McCartney opens world tour with 3-hour concert in Fresno

Paul McCartney, the former Beatle and double Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, opened his 2016 One on One world tour on Wednesday night in, of all places, Fresno, Calif.

Here are four things we learned at opening night:

1. In the beginning: The show opens with “A Hard Day’s Night,” the title track from the Beatles’ 1964 movie that begins with one of the most iconic chords in all of rock music. A giant video screen behind the stage projected scenes from the film and other images from McCartney’s life as he and the four members of his touring band delivered meticulously arranged versions of more than three dozen songs from the Beatles and McCartney’s solo career.

2. Saluting George Martin: McCartney has long devoted two spotlight segments in his show to departed bandmates John Lennon (“Here Today”) and George Harrison (“Something”), a tradition he continues on the new tour. With the death in March of longtime Beatles producer George Martin, McCartney also gave Martin a tip of the hat during a performance of “Love Me Do.” He charmingly explained Martin’s suggestion that he, rather than Lennon, sing the hook line “Love Me Do” so that Lennon could play the signature harmonica riff simultaneously as those words were sung.

3. Helping thaw the Cold War: After singing “Back in the USSR” from 1968’s double album “The Beatles,” aka “The White Album,” McCartney referenced his groundbreaking concert in Moscow’s Red Square in 2003, and talked of meeting the country’s defense minister. He adopted a Russian accent as he quoted the official telling him, “First record I ever bought: ‘Love Me Do.’ ”

4. Yesterday … and Today: The show ran nearly three hours, with no intermission, and spanned the full range of the 73-year-old musician’s career. He presented a semi-acoustic performance of “In Spite of All the Danger,” which he described as “the first song we ever recorded” during his days with the Quarrymen, the band Lennon led when the two Liverpool teens met in 1957.

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 3:41 PM with the headline "McCartney opens world tour with 3-hour concert in Fresno."