Paul McCartney at Citi Field
July 18, 2009 //
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Paul McCartney.. Billy Joel.. an all-access pass and a front row seat. It all started when I saw this message from @Stereogum:
"Paul McCartney starts his three nights at Citi Field this evening. He’s making a film and he needs some help from all of you young filmmakers out there. We are looking for thirty people to shoot each show, July 17, 18 & 21, on Flip cameras. We have the cameras, all we need is the talent!"
I replied, and then while driving towards New York I received an email letting me know I had been selected to participate. My friend Mindy and I showed up at the 1st Base VIP entrance where we picked up our "Working Personel" passes and a custom Paul McCartney Flip Cam, and then set off to roam the stadium at our pleasure.
I found myself nice spot in the front row, a few feet in front of Pierce Brosnan and nearby Nancy Shevell.
Here's a video (shot with my iPhone) of Paul singing "A Day in the Life" and "Give Peace a Chance".
Read on for the set list and a few photos:
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Paul and Ringo at Radio City Music Hall
April 07, 2009 //
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This past weekend I had the privilege of attending the "Change Begins Within" benefit concert with headliners Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at Radio City Hall in NYC. The show featured performances by Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow, Donovan, Paul Horn, Moby, Ben Harper and others. There were even some unannounced people on stage such as Mike Love (who became teary eyed while reflecting about their famous 1968 trip to India), Jerry Seinfeld, and Howard Stern.
There were some really cool performances during the opening acts, such as Eddie Vedder's experimental performance of "Arc", as well as his collaboration with Ben Harper for a cover of the Queen/David Bowie song "Under Pressure". But for me, the key moment of night was when Paul McCartney introduced Ringo as the one and only "Billy Sheers" for a side by side performance of "With A Little Help From My Friends". McCartney performed one of his typical sets, although it was a bit short. The only unusual song was "Cosmically Conscious", a song he wrote while in India during 1968.
The setlist:
- Drive My Car
- Jet
- Got to Get You Into My Life
- Let It Be
- Lady Madonna
- Blackbird
- Here Today
- Band on the Run
- Can't Buy Me Love
- With a Little Help From My Friends (with Ringo at mic with Paul)
Encore - Cosmically
Conscious(with Ringo on drums)
- I Saw Her Standing There (with Ringo on drums and Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Donovan, Moby, Sheryl Crow and Bettye LaVette and other artists singing backing vocals)
Afterwards, my friends and I headed out to a pub to finish out the night with a few drinks. Matt's uncle joined us and offered let us crash at his apartment near Central Park for the night. This led to another eventful day, but I'll post about that tomorrow.
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Digging through old photos
December 07, 2008 //
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I found myself browsing through my massive stash of old photos this morning for no particular reason. There's thousands.. It's amazing how many I've taken that I've never even seen.
Here's two from the Paul McCartney concert I went to two summers ago. Might not be the best shots I've ever taken, but if you're one of his fans you'll probably enjoy them.
I really like this one. I just wish that the microphone wasn't in the way.
Had a similiar one of these show up on bootlegs. This one is a bit more crisp.
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Paul McCartney Joins Billy Joel at Shea
July 19, 2008 //
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(Source: NYT; Photo:Kevin Mazur)
So last night, while I was home relaxing.. Paul McCartney joined Billy Joel on stage for the "Last Play at Shea" - the final concert at Shea Stadium before it is to be torn down. It was two of my favorite singers/songwriters side by side, and I missed it. I found out about the surprise performance a few hours prior to the show, but it was too late. Needless to say, I regret not buying tickets in advance. But I have an idea for next weekend that could make up for it.
McCartney wasn't the only one to join Joel on stage. Roger Daltrey of the Who, Steven Tyler, and Garth Brooks came on to play a few songs as well. Videos are floating around on YouTube.
On another note: I went to see a Brian Wilson concert in Torrington this past Wednesday. It felt like more of a tribute to Wilson than it did a performance. His band did the bulk of the singing and he hardly played an instrument, but they were playing HIS songs, and it was an honor to witness it. If you aren't familiar with Brian Wilson's life and work ("God Only Knows", "Good Vibrations", "Wouldn't it Be Nice", etc.), you should read a bit about him. He's the genius behind the music of The Beach Boys, and one of the greatest songwriters/producers in American pop-music history.
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Paul McCartney Receives Honorary Degree From Yale
May 26, 2008 //
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This morning I caught Sir Paul McCartney in New Haven as he received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Yale University. I had no idea he was going to be there until around 10am when my phone started ringing off the hook - courtesy of my twin brother Justin and a young lass named Brooke. Once I had all the details I gave Jenn, Mindy, Justin, and Brooke a call and we all raced downtown. It was a short ceremony, and he didn't say anything. They serenaded him with a quick rendition of Hey Jude, gave him a bit of praise, and after a quick bow and a wave it was all over.
I thought it was a great way to start of Memorial Day. It's not every day one gets to see one of The Beatles receive a degree. Here's some video:
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Video from the NYC McCartney Show
October 27, 2007 //
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I came across some really good footage from the Paul McCartney show I attended this past June. It's shot from right about where I was standing. In fact, I think I can hear my friends voice on the video. Anyway, enjoy.
Blackbird:
I'll Follow the Sun (Intro):
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Paul McCartney's Ecce Cor Meum on DVD
October 23, 2007 //
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Footage from the world premier performance of Paul McCartney's "Ecce Cor Meum" comes out on DVD this November 20th. I don't tend to listen to much classical music but I found this to be quite good. So good I went to go to see the US premier at Carnegie Hall last November. Of course there were a few other factors in my decision to go see it, one being that this guy was a part of the most important band that ever existed, and I must admit I'm a big fan. But seriously, I think it's worth a good listen. It's fantastic stuff. So pick this sucker up.
Update: The release of Paul's Ecce Cor Meum DVD has been put back until early 2008. Dates are currently being rescheduled, but a February/March release is most likely.
On another totally unrelated yet somewhat similar note: If you like good music I'd suggest listening to Silverchair's "Young Modern". I was a bit skeptical about how much I'd like it after seeing the very bland / pop-like video for the song Straight Lines, but now that I've heard full album a few dozen times I think it's one of the best group of songs I've heard all year. It's creative, melodic, and has some interesting orchestral arrangements composed with a little help from former Beach Boy collaborator Van Dyke Parks.
Personal favs:
- Those Thieving Birds (Part 1)/Strange Behaviour/Those Thieving Birds (Part 2)
- Insomnia
- If You Keep Losing Sleep
- Low
Thus concludes my statement of the night.
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Paul McCartney's "Ever Present Past" Video
October 02, 2007 //
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The coolest 65 year-old I know. Just came out today. Great song, interesting video.
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Toasting freedom in Queens
September 16, 2007 //
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Here's my recap of the past 24 hours: We go into the city for a movie, and stop for some vegetarian pizza on 2nd Ave. We learn that Mindy would instantly throw up if Paul McCartney were to ever randomly walk in the same room as her. We're told that Michael Jackson is too old and that the girls should find somebody younger. Across the Universe was fantastic. The music is a bit watered down, and the story is a bit corny at times, but it was still very enjoyable. It turns out that "Come Together" sounds great when it's sung by a crazy homeless person.
After the movie we stopped in at McSorley's, Manhattan's oldest pub, for a round of beers and a few toasts to freedom, Lincoln, and The Beatles. The place was packed and a little too rowdy to hold a convo, so we left and found a much more quiet atmosphere at the Thirsty Scholar.
It was getting late and we had started to head back to Grand Central, but then Jenn presented us with the brilliant idea of crashing at her sisters apartment in Queens. So we hopped on the subway, piled into the apartment, busted out the cards, sung some songs, had some intense conversations about music, learned how Jenn would properly utilize her favorite band, and I created some brilliant artwork.
For me it felt like the last night of the summer. And I'd say it was one of the best nights I've had so far this year.
Now this guy really needs to make it onto a t-shirt:
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Paul McCartney's new DVD
August 26, 2007 //
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I'll be buying this. I know I'm just rehashing info that's already out there, but here's the press release:
McCARTNEY YEARS’
FEATURES EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY, BEHIND THE SCENES FOOTAGE, OVER 40 MUSIC VIDEOS AND TWO HOURS OF HISTORIC LIVE PERFORMANCES ‘THE MCCARTNEY YEARS’ IS SET FOR RELEASE NOVEMBER 12th 2007
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Paul McCartney talks about his younger fans
June 26, 2007 //
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In this interview with Sir Paul McCartney about his recent show in New York, the interviewer expresses his amazement at the growing number of young Beatles fans and mentions how two of his contest winners, possibly my friends Steph & Bret, were born in the 1980's!!! Paul then responds with his thoughts.
Paul: A lot of people (from) my generation would think: 'Well the only people that are gonna really like my music are the people who grew up with it'. You know? People who are my age. Maybe a little bit younger...but, that's it.
Interviewer: Two of the five winners (Steph & Bret) we had on Wednesday morning were born in the 1980's!
Paul: Ha! Is that possible? Haha nobody was born in 1980..
Interviewer: No it's possible
Paul: Er, no exactly that's the thing. And I see that at my shows. You get these generations - you'll get the people my age, and then you'll get their kids, and then their kids. And, I love it! Cuz, these kids know the music. They know it better than I do.
Interviewer: Well I tried to make it a little difficult to win the tickets to the show, because I wanted to make sure that real Paul McCartney fans would win, obviously. So I didn't just say.. be the 25th caller and you're in. I asked questions that Paul McCartney fans would be able to answer.
Paul: Mmhmm.
Interviewer: And those two young people, born in the 1980's, knew the answers!
Paul: You know, it's phenomenal, I must say. But it's great! It's kinda, you know, very satisfying to think that young kids are into it.
Interviewer: What would you say to your young fans... ?
Paul: ...What would I say? I would say thank you for like, appreciating something we did a long time ago. But, I'm with them. I understand that thing. Cuz, I'm wrong to assume that it's just my generation that's gonna like it. And I know that, for instance, cuz I like Fred Astaire, Nat King Cole - and that wasn't my generation. So, I suppose that what they're doing is they're liking good music. You know, and I can say that now about The Beatles. Cuz, you know, it's not being conceited. I know that the stuff we did was really good. You know? And I think that somebody appreciating it now is just great. It's just very gratifying. So there you go. I love it.
You can listen to the full interview by clicking HERE.
Paul talks about the show at the Highline Ballroom HERE.
And you can read my recap of Paul's secret concert in New York and see the pictures HERE.
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Paul McCartney's Secret Gig at the Highline Ballroom
June 14, 2007 //
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I'm back from the Paul McCartney concert! Time for the recap:
Let me go back a few weeks to explain this. About a month ago I found out that Paul McCartney would be doing some type of live performance in NYC to promote his new album Memory Almost Full. Any large-scale world tour would be postponed to next year due to "personal issues" (his divorce from Heather Mills). So being a huge Beatles/Paul McCartney fan, I did some intense research until I found out the details of what would be going down.
I found out that the show was going to be a small-scale "secret" show about two weeks ago and that I'd have to win tickets through a radio station contest in order to go. Only a few hundred contest winners and invited guests would be given tickets. So after looking through the websites of nearly every FM radio station from the country's major cities, I finally found a contest where you could enter a raffle to win tickets by correctly answering 20 questions about Paul. I didn't win. But my friend Steph did, and she offered to take me. Amazingly, my friend Bret won as well and offered to take my brother Justin. So now we had 3 people from CT's smallest town attending a concert that thousands of people from around the world were trying to go to, and I was one of them.
More below the cut.
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My plans for the evening: Attend a secret Paul McCartney Concert
June 13, 2007 //
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Tonight I'll get the incredible opportunity to see Paul McCartney in concert from just a few feet away. Along with my friends Steph, Bret, and my brother Justin, I'll be among just 300 contest winners and invited guests who will watch McCartney play Beatles classics as well as some of the best songs of his new album Memory Almost Full. The show takes place at 8:30 pm tonight at the Highline Ballroom on 16th St. in NYC. It's extremely rare for a guy who usually performs in front of 50,000 people to do a show in a venue this small. What makes tonight even more interesting is that his album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 this morning with his highest weekly sales since 1982. I'll post a recap after the show.
Thanks for MaccaReport.com for the heads up on the secret gig!
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New Paul McCartney album - Memory Almost Full - out today
June 05, 2007 //
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Today's the day Memory Almost Full comes out - Paul McCartney's 21st solo album since the breakup of The Beatles. Every single Starbucks on the planet will be playing the album back to back throughout the day for a "global listening event". They estimate that somewhere around six million people will hear the album through Starbucks alone. It's a great album and it's well worth buying. I've had it for over a month now and it's all I listen to. You can buy it at any Starbucks, most retail outlets, or download it via iTunes.
Related Posts:
"Meeting Paul McCartney"
"My Night at Carnegie Hall"
"McCartney on his new album"
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