Paul Plays the Legendary Apollo TheatrePaul played at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theatre for the first time December 13th and seemed genuinely
thrilled to be there. “It’s the holy grail,” he muttered, before bending down for the traditional Apollo rite of
rubbing the onstage “Tree of Hope” trunk for luck. For the audience, it was also a Holy Grail moment, an opportunity to see Paul McCartney in a venue far more intimate than the arenas and stadiums he usually frequents. Performing a nationally simulcast radio concert put on by Sirius XM to celebrate reaching 20 million subscribers, the 68-year-old former Beatle delivered a terrifically entertaining two-hour set featuring songs stretching throughout his nearly five-decade long career. If you would like to hear the concert it is being repeated over the internet. Go here to view the Sirius site. The invitation-only crowd -- made up of lucky subscribers and celebrities including Jerry Seinfeld, Martha Stewart, Tony Bennett, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, Deepak Chopra and two Rolling Stones (Keith Richards, Ron Wood), among many others -- were in baby boomer nostalgic bliss. Performing with his energetic four-piece band, McCartney delivered a generous portion of Beatles classics, from the pop confections (“I Saw Her Standing There,” “All My Loving,” “And I Love Her,” “Drive My Car”) to the requisite anthems (“Let It Be,” “Hey Jude,” “The Long and Winding Road”). He delved deep into his Wings classic “Band on the Run” (recently reissued in a deluxe edition), performing not only the expected title track and “Jet” but also such numbers as “Let Me Roll It” and “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five.” Less familiar treats included the vintage Lennon-McCartney song “One after 909,” his solo hit “Dance Tonight,” on which he played ukulele, “I’m Looking through You” from Rubber Soul and, in honor of the Yuletide season, the cheery “Wonderful Christmastime.” The audience was particularly stirred by his medley of “A Day in the Life,” which John Lennon sang on the record, and “Give Peace a Chance.” Ironically, it was when McCartney attempted to pay tribute to the Apollo’s storied history -- with a cover of Marvin Gaye’s early ‘60s soul classic “Hitch Hike,” complete with six mini-skirted female go-go dancers -- that he fell victim to the theater’s notoriously temperamental sound system. It took three tries before he was able to get through the number. “OK, we’ve proved the show is live,” he cracked. Although his voice clearly reveals some fraying, McCartney still performs with the playfulness and vigor of someone half his age. He was clearly jazzed by his surroundings, at one point stopping in his tracks and declaring, “I’m gonna take a little moment and just soak in the Apollo. I know it’s special to you New Yorkers. To us British boys, it’s really special.” Set List
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