Paul McCartney live: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul – 26 October 2005

26 October 2005 | Paul McCartney | Live concerts | Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

On Wednesday 26 October 2005, Paul McCartney performed at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was the 20th show in the 37-date US Tour itinerary, bringing new songs from Chaos and Creation in the Backyard together with Beatles favourites, Wings hits and selections reaching back to the Quarrymen.

The concert offered more than a familiar succession of greatest hits. Alongside Hey Jude, Band on the Run and Yesterday were I’ll Get You, For No One, Fixing a Hole and Too Many People. Four songs from the new album gave the evening a contemporary thread, while the returning five-piece band supplied continuity with McCartney’s earlier 2000s touring.

The US Tour arrives in Minnesota

The US Tour began in Miami on 16 September 2005 and continued through arenas in the eastern United States and Canada before heading west. Saint Paul followed two Chicago concerts, a Columbus date and the Milwaukee performance of 23 October. Des Moines and Omaha were next, before the November schedule took the band through the western states.

Although the tour was called the US Tour, its itinerary included Toronto on 10 October. The title should therefore not be read as a claim that every concert took place in the United States. The complete list below retains all 37 dates, including that Canadian stop.

McCartney had played the Xcel Energy Center before, on 23 September 2002 during the Driving World Tour. The 2005 return brought the same core five-piece lineup but a substantially different setlist, with the new album and additional Beatles selections changing the shape of the evening.

Chaos and Creation in the Backyard on stage

The tour supported Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. Its four representatives in Saint Paul were Fine Line, Jenny Wren, English Tea and Follow Me. They were distributed through the programme rather than confined to a single new-album segment.

Fine Line appeared early, after the opening run of Beatles and Wings material. Jenny Wren followed I Will, while English Tea sat between Fixing a Hole and I’ll Follow the Sun. Follow Me then led into Blackbird. This sequencing placed the new compositions in conversation with older songs rather than treating them as an interruption.

The official US Tour archive identifies the album as the tour’s focus and confirms the returning band. It also describes the pre-show programme of Twin Freaks remixes and a short film, placing the main concert within a broader evening’s presentation.

McCartney’s five-piece touring band

The musicians accompanying McCartney were:

• Paul McCartney: lead vocals, bass guitar, guitar and piano, moving between full-band, acoustic and keyboard-led arrangements.
• Paul “Wix” Wickens: keyboards and vocals, with additional guitar, percussion and harmonica roles. His long-standing place in McCartney’s touring groups linked this band with earlier eras.
• Brian Ray: guitar, bass guitar and vocals, providing flexibility when McCartney changed instruments.
• Rusty Anderson: guitar and vocals, contributing the electric-guitar textures behind the rock selections.
• Abe Laboriel Jr.: drums and vocals, anchoring the band’s rhythm and vocal support.

This was the same core group heard on the 2002 tour. Compare Las Vegas on 26 October 2002 to see how McCartney’s concert repertoire changed over three years while the personnel remained intact.

From the Quarrymen to Beatles and Wings favourites

The opening Magical Mystery Tour immediately established the Beatles thread, but the following Flaming Pie and Jet shifted the programme into different parts of McCartney’s career. I’ll Get You and Till There Was You brought early Beatles repertoire into the opening stretch, while In Spite of All the Danger reached further back to the Quarrymen.

The middle section included For No One, Fixing a Hole and I’ll Follow the Sun. Later, Too Many People from Ram led into She Came in Through the Bathroom Window. These choices gave the concert a character distinct from the 2002 programme, even where major crowd favourites remained.

Wings material still had a prominent place through Jet, Let Me Roll It, Band on the Run and Live and Let Die. For fans of that repertoire, the Wings Band on the Run T-shirt is a relevant merchandise choice.

Concert setlist: Xcel Energy Center, 26 October 2005

The documented running order contains 37 musical entries: 30 in the main set, three in the first encore and four in the second. The sequence below is the concert setlist, not a soundcheck list.

1. Magical Mystery Tour
2. Flaming Pie
3. Jet
4. I’ll Get You
5. Drive My Car
6. Till There Was You
7. Let Me Roll It
8. Got to Get You into My Life
9. Fine Line
10. Maybe I’m Amazed
11. The Long and Winding Road
12. In Spite of All the Danger
13. I Will
14. Jenny Wren
15. For No One
16. Fixing a Hole
17. English Tea
18. I’ll Follow the Sun
19. Follow Me
20. Blackbird
21. Eleanor Rigby
22. Too Many People
23. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
24. Good Day Sunshine
25. Band on the Run
26. Penny Lane
27. I’ve Got a Feeling
28. Back in the U.S.S.R.
29. Hey Jude
30. Live and Let Die

First encore

31. Yesterday
32. Get Back
33. Helter Skelter

Second encore

34. Please Please Me
35. Let It Be
36. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
37. The End

Xcel Energy Center: concert location

The concert took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, not in neighbouring Minneapolis. The official tour archive lists the venue at 199 West Kellogg Boulevard. The map locates the arena associated with this 2005 performance.

Complete US Tour itinerary, 2005

The following 37-date itinerary runs from Miami on 16 September to Los Angeles on 30 November. Saint Paul is the 20th date. Historical venue names are retained; the Toronto concert is included despite the tour’s US title. The current concert is highlighted.

September 2005

1. 16 September 2005: American Airlines Arena, Miami, USA
2. 17 September 2005: St Pete Times Forum, Tampa, USA
3. 20 September 2005: Philips Arena, Atlanta, USA
4. 22 September 2005: Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, USA
5. 23 September 2005: Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, USA
6. 26 September 2005: TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, USA
7. 27 September 2005: TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, USA
8. 30 September 2005: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA

October 2005

9. 1 October 2005: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
10. 4 October 2005: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
11. 5 October 2005: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
12. 8 October 2005: MCI Center, Washington, DC, USA
13. 10 October 2005: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
14. 14 October 2005: The Palace, Auburn Hills, USA
15. 15 October 2005: The Palace, Auburn Hills, USA
16. 18 October 2005: United Center, Chicago, USA
17. 19 October 2005: United Center, Chicago, USA
18. 22 October 2005: Value City Arena, Columbus, USA
19. 23 October 2005: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, USA
20. 26 October 2005: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, USA, this article
21. 27 October 2005: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, USA
22. 30 October 2005: Qwest Center, Omaha, USA

November 2005

23. 1 November 2005: Pepsi Center, Denver, USA
24. 3 November 2005: KeyArena, Seattle, USA
25. 4 November 2005: Rose Garden, Portland, USA
26. 7 November 2005: HP Pavilion, San Jose, USA
27. 8 November 2005: HP Pavilion, San Jose, USA
28. 11 November 2005: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, USA
29. 12 November 2005: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, USA
30. 16 November 2005: ARCO Arena, Sacramento, USA
31. 19 November 2005: Toyota Center, Houston, USA
32. 20 November 2005: American Airlines Center, Dallas, USA
33. 23 November 2005: Glendale Arena, Glendale, USA
34. 25 November 2005: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas area, USA
35. 26 November 2005: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas area, USA
36. 29 November 2005: Staples Center, Los Angeles, USA
37. 30 November 2005: Staples Center, Los Angeles, USA

The wider story of the 2005 tour

Later in the same tour, the Anaheim concert on 12 November included a live link with the International Space Station, featuring English Tea and Good Day Sunshine. That was a separate event from the Saint Paul performance, but both songs were already part of the Minnesota set.

The tour also supplied the subject for The Space Within US, the concert film released in 2006. It provides a wider portrait of the tour rather than a complete, date-specific record of Saint Paul on 26 October. The itinerary and setlist above should therefore be distinguished from any film sequence or compilation tracklist.

More Paul McCartney history and merchandise

Compare this concert with Las Vegas on 26 October 2002, featuring the same core five-piece band, or explore the earlier Barcelona concert on 26 October 1993 for a different touring lineup and repertoire. The Paul McCartney artist hub brings together more of his music and history.

For an artist-focused design, browse the Paul McCartney Photo Rose T-shirt.

Frequently asked questions

Where did Paul McCartney perform on 26 October 2005?

He performed at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, during the US Tour. It was the 20th date in the 37-date itinerary.

Which Chaos and Creation songs were played in Saint Paul?

The set included Fine Line, Jenny Wren, English Tea and Follow Me from Chaos and Creation in the Backyard.

Who played in Paul McCartney’s band on the 2005 tour?

The five-piece band comprised Paul McCartney, Paul “Wix” Wickens, Brian Ray, Rusty Anderson and drummer Abe Laboriel Jr.

How did the Saint Paul concert finish?

The first encore contained Yesterday, Get Back and Helter Skelter. The second contained Please Please Me, Let It Be, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) and The End.

How many dates were listed for the 2005 US Tour?

The itinerary lists 37 dates, beginning in Miami on 16 September and ending in Los Angeles on 30 November 2005. It includes Toronto in Canada.

Had McCartney played Xcel Energy Center before?

Yes. He had performed there on 23 September 2002 during the Driving World Tour, before returning on 26 October 2005.

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