With Paul McCartney sweeping into the tristate area and essentially selling out every major venue that he’s playing multiple dates at as only an ex-Beatle can, here are some other major times when’s hit the stage in the Big Apple.
The Beatles Play Shea Stadium (Aug. 15, 1965)
Playing before 55,600 screaming fans, the Fab Four were the first group to pull off a major stadium concert at their first go-round at Shea. With a slew of opening acts that included Brenda Holloway, King Curtis, the Young Rascals and Cannibal & the Headhunters, the concert featured the Beatles being introduced by Ed Sullivan (who co-produced the event) and yielded the documentary The Beatles at Shea Stadium.
The Concert For New York City (Oct. 20, 2001)
Organized by Paul McCartney, this show at Madison Square Garden not only raised money for the Robin Hood Foundation, but was held to honor first responders from the New York City Fire Department and the New York City Police Department. With a star-studded lineup that included David Bowie, The Who, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Bon Jovi and Melissa Etheridge, the finale featured McCartney performing a hit-filled medley that included “I’m Down,” “Yesterday” and “Let It Be.”
It’s Showtime At The Apollo With Paul McCartney (Dec. 13, 2010)
Held by Sirius XM to commemorate its 20 millionth subscriber, this event was McCartney’s first time playing this storied theater. After touching the onstage log, which all Apollo performers tap for good luck when they go on, the then-68-year-old rock icon played a tight two-hour set packed with Beatles gems before a star-studded audience that included Patti Smith, Steve Van Zandt, Max Weinberg, Chris Rock, Matt Damon, Jerry Seinfeld, Howard Stern, Keith Richards and Ron Wood.
Paul McCartney will be playing on Sept. 21 at the Barclays Center, 620 Atlantic Ave. Brooklyn. Visit www.barclayscenter.com or call 917-618-6700 for more information.
McCartney will also be playing on Sept. 26 and 27 at NYCB Live: Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Nassau Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Tpke., Uniondale. Visit www.nycblive.com
For Long Island Weekly‘s exclusive interview with Paul McCartney’s One on One Tour creative director, see Staging A Beatle.
https://liweekly.wpengine.com/staging-a-beatle/
