McCartney unveils first tour dates for 2010

Paul McCartney has announced two new shows, which could be the start of his rumored final tour.

From RollingStone.com:

After a 2009 that featured a headlining set at Coachella and the inaugural concerts at New York’s Citi Field, Paul McCartney will return to the stage this year with his “Up and Coming” tour, which will stop at unique venues and rarely visited cities throughout the U.S. The trek begins March 28th at Phoenix, Arizona’s Jobing.com Arena, marking the first time McCartney has visited the state since his 2005 tour. On March 30th, McCartney returns to the Hollywood Bowl for the first time since 1993. The exclusive pre-sale for both shows is going on now at McCartney’s official Website, with a general public onsale scheduled for February 28th.

McCartney promises more shows are on tap for 2010.

I heard great things from people who’s opinions I respect regarding his performance at Coachella, so I assume McCartney has enough left in the tank to continue touring. Despite a surprise appearance at a Paul Simon concert, I’ve never seen him live. As this may be the last jaunt of his career, it’s probably better not to risk it and just buy a ticket to a show out here in Los Angeles when it becomes available. I don’t want to regret not seizing the opportunity.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

  

Paul McCartney says “goodbye” to touring

McCartney

You can’t fault the guy can you? Sir Paul McCartney began performing live with the Quarrymen — the band that would soon become the Beatles — over 50 years ago. Since then, he’s had his hand in the most popular band of all time, churned out well-received albums with Wings in the 70s, and has remained relevant and active as a solo rock artist, classical composer, and live act. Thus, it’s fitting for the man that has done it all to cap off his prolific touring career next year with one last jaunt across the globe. Unfortunately, if you’re a guy like me who’s listened and tried to play his songs for years instead of catching him live, it looks like McCartney won’t be covering as much ground in the U.S. as he has done in the past . Instead, as The Sun in the U.K. reports, he’ll opt for gigantic arenas and odd locations such China’s famous Tiananmen Square and the historical Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin.

A source tells the publication, “Paul wants to go out with a bang. He’s played countless stadiums over his 50-year career and is on the hunt for the most unusual locations he can find. He realizes that the older he gets, the less his body will be able to cope with the demands of extended periods on the road. He might play the odd benefit gig – but other than that he’ll be putting his feet up and enjoying retirement.

McCartney will be close to 70 when the tour kicks off next year. If you’ve seen him recently on “The Late Show” or at Coachella, it’s evident he’s much more vibrant than your typical 60s rock icon. It’d be great not to have to travel hours to catch McCartney on his exit from the stage. If so, might as well travel to China, right? Right?