Upstate Teacher in Right Place, Right Time to See McCartney’s Letterman Performance in NYC

My musical tastes fall into two categories.

The Beatles.

And everyone else.

That gives you an idea of what a huge Fab Four fan I’ve been since I first heard one of my classmates in our elementary school lunch line talking about the “Meet the Beatles” album.

I wish I could’ve traded places Wednesday night (7/15) with Ashley Palermo, a recent Clemson University graduate who starts her teaching career this fall at West Oak Middle School in Oconee County, SC.  She and my daughter Kayla were college friends.

Ashley had the good fortune of being in the right place, at the right time.

The place was outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City.

The time was 5:30 pm, when Sir Paul McCartney and his band, Wednesday night’s guests on “The Late Show With David Letterman” (11:35 pm on News Channel 7), started performing on a stage atop the theater entrance (“Letterman” is taped between 4 and 5 pm).

I talked with Ashley via telephone about her unexpected brush with Beatlemania 2009.

Ashley and her sister were in NYC for shopping and a show.  After the show, they noticed the street was filling with people, and police were doing crowd control.  Ashley found out the growing mass was waiting to hear McCartney’s outdoor performance.  “A police officer told us the best place to stand.“

“When (Paul) came out, people were screaming ‘I love you, Paul’ and singing with the music,“ says Ashley.  “There was a little dancing around.  There were older people, teenagers, young adults.“

“He was so excited to work with the crowd.  He was so personable, waved at the crowd, said ‘This one’s for you!‘  It was amazing since he is such a pop icon.“

Ashley says Paul and his band performed for about 30 minutes.  She couldn’t remember all the songs, but she remembers hearing “Get Back,“ “Helter Skelter,“ “Band on the Run,“ and “Back in the USSR.“

“It was just amazing.  A man in his 60s (he turned 67 on June 18th), jumping around with his band, having so much energy.  He’s still amazing to see.“  Several people were wearing Beatles t-shirts.  Some in the crowd had made signs, though Ashley couldn’t see what they said.

“He was just so great to hear.  He sounded just like himself.“

“I saw tons of smiles in the crowd.  People were in awe to see Paul McCartney. One woman told her daughter, ‘You don’t know what kind of opportunity this is.  It’s better than being in concert.‘“

Ashley tells me she and her dad are both Beatles fans. “I really like them, but my dad loves them.“

Forty years after their heyday, Beatles music is attracting new generations of fans.  The music is indeed timeless.  I always have Beatles CDs around.  My band performs a few Beatles tunes.

Seeing Paul in concert twice with crowds of about 20,000 was a terrific personal experience for me.

But for Ashley and the others in the NYC crowd, it must’ve been more like a private party featuring Paul.

An event Ashley will never forget.

“After seeing him in person, after all these years he’s been around, I can see why his music has such a special place in people’s hearts.”

Ashley got to see “Shrek the Musicial” and rock and roll legend Paul McCartney all in the same afternoon.

Isn’t New York City a magical place!