LANDOVER, MD July 30, 2009 – The most successful artist in the history of pop music will now be joined by the most prominent electronic collective of the Midlantic U.S. as Thievery Corporation join the bill for Paul McCartney’s return to Washington D.C., the home of the Beatles’ First Performance on American Soil. Thievery Corporation, the DC based duo that mixes elements from jazz, dub, soul, reggae, Brazilian dance and Middle Eastern music into an entrancing collage of sound, will be kicking off the night with a spectacular DJ set.

A limited number of tickets are still available for the August 1 show at FedExField. They can be purchased at all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-551-SEAT, and online at LiveNation.com. This concert is rain or shine.
This concert event at FedExField marks the latest in a series of landmark performances that link the beloved Beatle with Washington D.C., beginning with The Beatles’ first concert on American soil in 1964 at the Washington Coliseum, and continuing with McCartney’s critically acclaimed appearances in the District over the past forty-five years.

The FedExField concert on August 1 will feature classics from McCartney’s extensive catalog, including Beatles, Wings and solo career hits as well as selections from his most recent album Electric Arguments, released under his alias The Fireman.
The FedExField show follows McCartney’s July 17, 18 and 21 sold out trifecta of inaugural rock shows at New York’s Citi Field. Feedback on every night at Citi Field was unanimously ecstatic from fans and critics alike:

“Mr. McCartney wasn’t fixated on looking back. Although he has enough hits to fill his two-and-a-half-hour set with oldies from Wings, the Beatles and his solo albums, he chose to stay current as well, stumping the nostalgia crowd with songs from the album he released in 2008 as the Fireman, Electric Arguments. At 67, he is still a vigorous musician: writing tuneful and wily songs, playing assorted instruments, crooning his ballads ardently, hitting the high notes and howling like a rock and roller.” -THE NEW YORK TIMES

“Sir Paul remains the premier tunesmith of the last half century, and when he performs those tunes with verve, as he did Friday night, their fluidity never ceases to excite…Friday night’s show displayed why this music has provided so much comfort to so many, for so long.” -THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

“No one could hear anything when The Beatles first played Shea Stadium. This time, though, the acoustics were a little better. And actually, so is McCartney.” -NEWSDAY

McCartney gave his first ever American performance at the Washington Coliseum on February 11, 1964, a concert so historic that it was released to the public on DVD in 2003. Joined by the Caravelles, Tommy Rose, and the Chiffons, the Fab Four played to a capacity crowd of over 8,000 people, heralding the arrival of Beatlemania in the United States. The show on August 1 at FedExField marks McCartney’s first performance in Washington D.C. since October 8, 2005. Dave McKenna raved about the show in his review for the Washington Post, stating “folks came to hear McCartney sing, in a voice still strong enough to leave listeners awestruck.”