Watch Paul McCartney Bring Classic Rock and Nostalgia to the Casey Center Stage

A Legendary Night in Des Moines

Des Moines may still be adjusting to calling the city’s arena the Casey’s Center instead of Wells Fargo Arena, but no one needed a reminder of the legend taking the stage — Sir Paul McCartney.

On October 14, McCartney brought his Got Back Tour to Iowa, continuing the run that began in 2022 and is set to conclude next month. At 83 years old, he performed with remarkable energy through a nearly three-hour set, covering everything from timeless Beatles classics to hits from Wings and newer songs from his later albums. With close to 100 shows behind him since the tour began, McCartney looked like he could easily handle a hundred more.

There was no opening act — because, really, who could open for Paul McCartney? Instead, a DJ warmed up the crowd with a mix of Beatles deep cuts like “Smile Away” and “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?” alongside American rock staples from artists like Fats Domino.

 

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A Crowd Spanning Generations

Lines stretched around the venue, with fans spanning multiple generations — from those who remember where they were when John Lennon’s death made headlines to children attending their first concert with parents passing down the music they grew up on.

At 8:15 p.m., McCartney and his band took the stage, opening with “Help!” and “Coming Up.” Smiling at the nearly sold-out arena, he greeted the crowd:

“Well, hello, Des Moines, Iowa, you know, I’ve got a feeling that we’re going to have a bit of a party here tonight. So, we’ve got some old songs for you, some new ones, some inbetweeners, and this next one is definitely not a new one.”

He then launched into “Got to Get You Into My Life,” “Drive My Car,” and “Letting Go,” before performing “Come On To Me” from his 2018 album Egypt Station. Introducing it, he quipped,

“You might’ve heard it, you might’ve not, we don’t care.”

Storytelling and Sentiment

McCartney’s voice has aged, but its warmth carried through ballads like “Maybe I’m Amazed” and “Blackbird.” Before performing the latter, he shared its origins during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement:

“I’m very proud to have written that song… I wrote it back in the ’60s when a lot of problems were going on, particularly in the southern states of America over civil rights… I wrote the song in case somebody over there had gone through all of that, heard the song, and it might have just given them a little bit of hope.”

He also honored his late bandmates — dedicating “Something” to George Harrison and “Here Today” to John Lennon — while throwing up a peace sign early in the show, a subtle nod to Ringo Starr.

A Grand Finale

Switching between bass, guitar, piano, mandolin, and ukulele, McCartney proved he hasn’t lost his musical spark. Backed by the Hot City Horns, the band’s flawless execution recreated the magic of the Beatles and Wings eras.

The night’s climax came with “Live and Let Die” exploding in fireworks, followed by “Hey Jude” as the crowd sang along in unison. Returning for the encore, McCartney waved the U.S., British, Pride, and Iowa flags, thanking the audience and crew before closing with “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End.”