Paul McCartney set to play Utah

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Yes, Paul is alive, and he will be in Sandy on July 13.

Sir Paul McCartney, former Beatles co-leader and Wings frontman, will perform a solo concert for the first time in Utah when he and his band bring his "Up and Coming" tour to Rio Tinto Stadium.

The concert is the first scheduled concert of the year at the 25,000-seat soccer stadium, not counting a short post-game set by "American Idol" winner David Cook after the Real Salt Lake-Los Angeles Galaxy game June 9.

General public sales begin at 10 a.m. Monday at www.RioTintoStadium.com. While prices haven't been finalized, a RTS spokesman said the expected range will be $50-$250. RSL season-ticket holders will be able to purchase tickets before the general public at the stadium box office, beginning May 22 at 10 a.m. and ending May 23 at 10 p.m.

Rio Tinto officials say McCartney has never played Utah, and a search of The Salt Lake Tribune's archives didn't indicate that the Beatles or Wings had ever played Utah.

"We talked a lot about how to surpass the Eagles," said RSL President Bill Manning about the 2009 concert by the legendary country-rock band that was the first concert the stadium played host to. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime concert."

Manning said he saw McCartney perform during the 2005 Super Bowl half-time show when a team he was an executive for, the Philadelphia Eagles, vied for the title. He remembers McCartney launching into "Hey Jude," with the entire crowd singing along.

He is so determined to not miss McCartney that he will leave for his annual family trip to the Jersey Shore a day late, just so can see the show.

The booking is the first for John Urban, who was hired in October to be the executive vice president of events and new business for Rio Tinto Stadium. With more than 25 years of experience of booking shows for Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and other venues, the high-profile landing of McCartney signals his commitment to bring the best to Utah, he said.

"This is the concert of the summer," he said. "It's music that changed the world. It spans all ages."

Urban too has seen McCartney. He recalled a performance at Madison Square Garden that he ranked as "unforgettable" and "one of the most memorable concerts of my life ... It was one big sing-along."

The "Up and Coming" 2010 tour, which kicked off in late March, are Paul's first U.S. shows since a five-week tour last year, which was prefaced by a headline set at the 2009 Coachella festival and a performance for CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman" on the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater (inside which The Beatles once made TV history)

A glance at set lists on the tour reveals a diverse set list, drawing on more than two hours worth of selections spanning the catalogues of The Beatles, Wings and Paul's solo career.