Paul McCartney Honors Charleston Shooting Victims in between Classics at Firefly
For a living legend whose entire career has consistently been redefined, it's a given that Sir Paul McCartney's headlining set at Firefly 2015 on Friday (June 19) would be career-defining, yet again. And on the second night of the four-day fest, the Beatles icon showed that not only does he consistently up himself, but he outshone the bounty of young talent that rocked the stages at the Delaware festival earlier in the day.
As a consummate performer, the 73-year-old kept the energy cranked for the duration of his near two-and-a-half hour show, running through a string of classics spanning his work with the Beatles, Wings and as a solo artist. Affable and jovial, he demonstrated musical versatility with ease -- strumming a ukulele, pounding a piano, plucking an acoustic guitar -- as well as endurance, for his first ever show in the first state.
McCartney began promptly at 10 p.m. following a riotous set from Run the Jewels on the adjacent stage. The crowd swelled to a remarkable volume--vastly larger than that of Morrissey, who played to a shockingly minute attendance hours prior--as Macca kicked off with "Birthday" and new cut "Save Us," setting the tone for the ebullient evening.
"We're gonna have a bit of a party here tonight," he said, blasting through "Got to Get You Into My Life" as animated portraits of his fellow Beatles appeared on the screens behind him. He paused for a moment to survey the crowd: "You know, this is so cool, I need to take a minute for myself and check it all out."
By: Steven J. Horowitz
Source: Billboard
