SACRAMENTO — Musical extraordinaire Sir Paul McCartney made history when he stepped on the stage at the Golden 1 Center on Oct. 4, which marked the first-ever event in the newly built facility.
Fans from all over the Sacramento region and northern California, estimated at 15,000-plus, happily surged into the building to see one of Rock and Roll music’s royalty.
McCartney, who rose to fame with the legendary Beatles in the 1960s, his own successful band Wings in the 1960s and monumental solo projects; blessed the facility with the colorful “One On One” tour.
“Welcome to opening night in this beautiful arena,” McCartney said after opening with the Beatles’ “Hard Day’s Night.” “We’re going to party tonight.”
As a matter of fact, McCartney partied with Sacramento for two nights. But his first show was electrifying, colorful, and oh-so memorable. He stayed on the stage for three-straight hours and no one in G1C, of course, complained about it.
“They said keep on partying,” McCartney said.
McCartney performed all the recognizable songs fans grew up with, lived with, and continue to listen this day. Tunes such as “Maybe, I’m Amazed,” “Band on the Run,” “Something,” and “Live and Let Die” were a part of the song book. He also sang freshly recorded songs.
The Live and Let Die intro burst in with the same impact it had in the 1973 James Bond film of the same name. McCartney’s stage crew also hooked it with pyrotechnics that gave the audience a “wow, awesome” feeling.
The civil rights song penned by McCartney, “Blackbird,” was part of his repertoire as well. He shared with the audience that he wrote the song because he was inspired by the disturbing racial climate in the southern states in the 1960s.
McCartney did his part of ensuring a great start that will lay the foundation to other successful events at the Golden 1 Center. His presence was a sure sign that downtown Sacramento is changing for the good.
G1C Parking and Transportation:
The city of Sacramento claimed that the Paul McCartney concert at the Golden 1 Center was a “successful implementation of the Transportation Management Plan,” city officials released in a written statement.
Here’s a report of parking and transportation on the first night of the concert:
Parking information: meters were at about 70 percent occupancy within a three block radius and everything beyond that was at 5 percent. Garages averaged 30 percent occupancy. There were 2053 reservations at SacPark.org. Traffic flow in and out was without any incident.
Thank you for your help in raising awareness about the need to make a plan for getting downtown, which contributed to last night’s success. We also wish to thank our partners at Golden 1 Center, Regional Transit, Yolobus, and all our transit providers, as well as the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, MBA, R Street Corridor and Handle District for the teamwork in making for a pleasant opening act.
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By Antonio R. Harvey
OBSERVER Staff Writer