Don McLean’s 50th Anniversary Tour of “American Pie” Hit Uptown Theater
Folk rock legend Don McLean performed live in concert at Uptown Theater in Kansas City, MO on April 29, 2022. The stop was part of his tour celebrating 50 years of the chart-topping hit, “American Pie.” The song was beloved around the world and made him an international sensation. He told many stories throughout his set, including one about playing in areas where people were fighting each other on the streets during the day, but gathering together to listen to him at night.
McLean gave fans a 75-minute set jam packed with his staples and covers spanning his entire career. Included were his 1980 cover of Roy Orbison’s “Crying,” which reached No. 5 and his 1981 tune “Since I Don’t Have You,” which reach reached No. 23 and is a cover of The Skyliners. He also performed other hits such as “Vincent” and “Castles in the Air.” Five decades later, he is still proving why he is so renown for his live performances.
Of course, fans reveled in his playing of “American Pie” about three quarters of the way through his set. Patrons were on their feet and singing along to the ever-emblematic tune that defines an era and endures decades later. The nearly 9-minute epic, which held the record for 50 years for being the longest recording to reach No. 1 on the Billboard chart, could have went on forever. Set against a backdrop that featured the 1971 vinyl cover imagery, McLean took us back to that particular point in time, “the day that music died.”
