Paul McCartney got One On One for the first of his two shows at Sacramento's Golden 1 Center on Tuesday evening. Here is what the press thought of show one:

CBS

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – It was a golden grand opening Golden 1 Center.

Paul McCartney took center stage for the first major event at Sacramento’s shiny, new arena.

McCartney’s classics served as the soundtrack to the start of this new era in Downtown Sacramento.

The legendary performer thrilled this first Golden 1 Center crowd – many stepping inside this building for the first time.

“I love the old Arco Arena, [but] it was a lousy place to see a concert,” said Sacramento resident Jeff Harris.

Kings owner Vivek Ranadive was joined by mayor-elect Darrell Steinberg for the big night.

“Time to stop and smell the roses just for a night, then we’ll get back to work,” Steinberg said.

On this Tuesday night, thousands came downtown to see a star perform in this brand new setting.

“It had to be somebody big, I think. And this is pretty big for Sacramento,” said Roseville resident Wendy Williamson.

The big hits of a music legend performing in downtown Sacramento. On this night, these were the sounds of change.

Sacramento Bee

Review: Paul McCartney rocks Golden 1 Center with nearly three hour concert

After the long and winding road to get a new Sacramento arena built, Golden 1 Center received its proper coronation on Tuesday night. And that fanfare arrived via the opening notes of “A Hard Day’s Night,” a clang of a chord that not only kicked off Paul McCartney’s nearly three hour set but inaugurated a new era of Sacramento concertgoing.

So, by the multicolored glow of the $8 million Piglet sculpture in the plaza, some 17,500 people passed through Golden 1 Center’s doors to witness a member of rock ‘n’ roll royalty at the new home of the Sacramento Kings. McCartney appearing in Sacramento isn’t necessarily new - he performed at Arco Arena in 2002 and 2005 - and any time the former member of the Beatles comes to town with his decades-long songbook is a Big Deal. But this show took on an extra level of excitement and significance with Golden 1 Center activating for the first time as a concert facility.

As McCartney arrived on stage in black jeans and a trim blazer, the roar was that of the Kings advancing to the NBA Finals on a buzzer-beater shot (which, by the way, would be a welcome turn of events for the team). The mood stayed upbeat throughout the show, so much that it was the rare classic rock show where Baby Boomers weren’t moaning in droves for people to sit in their seats - at least, such was the case on the floor.

McCartney’s music covered a range of styles and moods, such as a somewhat torchy take on the Beatles’ “Here, There and Everywhere” and the proto-techno sound of “Temporary Secretary,” a deep cut from 1980’s “McCartney II.” McCartney’s set overall covered nearly 50 years of music, from McCartney’s pre-Beatles days in The Quarrymen (1958’s “In Spite of all the Danger”) to “New,” a jaunty 2013 solo track that sounds like it’s going to break into “Penny Lane.”

Tuesday’s show featured an especially fresh McCartney given that his last performance was Aug. 18 in Cleveland. McCartney remained chatty and engaged throughout the set, as he sometimes danced in place between tunes and joked with fans who yelled out their devotion to Sir Paul. But most of the magic was in the music, such as the hymn-like “Let It Be” or McCartney’s tasty electric guitar licks during the Wings song “Let Me Roll It.” The arena erupted into a giant “na na-na na” chorus during “Hey Jude” and people danced in their seats during “Love Me Do” while trying not to spill $13 beers.

And in the end, this was just the beginning for Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento Press

As the front doors opened at 6:30 p.m, fans jubilantly charged into the opening event of the Golden 1 Center Tuesday night, and then cheered even louder as Sir Paul McCartney broke into “Hard Days Night.”

The sound system was as good as advertised, excitement swept across the crowd, and a new era in Sacramento had officially begun.

McCartney returns tomorrow night for a day 2 concert of his One on One Tour.

Paul McCartney plays his second Golden 1 Center date on Wednesday evening. Full details here.