Sticking with the theme of impromptu outdoor concerts in the dead of winter (see Manic Monday), a mind-boggling 55 years ago today, a band by the name of The Beatles performed what turned out to be their last ever concert on the rooftop of their Apple Corp headquarters in central London. It’s become the stuff of legend as the years have gone by, not only in The Beatles’ storied history of course, but in the broader context of music history as well. The finality of it all has a lot to do with that, but also if you happen to cherish the Abbey Road/Let It Be-era of The Beatles, the entire performance, and the lead-up to it (well chronicled in the recent Get Back documentary) is pure gold. It’s a remarkable event to witness, somewhat bittersweet considering their subsequent break-up, but it nonetheless captures the magic of the band and the warmth and love in their music perfectly (well, aside from John fumbling his lines in this first take of “Don’t Let Me Down”, but we love him just the same of course). Long live The Beatles.
