Driving USA Tour
Encyclopedia
The Driving USA Tour was Paul McCartney's first concert tour of the 21st century and of any kind since 1993's New World Tour
. For the first time in nearly a decade, McCartney returned to the road following the death of first wife, Linda McCartney
, the death of George Harrison
, and 9/11. This was in promotion of 2001's Driving Rain
. Paul "Wix" Wickens returned on keyboards and is named as Musical Director. New to the fold (and part of the current touring lineup) were Americans Rusty Anderson
, Brian Ray
, and Abe Laboriel Jr.
Linda McCartney, understandably, is not replaced. However, Paul McCartney's then-fiancée (and now ex-wife) Heather Mills accompanied him on the tour and was in the audience every night.
The official release chronicling this tour was the CD and DVD Back in the U.S.
, which itself would be promoted by another leg in the States.
A remix of The Fireman tracks and a performance by Cirque du Soleil
opened each show.
The New World Tour
In 1993, Paul McCartney and his band embarked upon The New World Tour, spanning almost the entire year and almost the entire globe. The tour was intended to promote McCartney's album Off the Ground...
. For the first time in nearly a decade, McCartney returned to the road following the death of first wife, Linda McCartney
Linda McCartney
Linda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney was an American photographer, musician and animal rights activist. Her father and mother were Lee Eastman and Louise Sara Lindner Eastman....
, the death of George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, and 9/11. This was in promotion of 2001's Driving Rain
Driving Rain
Driving Rain is the twelfth studio album by Paul McCartney, recorded and released in 2001 it has now sold 2 million copies globally. It is his first studio album since publicly announcing his relationship with former model and anti-land mines activist Heather Mills, whom McCartney would marry in 2002...
. Paul "Wix" Wickens returned on keyboards and is named as Musical Director. New to the fold (and part of the current touring lineup) were Americans Rusty Anderson
Rusty Anderson
Rusty Anderson is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and music producer. He is best known as lead guitarist with Paul McCartney, though he has worked with an extensive list of artists in addition to his own solo career.-Early life:Rusty Anderson grew up in La Habra, California...
, Brian Ray
Brian Ray
Brian Thomas Ray is an American session musician, musical director, guitarist and singer–songwriter. He is best known for his work as a guitarist and bassist with Paul McCartney, though he has worked with an extensive list of artists in addition to his own solo career.-Early life:Brian Ray grew up...
, and Abe Laboriel Jr.
Abe Laboriel Jr.
Abe Laboriel Jr. is an American session drummer. He is the son of Mexican bassist Abraham Laboriel, Sr. and brother of producer, songwriter, and film composer Mateo Laboriel....
Linda McCartney, understandably, is not replaced. However, Paul McCartney's then-fiancée (and now ex-wife) Heather Mills accompanied him on the tour and was in the audience every night.
The official release chronicling this tour was the CD and DVD Back in the U.S.
Back in the U.S.
Back in the U.S. is a double live album by Paul McCartney composed of highlights from his spring 2002 Driving USA Tour in the US in support of McCartney's 2001 release Driving Rain...
, which itself would be promoted by another leg in the States.
A remix of The Fireman tracks and a performance by Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
opened each show.
The band
- Paul McCartney: Lead Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Piano, Ukulele
- Rusty Anderson: Guitar, Backing Vocals
- Brian Ray: Bass, Guitar, Backing Vocals
- Paul "Wix" Wickens: Keyboards, Accordion, Guitar, Backing Vocals
- Abe Laboriel, Jr.: Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Tour dates
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 April 2002 | Oakland, California Oakland, California Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Oakland Arena |
| 3 April 2002 | San Jose, California San Jose, California San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay... |
Compaq Arena | |
| 5 April 2002 | Paradise, Nevada Paradise, Nevada Paradise is an unincorporated town in the Las Vegas metropolitan area in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The population was 223,167 at the 2010 census... |
MGM Grand Garden Arena | |
| 6 April 2002 | |||
| 10 April 2002 | Chicago, Illinois | United Center United Center The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League... |
|
| 11 April 2002 | |||
| 13 April 2002 | Toronto, Ontario | Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
Air Canada Centre Air Canada Centre The Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar .... |
| 16 April 2002 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,... |
United States | First Union Center Wachovia Center The Wells Fargo Center is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.... |
| 17 April 2002 | East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan.... |
Continental Airlines Arena | |
| 19 April 2002 | Boston, Massachusetts | Fleet Center | |
| 21 April 2002 | Uniondale, New York Uniondale, New York Uniondale is a hamlet as well as a suburb of New York City in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead. The population was 24,759 at the 2010 United States Census.-Geography:... |
Nassau Coliseum Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, United States. Home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League, the Coliseum is located approximately east of New York City on Long Island... |
|
| 23 April 2002 | Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... |
MCI Center Verizon Center Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies... |
|
| 24 April 2002 | |||
| 26 April 2002 | New York City, New York | Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the... |
|
| 27 April 2002 | |||
| 29 April 2002 | Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border... |
Gund Arena Quicken Loans Arena Quicken Loans Arena , is a multi-purpose arena, in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States.... |
|
| 1 May 2002 | Auburn Hills, Michigan Auburn Hills, Michigan Auburn Hills is a city in Metro Detroit, Oakland County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. The city was formed in 1983 when Pontiac Township became the City of Auburn Hills.-Economy:... |
The Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association... |
|
| 4 May 2002 | Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
Staples Center Staples Center Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles... |
|
| 5 May 2002 | Anaheim, California Anaheim, California Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States... |
Arrowhead Pond | |
| 7 May 2002 | Denver, Colorado Denver, Colorado The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains... |
Pepsi Center Pepsi Center Pepsi Center is a multi-purpose arena in Denver, Colorado, United States. The building is home to the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association, the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League, and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League... |
|
| 9 May 2002 | Dallas, Texas Dallas, Texas Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States... |
Reunion Arena Reunion Arena Reunion Arena was an indoor arena, in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas . It held 18,293 for basketball and 17,001 for ice hockey.It was demolished in November 2009 and the site was cleared by the end of the year.-History:... |
|
| 10 May 2002 | |||
| 12 May 2002 | Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in... |
Philips Arena Philips Arena Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association... |
|
| 13 May 2002 | |||
| 15 May 2002 | Tampa, Florida Tampa, Florida Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709.... |
Ice Palace St. Pete Times Forum The St. Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, and arena football games, as well as concerts.... |
|
| 17 May 2002 | Sunrise, Florida Sunrise, Florida -Overview:Sunrise is a city in southwestern Broward County, Florida, United States. It was incorporated in 1961 by Norman Johnson – a developer whose World Famous Upside-Down House attracted buyers to what was then a remote area... |
National Car Rental Center BankAtlantic Center The BankAtlantic Center is an indoor arena located in Sunrise, Florida, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and adjacent to the popular Sawgrass Mills Mall.The arena features 70 suites & 2,623 club seats.The arena is directly accessible from the Sawgrass Expressway... |
|
| 18 May 2002 |
Set list
- Hello, Goodbye
- JetJet (song)"Jet" is a song by Paul McCartney & Wings from their album Band on the Run. The song peaked at number 7 in both the British and American charts on 30 March 1974. Along with "Helen Wheels" and "Junior's Farm", it is another McCartney song where his primary inspiration for composing the song arose in...
- All My LovingAll My Loving"All My Loving" is a song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney , from the 1963 album With The Beatles. Though it was not released as a single in the United Kingdom or the United States, it drew considerable radio airplay, prompting EMI to issue it as the title track of an EP...
- Getting BetterGetting Better"Getting Better" is a song written mainly by Paul McCartney, with lyrical contributions from John Lennon . It was recorded by The Beatles for the 1967 album Sgt...
- Coming UpComing Up (song)"Coming Up" was the opening track from Paul McCartney's McCartney II album, written by McCartney and released in 1980. Like the rest of the album, the song had a minimalist synthesized feel to it. It featured lead vocals from McCartney distorted by using vari-speed, and he played all the...
- Let Me Roll ItLet Me Roll It"Let Me Roll It" is the last track on side one on the Paul McCartney & Wings album Band on the Run. The song was seen by critics as a pastiche to John Lennon's sound, particularly the riff and the use of tape echo on the vocals. McCartney, however, never claimed the song was intended as a pastiche...
- Lonely Road
- Driving Rain
- Your Loving FlameYour Loving Flame"Your Loving Flame" is a love song by Paul McCartney, written for his future fiancée Heather Mills. It appeared on his 2001 album Driving Rain and was also said to have been the LP's lead single. Its status as a single is not clear, however, as Wikipedia omits this song from Paul McCartney's main...
- BlackbirdBlackbird (song)"Blackbird" is a Beatles song from the double-disc album The Beatles . Blackbird was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney.-Origins:...
- Every Night
- We Can Work It OutWe Can Work It Out"We Can Work It Out" is a song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was released as a "double A-sided" single with "Day Tripper", the first time both sides of a single were so designated in an initial release...
- Mother Nature's SonMother Nature's Son"Mother Nature's Son" is a Lennon–McCartney song, written primarily by Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles on The Beatles . It was inspired by a lecture given by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi while the Beatles were in India. The same lecture inspired Lennon's unreleased song "Child of Nature",...
- Vanilla Sky
- You Never Give Me Your MoneyYou Never Give Me Your Money"You Never Give Me Your Money" is a song by The Beatles that opens the climactic medley on side two of the album Abbey Road. It was written by Paul McCartney and is credited to Lennon–McCartney.-Structure:...
/Carry That WeightCarry That Weight"Carry That Weight" is a song by The Beatles. Released on Abbey Road and part of the long, climactic medley that closes the album, it features vocals from all four Beatles... - The Fool on the HillThe Fool on the Hill"The Fool on the Hill" is a song by The Beatles. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and recorded in 1967...
- Here TodayHere Today"Here Today" is episode 137 of The West Wing.-Plot:Immediately after Toby tells C.J. that he was responsible for leaking information about the military's top-secret space shuttle, C.J. contacts the White House Counsel's Office . Toby tries to explain himself to C.J. but she painfully tells him she...
- Something
- Eleanor RigbyEleanor Rigby"Eleanor Rigby" is a song by The Beatles, simultaneously released on the 1966 album Revolver and on a 45 rpm single. The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney...
- Here, There and EverywhereHere, There and Everywhere"Here, There and Everywhere" is a song written primarily by Paul McCartney , recorded for The Beatles 1966 album Revolver. In his biography Many Years From Now, McCartney said the song is one of his favourites. Beatles' producer George Martin has also mentioned it as one of his favourite McCartney...
- Band on the RunBand on the Run (song)"Band on the Run" is the title song from Paul McCartney & Wings' acclaimed Band on the Run album. The single sold one million copies in 1974 in the United States, where it reached number 1, and it went to number 3 in the United Kingdom...
- Back in the U.S.S.R.
- Maybe I'm AmazedMaybe I'm Amazed"Maybe I'm Amazed" is a song written by Paul McCartney that was first released on his McCartney album on 17 April 1970. The studio version from the album has never been released as a single. McCartney dedicated the song to his wife, Linda, who had helped him get through the break-up of The Beatles...
- C MoonC Moon"C Moon" is a reggae song written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by Wings. It was released as a double A-side with "Hi, Hi, Hi" in 1972. With the ban of "Hi Hi Hi" in the United Kingdom, "C Moon" became a top five hit....
- My Love
- Can't Buy Me LoveCan't Buy Me Love"Can't Buy Me Love" is a song composed by Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles on the A-side of their sixth British single, "Can't Buy Me Love"/"You Can't Do That".-Interpretation:...
- FreedomFreedom (Paul McCartney song)"Freedom" is a song written and recorded by Paul McCartney in response to the September 11 attacks in 2001. McCartney was in New York City at the time of the attacks, and actually witnessed the destruction while sitting in a plane, which was parked on the tarmac at New York's John F...
- Live And Let DieLive and Let Die (song)"Live and Let Die" is the main theme song of the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die and was performed by Paul McCartney & Wings for the movie soundtrack and appears on the soundtrack album. The song was one of Wings' most successful singles, and the most successful Bond theme to that point...
- Let It BeLet It Be (song)"Let It Be" is a song by The Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band...
- Hey JudeHey Jude"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The ballad evolved from "Hey Jules", a song widely accepted as being written to comfort John Lennon's son, Julian, during his parents' divorce—although this explanation is not...
- The Long and Winding RoadThe Long and Winding Road"The Long and Winding Road" is a ballad written by Paul McCartney that originally appeared on The Beatles' album Let It Be. It became The Beatles' 20th and last number-one song in the United States on 23 May 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet...
- Lady MadonnaLady Madonna"Lady Madonna" is a song by The Beatles, primarily written by Paul McCartney . In March 1968, it was released as a single, backed with "The Inner Light." The song was recorded on 3 and 6 February 1968 before the Beatles left for India...
- I Saw Her Standing ThereI Saw Her Standing There"I Saw Her Standing There" is a song written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and is the opening track on The Beatles' debut album, Please Please Me, released in the United Kingdom by Parlophone on 22 March 1963....
- YesterdayYesterday (song)"Yesterday" is a song originally recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Help!. The song first hit the United Kingdom top 10 three months after the release of Help!. The song remains popular today with more than 1,600 cover versions, one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded...
- Mull off KintyreMull of Kintyre (song)"Mull of Kintyre" is a song written by Paul McCartney and Denny Laine and performed by Wings. The song was written in tribute to the picturesque Kintyre peninsula in Scotland, where McCartney has owned High Park Farm since 1966, and its headland or Mull of Kintyre.The song was Wings' biggest hit...
(Toronto only) - Sgt. Pepper'sSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (song)"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is a song written by Paul McCartney , and first recorded and released in 1967, on the The Beatles' album of the same name. The song appears twice on the album: as the opening track , and as "Sgt...
/The EndThe End (The Beatles song)"The End" is a song by The Beatles composed by Paul McCartney for the album Abbey Road. It was the last song recorded collectively by all four Beatles, and is the final song of the medley that dominates side two of the LP version of the album.-Composition and recording:McCartney said, "I wanted...
Instruments played by band members
| Songs | McCartney | Anderson | Ray | Wickens | Laboriel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hello Goodbye | Bass | Electric Guitar | Electric Guitar | Keyboards | Drums |
| Jet | |||||
| All My Loving | Acoustic Guitar | ||||
| Getting Better | Electric Guitar | Bass | Keyboards | ||
| Coming Up | Bass | Electric Guitar | |||
| Let Me Roll It | Electric Guitar | Bass | |||
| Lonely Road | Bass | Electric Guitar | |||
| Driving Rain | |||||
| Your Loving Flame | Piano | Bass | |||
| Blackbird | Acoustic Guitar | None | None | None | None |
| Every Night | |||||
| We Can Work It Out | |||||
| Mother Nature's Son | Accordion | ||||
| Vanilla Sky | Acoustic Guitar | Keyboards | |||
| You Never Give Me Your Money/Carry That Weight | Piano | None | None | ||
| The Fool On The Hill | Keyboards | ||||
| Here Today | Acoustic Guitar | None | |||
| Something | Ukulele | ||||
| Eleanor Rigby | Acoustic Guitar | Keyboards | |||
| Here, There And Everywhere | Acoustic Guitar | Bass | Accordion | Drum | |
| Band On The Run | Bass | Electric Guitar | Electric Guitar/Acoustic Guitar | Keyboards | Drums |
| Back In The USSR | Electric Guitar | ||||
| Maybe I'm Amazed | Piano | Bass | |||
| C Moon | |||||
| My Love | |||||
| Can't Buy Me Love | Bass | Electric Guitar | Acoustic Guitar | ||
| Freedom | Acoustic Guitar | Bass | Keyboards | ||
| Live And Let Die | Piano | ||||
| Let It Be | |||||
| Hey Jude | |||||
| The Long And Winding Road | |||||
| Lady Madonna | |||||
| I Saw Her Standing There | Bass | Electric Guitar | |||
| Yesterday | Acoustic Guitar | None | None | None | |
| Sgt. Pepper's/The End | Electric Guitar | Electric Guitar | Bass/Electric Guitar | Drums |