Let The Music Play

Had a stressful week at work, so I said fuck it and drove out to see my favorite Beatles tribute band.

Paul McCartney - “Live in the New World (1993)”

This aired ‘live’ in the US, on my dad’s 41st birthday, a few weeks after I turned 10. I remember him turning to me during his birthday dinner and telling me he’d secretly set the VCR to record it so I could watch it later, because he knew how much it would mean to me. We sat down to watch it together the next day, and much to both of our relief it worked perfectly.

I watched that VHS tape so much over the next few years I legitimately wore it out. I’m now a few months out from my own 41st birthday, and legitimately cried tears of joy when I found it on YouTube.

the what-sounds-like russian overdubs when Paul talks were obviously not in the version I saw as a kid

The cartoon went into syndication when I was four, and at that point I was already beyond obsessed with the band. So with those memories triggered, I decided tonight would be a good time to watch the series again for the first time in 30-something years.

This show is even more of an acid trip than I remember (and I remembered it being really fucking weird).

The moment I first heard their music is legitimately my earliest childhood memory. They imprinted on me in a very special way from the start, and they’re still my favorite band and the one constant positive I’ve had in my life to this day.

And it’s amazing, to me at least, that all these years later I’m still finding new performances and interviews and other video/audio I’ve never seen before.

Like this performance at the ABC Theater in 1965 - I’d seen clips, and the performance of “Yesterday”, but getting to see it in its entirety now is incredible to me.

A slightly late Holiday Song of the Day: Straight No Chaser - “The 12 Days of Christmas”