Paul McCartney live: Oakland Arena, Oakland

Paul McCartney performed at the Oakland Arena in Oakland, California, USA, on 1 April 2002.

It was the opening date of the Driving World Tour, which lasted for 58 dates across four countries between April and November 2002. This show was seen by 14,401 fans.

McCartney’s band was Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens (vocals, keyboards, guitar, percussion, harmonica), Brian Ray (vocals, guitar, bass), Rusty Anderson (vocals, guitar), and Abe Laboriel Jr (vocals, drums). This was Ray’s first full show with McCartney.

Were you nervous that first time you played with him?

Fortunately, I had done so many shows and had been playing so much live in my own life that I found some way to cope with my nerves that night. And yes, I was very nervous. But I found some way to cope and one of the ways I coped was I basically didn’t make any eye contact with him (laughs). I tried to not even acknowledge the fact that it was Paul McCartney. It was enough to just get through the night with all of this music that we rehearsed, like forty songs.

Do you remember where that show was?

Yeah, that was at the arena in Oakland, California

Was the crowd good to you?

Oh my God, yeah. I mean, they hadn’t seen Paul live in many, many years and he’s so delightful to a crowd and so lovely. He’s a warm sort of inviting guy, as you may have noticed if you’ve seen him live. He’s just a nice, relaxed guy who’s so comfortable in his own shoes. And they were so happy to see him, it was a tidal wave of love coming at us.

McCartney returned to the Oakland Arena during the Got Back Tour on 6 and 8 May 2022.

Concert setlist

• ‘Hello, Goodbye’
• ‘Jet’
• ‘All My Loving’
• ‘Getting Better’
• ‘Coming Up’
• ‘Let Me Roll It’
• ‘Lonely Road’
• ‘Driving Rain’
• ‘Your Loving Flame’
• ‘Blackbird’
• ‘Every Night’
• ‘We Can Work It Out’
• ‘Mother Nature’s Son’
• ‘Vanilla Sky’
• ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’
• ‘Carry That Weight’
• ‘The Fool On The Hill’
• ‘Here Today’
• ‘Something’
• ‘Eleanor Rigby’
• ‘Here, There And Everywhere’
• ‘Band On The Run’
• ‘Back In The USSR’
• ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’
• ‘C Moon’
• ‘My Love’
• ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’
• ‘Freedom’
• ‘Live And Let Die’
• ‘Let It Be’
• ‘Hey Jude’

• ‘The Long And Winding Road’
• ‘Lady Madonna’
• ‘I Saw Her Standing There’

• ‘Yesterday’
• ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)’
• ‘The End’

Driving World Tour dates

• 1 April 2002: Oakland Arena, Oakland, USA
• 3 April 2002: HP Pavilion, San Jose, USA
• 5 April 2002: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, USA
• 6 April 2002: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, USA
• 10 April 2002: United Center, Chicago, USA
• 11 April 2002: United Center, Chicago, USA
• 13 April 2002: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
• 16 April 2002: First Union Center, Philadelphia, USA
• 17 April 2002: Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, USA
• 19 April 2002: FleetCenter, Boston, USA
• 21 April 2002: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, USA
• 23 April 2002: MCI Center, Washington, DC, USA
• 24 April 2002: MCI Center, Washington, DC, USA
• 26 April 2002: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
• 27 April 2002: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
• 29 April 2002: Gund Arena, Cleveland, USA
• 1 May 2002: The Palace, Auburn Hills, USA
• 4 May 2002: Staples Center, Los Angeles, USA
• 5 May 2002: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, USA
• 7 May 2002: Pepsi Center, Denver, USA
• 9 May 2002: Reunion Arena, Dallas, USA
• 10 May 2002: Reunion Arena, Dallas, USA
• 12 May 2002: Philips Arena, Atlanta, USA
• 13 May 2002: Philips Arena, Atlanta, USA
• 15 May 2002: Ice Palace, Tampa, USA
• 17 May 2002: National Car Rental Center, Sunrise, USA
• 18 May 2002: National Car Rental Center, Sunrise, USA
• 21 September 2002: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, USA
• 23 September 2002: Xcel Energy Center, St Paul, USA
• 24 September 2002: United Center, Chicago, USA
• 27 September 2002: Civic Center, Hartford, USA
• 28 September 2002: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, USA
• 30 September 2002: FleetCenter, Boston, USA
• 1 October 2002: FleetCenter, Boston, USA
• 4 October 2002: Gund Arena, Cleveland, USA
• 5 October 2002: Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, USA
• 7 October 2002: RBC Center, Raleigh, USA
• 9 October 2002: Savvis Center, St Louis, USA
• 10 October 2002: Value City Arena, Columbus, USA
• 12 October 2002: New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, USA
• 13 October 2002: Compaq Center, Houston, USA
• 15 October 2002: Ford Center, Oklahoma City, USA
• 18 October 2002: Rose Garden, Portland, USA
• 19 October 2002: Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, USA
• 21 October 2002: ARCO Arena, Sacramento, USA
• 22 October 2002: HP Pavilion, San Jose, USA
• 25 October 2002: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, USA
• 26 October 2002: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, USA
• 28 October 2002: Staples Center, Los Angeles, USA
• 29 October 2002: America West Arena, Phoenix, USA
• 2 November 2002: Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City, Mexico
• 3 November 2002: Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City, Mexico
• 5 November 2002: Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City, Mexico
• 11 November 2002: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 13 November 2002: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 14 November 2002: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 17 November 2002: Kyocera Dome, Osaka, Japan
• 18 November 2002: Kyocera Dome, Osaka, Japan