July 15, 2009

If anyone knows something about a concert on a rooftop it’s Paul McCartney. Over forty years after The Beatles’ infamous final concert on the roof of Apple Corps in London, the bassist returned to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs – the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York City – where he played a brief set of Wings and Beatle classics atop the building’s marquee earlier this afternoon as part of a taping for The Late Show.

Paul McCartney – Get Back

The set started around 5:30 PM when McCartney emerged through a window clad in a bright pink shirt and suspenders along with the other four members of his talented ensemble. Broadway was closed in one direction for a few blocks in either direction of the theatre leaving plenty of room for thousands of people from all different walks to life to enjoy the music coming from speakers set up on each side of the legendary venue. Most in the crowd were on their way home from work, noticed the crowd was forming and joined in when they realized Paul McCartney was performing.

Setlist: Get Back, Sing The Changes, Coming Up, Band On The Run, Let Me Roll It > Foxy Lady Jam, Helter Skelter, Back In The USSR

Sir Paul kibbutzed with the assembled mass while awaiting a cue from the producer to start. The crowd cheered their approval at every word the former Beatle said, especially when he mentioned New York. Within a few minutes of taking the makeshift stage, McCartney launched into a powerful version of Get Back – the same tune The Beatles opened their rooftop concert with in 1969. The sound wasn’t great at first, but the sound guy boosted the volume as the concert went on. Get Back crackled with energy as the band members, including McCartney, got a huge kick out of this very special venue.

READ ON for more of Scott’s take on McCartney’s marqueetop show…

Sorry for the back and forth on this one, but apparently McCartney WILL be playing on the marquee this afternoon after all. You can see images of the setup for

According to Showbiz411, the New York City Department of Film and Television has declined the application to let Paul McCartney play on the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theatre this

If you’re heading to Camp Bisco VIII this weekend make sure you stop by the HeadCount booth for a chance to win a free spot at the upcoming Caribbean Holidaze

Sir Paul McCartney returns to the Ed Sullivan Theatre in NYC tonight for an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. If you don’t have tickets to the taping,

From last night’s Late Show with David Letterman… Wilco & Feist – You & I

Ah, the truth – the hard-to-figure point that lies somewhere between the two sides of a story. Today, we got one side of the story thanks to a detailed explanation from bass player Bryan Dondero about why he left Grace Potter and the Nocturnals four months ago. In a very web 2.0 move, Dondero took Potter to task with a post on his blog.

[Potter and Dondero in happier times]

The bassist is in the middle of a contentious negotiation with the Potter Camp over proceeds from GP&tN’s 2007 release This Is Somewhere and let us know exactly what he’s looking for and what he’s been offered…

My terms remain firm: along with the agreements made on NBTW and the other tracks that I have already signed off on, I am standing behind asking for 10% of This Is Somewhere from release through the life of the copyright. Thus far, you have firstly agreed that 10% was a fair number so long as it does not include the retroactive money (ie. money that was made in the publishing from songs appearing on Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill etc….) and would only be for a 5 year period. Then you agreed to include everything but Apologies. After you finally agreed to include Apologies, and the retroactive money, you decided to increase the amount that I owed the band since my leaving…

Towards the middle of his post Dondero basically transcribes a conversation he had with Potter that led to his departure which shows some diva behavior from both participants…

Grace: I feel like the things you do go against the grain of the rest of us.
Me: Like what? Give me an example.
Grace: This may sound vain, but the things you wear on stage…I think some of the things you do like putting your foot on the monitor or jump on the riser are at really inappropriate moments.

READ ON for more of Bryan’s post on leaving The Nocturnals…