CASPER
New member
NEW YORK – At age 68, Paul McCartney has the richest catalogue in pop music to wander around in. Only Bob Dylan could argue the point.
On a snowy night at Harlem's historic Apollo Theater, with a frisky band and a live radio audience, McCartney clearly enjoyed the journey. He performed a two-hour, 27-song set in front of Sirius XM Radio subscribers and celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld, Alec Baldwin, Martha Stewart, Tony Bennett and Rolling Stone Ron Wood.
His concert served dual purposes. Sirius, relieved to get a new contract for Howard Stern, is approaching 20 million subscribers and wanted to celebrate. McCartney is promoting a deluxe reissue of his "Band on the Run" album, and Sirius is devoting a special channel to his music.
The Harlem theater was dressed up in searchlights and a red carpet for the event. McCartney alluded to the influence that many of the musicians who played the Apollo had on him.
"I know it's special to you New Yorkers," he said. "To us British boys, it's really special."
His one tribute to the locale, a spirited cover of Marvin Gaye's 1962 hit "Hitch Hike," was unfortunately marred by technical difficulties. The vocal microphones went quiet halfway through the song, forcing McCartney and his four-piece band to stop. They tried again, only to have to stop again. The third time worked.
In a trim black suit with white shirt and hair — naturally or not — still black and in a modified moptop, McCartney looked almost unnervingly like he did decades ago, especially when he held his Hofner bass. But the years have passed, and two of his former Beatle mates are dead.
McCartney has an energetic young band with him now, and it serves him well. Most of his show was full-on rock 'n' roll, to the point where he joked at one point, "hope we haven't deafened you."
On a snowy night at Harlem's historic Apollo Theater, with a frisky band and a live radio audience, McCartney clearly enjoyed the journey. He performed a two-hour, 27-song set in front of Sirius XM Radio subscribers and celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld, Alec Baldwin, Martha Stewart, Tony Bennett and Rolling Stone Ron Wood.
His concert served dual purposes. Sirius, relieved to get a new contract for Howard Stern, is approaching 20 million subscribers and wanted to celebrate. McCartney is promoting a deluxe reissue of his "Band on the Run" album, and Sirius is devoting a special channel to his music.
The Harlem theater was dressed up in searchlights and a red carpet for the event. McCartney alluded to the influence that many of the musicians who played the Apollo had on him.
"I know it's special to you New Yorkers," he said. "To us British boys, it's really special."
His one tribute to the locale, a spirited cover of Marvin Gaye's 1962 hit "Hitch Hike," was unfortunately marred by technical difficulties. The vocal microphones went quiet halfway through the song, forcing McCartney and his four-piece band to stop. They tried again, only to have to stop again. The third time worked.
In a trim black suit with white shirt and hair — naturally or not — still black and in a modified moptop, McCartney looked almost unnervingly like he did decades ago, especially when he held his Hofner bass. But the years have passed, and two of his former Beatle mates are dead.
McCartney has an energetic young band with him now, and it serves him well. Most of his show was full-on rock 'n' roll, to the point where he joked at one point, "hope we haven't deafened you."