles song)

Junior’s Farm (Wings song)

Letting Go (Wings song)

Got to Get You Into My Life (The Beatles song)

Come On to Me

Let Me Roll It (Wings song) w/ Foxy Lady jam

Getting Better (The Beatles song)

Let ‘Em In (Wings song)

My Valentine

Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five (Wings song)

Maybe I’m Amazed