PAUL MCCARTNEY Brings Timeless Magic and Rock ’n’ Roll Mastery toChicago's United Center on the “Got Back” Tour

Review By: Evan J. Thomas
Photos courtesy of Getty Images

I've been on this planet for nearly 51 years and I finally had the opportunity to witness in person what arguably could be the most famous musician of all time.  The legendary Beatle, Paul McCartney walked onto the stage on Monday night like a man who has nothing left to prove—yet somehow still proves everything. During his Chicago stop on the “Got Back” Tour at the United Center, the legendary Beatle delivered a show that was less a concert and more a living, breathing document of modern music history.

I am not one to hold back my emotions during a show, from the opening song "Help" my emotions were heightened throughout.   For nearly three hours, McCartney swept the packed arena through a multi-decade journey--The Beatles, Wings, and his expansive solo catalog—each moment reminding fans why his songs have become foundational threads in the fabric of popular culture. At 83 years old, McCartney performed with a vitality that stunned newcomers and long-time fans alike.

McCartney dove into Beatles classics like "Let Me Roll It" and “Love Me Do,” immediately cementing the night as a celebration rather than a nostalgia act. There was a snafu at one point when McCartney sat down at the piano and started hitting the keys for the intro to Wings classic "Let 'Em In" when he said "This piano is busted" (see video HERE) A few moments later after an engineer fixed the issue he restarted the intro.  As a little kid, I used to walk around the house whenever my parents played this song as I knocked on the door, a performance that wove tenderness and grit into one powerful moment and a great remembrance of my late mother who passed away in March. 

He then moved seamlessly into storytelling mode—charming, self-deprecating, and effortlessly funny—setting up intimate renditions of another of my favorite songs, “Blackbird,” played solo on a rising platform that illuminated him like a moonlit silhouette.

A hush fell over the arena when McCartney paid tribute to his late bandmates. His duet with archival footage of John Lennon during “I’ve Got a Feeling” felt stunningly alive, blending past and present in a way only McCartney could manifest. The emotional weight was palpable, many fans visibly wiping tears, including me... once again. 

Moments later, he brought thunder back into the building with “Band on the Run,” an epic rendition of “Live and Let Die” complete with the trademark pyrotechnics and a jubilant, arena-shaking “Hey Jude.” Chicago didn’t just sing; it roared.

McCartney returned with the energy of someone half his age, rocketing through “Helter Skelter” and an explosive Abbey Road medley: “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End.” The closing guitar trade-off by his band was electric, and McCartney’s final bow carried the warmth of an artist deeply connected to his audience.

A night that felt like a dream come true, Paul McCartney’s Chicago stop on the “Got Back” Tour was more than a concert—it was a reminder of music’s ability to transcend time, generations, and boundaries. He delivered the kind of night fans will talk about for the rest of their lives.

If this truly is his victory lap, he’s running it with the same grace, emotion, and rock ’n’ roll fire that shaped the world’s soundtrack for over six decades.

Paul McCartney didn’t just “get back” in Chicago—he brought everyone with him.