Ten years. That is how long it has been since Paul McCartney last stepped onto a Buffalo stage. But the moment he walked out at KeyBank Center last night Friday November 14th, time folded in on itself. The roar hit like a wave, and suddenly the crowd, spanning three, maybe four generations, was on its feet for a man who changed music forever.
Paul McCartney walked out on that stage tonight in Buffalo, NY, and the whole place changed. You could feel it in your chest, in your throat, and in that small part of you that remembers every song you grew up on. The man is eighty plus years old and still hitting notes, still smiling like he is discovering the music right along with us, still carrying half the world’s memories in his voice.
He does not need to tour. He does not need to prove a thing. But he is out there anyway, sharing these songs that shaped entire generations, mine included. And for a couple hours, you remember what it felt like the first time you heard them, where you were, who you were, who you have lost, and who you still are.
The setlist was a dream. “Help!” opened the night like a lightning bolt before moving through eras of Beatles, Wings, and solo classics. “Coming Up,” “Got to Get You Into My Life,” “Drive My Car,” “Let Me Roll It,” and “Maybe I’m Amazed” all hit with the weight of decades behind them. The surprise emotional moment came with “Here Today,” McCartney’s tribute to John Lennon, followed later by “Something” for George Harrison and the haunting “Now and Then,” bringing The Beatles’ past and present together in one room.
Buffalo sang every word of “Blackbird,” (from huge elevated stage), swayed through “Let It Be,” and nearly blew the roof off during “Live and Let Die,” complete with flames and explosions that reminded you this was still a world class rock show. And then came “Hey Jude.” Tens of thousands of voices, every age imaginable, singing “Na na na Na” together like it was the most natural thing in the world.
For the encore, McCartney returned with “I’ve Got a Feeling,” “Sgt. Pepper/Helter Skelter,” and the beautiful “Golden Slumbers,” ending the night on a note that felt both triumphant and strangely intimate.
Ten years was far too long to wait for Paul McCartney to return to Buffalo. But last night made it clear: every second of that decade was worth it. When a legend steps onstage and generations rise to meet him, you realize you are not just watching a concert. You are witnessing a piece of living history.
And for a few unforgettable hours, Buffalo was at the center of it.
-Mike Miller | Photographer/Videographer
