What a wild, exhausting, and absolutely unforgettable spring it has been!
Now that we’re finally home and catching our breath, I’ve had a chance to look back on what has been one of the most memorable touring seasons in the history of The McCartney Years. From sold-out theaters across the northeastern United States to sunshine in Florida, from ice storms in Michigan to palm trees on the Gulf Coast, this spring reminded us exactly why we love life on the road.
Our journey began on Wednesday, March 19, as we pulled out of the driveway and headed toward Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, for the first stop of the tour. Right from the beginning, it felt different. The excitement was palpable, and so was the incredible support from all of you. Every single performance on this first run sold out, creating an atmosphere that carried us from one city to the next.
We officially kicked off our tour at the Palace Theater in Stamford, Connecticut, before making our way to the Academy of Music in Northampton, Massachusetts. The momentum only continued to build as we arrived at one of our favorite venues, the Riviera Theater in North Tonawanda, New York. This marked our seventh appearance there, and once again, the audience reminded us why we always look forward to coming back. 1100 people singing along with the songs makes us feel small!
One of the funniest moments of the tour happened after our show at the Goodyear Theater in Akron, Ohio. I was texting my good friend Brett Smith, a phenomenal musician, to see what he was up to.
“I’m on tour,” he replied.
“So am I. Where are you?”
“Akron.”
“Wait… where in Akron?”
As it turned out, Brett was staying at the hotel literally next door to ours while touring with blues-rock legend Walter Trout. Within minutes, we were all gathered in the hotel lobby swapping stories from the road. It’s amazing how small the music world can feel sometimes.
Being so close to Niagara Falls gave us the perfect excuse for a day of sightseeing. Normally we experience the falls from the Canadian side, but this time we explored the American side, hiking through the woods before discovering the incredible Eternal Flame Falls at Shale Creek Preserve. Watching a natural gas flame burning behind a waterfall felt almost surreal, a hidden fire burning beneath the rushing water. Somehow it perfectly captured the spirit of this tour.
While traveling through Ohio, another stop was absolutely mandatory: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Walking through the iconic glass pyramid, surrounded by instruments and memorabilia from the artists who inspired generations of musicians, was a genuine highlight for all of us. We spent hours exploring the exhibits before winding down with a relaxing visit to the Cleveland Aquarium.
March 25 was especially meaningful for me because it was Sutton’s fifth birthday. Even though we were on the road, the crew made sure it was properly celebrated with an enormous custom birthday cake that probably contained enough sugar to power the tour bus. To burn off some of that energy, we all headed out for an intense game of laser tag. I’m still convinced the crew took the competition far more seriously than the band did.
The first leg of this tour concluded with two spectacular shows. The beautiful Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, provided one of the most intimate and acoustically stunning evenings of the tour before we wrapped things up at the Paramount Theatre in Middletown, New York. Performing to a packed audience of more than a thousand people beneath an incredible lighting rig was the perfect way to close out the northeastern leg.
Of course, life on the road always has one more surprise waiting.
On March 31, we headed home to Michigan directly into one of the worst ice storms the region had seen in years. By the time we reached home, much of northern Michigan had lost power.
Fortunately, our tour bus is equipped with an enormous battery bank and rooftop solar panels, essentially making it a mobile power station. We connected the bus directly to the house, keeping the lights on, the heat running, and, perhaps most importantly, the internet working. While much of the neighborhood sat in darkness, our little corner remained warm and operational thanks to the bus.
After a brief chance to recover, unpack, and thaw out, it was time to do it all over again.
On April 13, Kevin and I loaded the tour bus once more and pointed it south, leaving the cold Michigan rain behind. Three days later, as the first palm trees appeared along the highway, we knew we’d officially traded winter for sunshine.
Our Florida run began at the historic Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, a magnificent venue complete with red velvet seating, ornate décor, and towering chandeliers that perfectly complemented our full 32-foot Wings-era stage production.
Not every memorable moment happened on stage, however.
Just two hours before our performance at the Duke Energy Center in St. Petersburg, our drummer Jesse somehow managed to jump into a canal behind the theater and badly cut his foot. Thankfully, the local medical team quickly patched him up, and true to form, Jesse played the entire show on sandals, but without missing a single beat.
One of the highlights of the Florida run was our return to the Delray Beach Playhouse, where we performed three consecutive sold-out concerts. It was especially surreal seeing our name displayed on the venue’s marquee alongside Tony Danza. Moments like that are reminders of how fortunate we are to perform in such incredible venues alongside so many distinguished artists.
April 22 brought another personal milestone. After years of searching, I finally took delivery of an exceptionally rare left-handed Rickenbacker C64 bass from a collector in Hong Kong. For someone dedicated to faithfully recreating Paul McCartney’s sound and stage setup, it truly felt like finding the holy grail. After Kevin gave it his approval, it immediately became part of the show and will remain my primary instrument going forward.
The spring tour also marked another milestone behind the scenes. For the first time, our entire custom-built stage production performed flawlessly from beginning to end. Years of designing, building, wiring, programming, and refining finally paid off as every lighting chase, synchronized panel, and remote-controlled element worked exactly as intended. It’s a substantial production to transport, but seeing audiences react to how closely it recreates the look and feel of the original Wings concerts makes every bit of effort worthwhile.
As the tour continued westward, we enjoyed a wonderful return to the Woodlands Auditorium in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, where it was great to reconnect with our good friend and executive director Terry Wiley after years of trying to coordinate another performance.
One of our biggest surprises came at the Kentucky Opry in the heart of Kentucky. We weren’t entirely sure how a Paul McCartney and Wings tribute would be received in a venue known primarily for country music, but the audience welcomed us with tremendous enthusiasm and proved that great songs truly transcend genres.
The final stop of our spring tour brought us back to Michigan for a full house at the historic Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater. Although the weather had cooled considerably compared to Florida, the warm reception from the audience made it the perfect way to conclude another unforgettable run.
Looking back over the past several weeks, it’s remarkable how much we’ve experienced. We’ve played to thousands of fans in sold-out theaters, explored natural wonders, visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, celebrated birthdays, survived ice storms, welcomed new instruments into the band, perfected years of stage design, and created countless memories with friends old and new.
To everyone who bought a ticket, sang along, shared stories after the shows, or simply supported us from afar, thank you. Your enthusiasm is what makes all of this possible, and we never take it for granted.
But as every touring musician knows, home is only a temporary stop.
In just a couple of weeks, we’ll be heading north once again to begin our annual residency at the Mission Point Theater on Mackinac Island. That means carefully transporting an entire concert production across the Straits of Mackinac by ferry and, in true island fashion, moving much of it by horse-drawn carriage.
Until then, thank you for making Spring 2025 one of the most memorable tours we’ve ever had. We can’t wait to see you again somewhere down the road.
