Review: McCartney brings his trip back to the Strip

Spencer Patterson

Monday, Oct. 28, 2002 | 8:23 a.m.

For 15 minutes, Paul McCartney's Saturday-night Las Vegas appearance looked frighteningly as if it were set to become one of the year's most overblown affairs.

As a capacity MGM Grand Garden Arena crowd of 12,500 scratched its collective head and waited for its hero to take the stage, costumed performers paraded their way through the aisles and onto the stage, where they danced and frolicked about.

Those antics -- which included a man walking atop a ball, a woman bending over backward to jam her body into a small cube, and a pair of Samurai sword fighters doing battle -- might have gone over well in most cities throughout the country.

But in Las Vegas, with Cirque du Soleil and other theatrical productions just down the Strip, it all amounted to little more than wasted time and effort before an audience ready to rock.

Fortunately, once the stage cleared and McCartney and his band started playing, the concert turned into the polar opposite of its over-the-top opening: an intimate visit between one of music's most legendary figures and his adoring public. It was his third Las Vegas performance this year; McCartney twice played the MGM Grand in April on the first leg of his current U.S. tour.

Sir Paul may officially be considered royalty in his native England, but the ex-Beatle seemed very much the people's performer on this night, dressed down in a simple long-sleeved red T-shirt and dark grey pants after discarding a purple blazer early on.

McCartney, who turned 60 in June, displayed boundless energy, running through 36 numbers in a little more more than 2 1/2 hours. Included were 22 Beatles songs, among them several which have not been performed before this tour, such as "Getting Better" and "She's Leaving Home."

His lovably sweet voice sounded strong as ever, particularly during solo acoustic versions of Beatles' classics "Blackbird" and "We Can Work it Out," part of a glorious stripped-down 10-song segment showcasing McCartney's vocal and instrumental skills.

Throughout the night, McCartney alternated between guitar, piano and bass, spending surprisingly little time on the latter, his instrument of choice with the Beatles.

When McCartney did man the bass, the results were marvelous. His booming lines drove rockers "Band on the Run" and "Back in the U.S.S.R." to open the second full-band electric set. "Maybe I'm Amazed," which followed, also cooked, as McCartney peppered the love song with scalding piano work.

Early Beatles' hits like "All My Loving," "Can't Buy Me Love," and "I Saw Her Standing There," still felt fresh nearly 40 years later, as montages from the days when the Fab Four made girls swoon and scream rolled by on screens overhead.

Only McCartney's newer work, which included a three-song run from his latest album, "Driving Rain," during the opening electric portion, failed to inspire, falling on deaf ears as fans remained seated awaiting songs with which they could sing and dance along.

The living legend engaged the crowd with several stories from his years on the road, telling the hilarious tale of a hotel massage gone awry and even alluding to his famous 1980 marijuana bust in Tokyo.

McCartney also paid tribute to three key figures in his life who have passed away over the years, dedicating songs to former Beatle mates John Lennon and George Harrison, as well as his first wife, the late Linda McCartney.

For Harrison, who died of brain cancer last year, McCartney chose "Something," performing one of the "quiet" Beatles' best-known tunes on a ukulele given to him by George years ago.

During "Here Today," a song written during the first days after Lennon's assassination, the pain on McCartney's normally jovial face became quite evident. More than a few fans could be seen wiping tears from their eyes.

McCartney also made sure to recognize his outstanding band, giving each of the four members -- Rusty Anderson (lead guitar), Brian Ray (guitar, bass), Paul "Wix" Wickens (keyboard, accordian) and Abe Laboriel Jr. (drums) -- a chance to address the crowd briefly during instrument changes built into the show.

The main set ended with two of rock's most enduring ballads, "Let It Be" and "Hey Jude." A pair of side-by-side signs reading "Na na" and "Na na" popped up in the crowd during the familiar finish to "Hey Jude," as most in the arena raised their arms and swayed from side to side.

For his two encores, McCartney returned in another red shirt, this one emblazoned with the words, "No More Mine Fields," a nod to he and his second wife Heather Mills' political cause.

McCartney's twin three-song encore sections were also well-chosen, though his voice finally waned noticeably for the first time all night during "Yesterday."

Unphased, he finished with a flurry, seguing from the "Sgt. Pepper's" Reprise, which its appropriate "We hope you have enjoyed the show" lyric into "The End."

And it's safe to say that on this night, the love McCartney took from his audience was at least even to the love he made for them.