I recently found out my friend Mindy and I made the credits on Paul McCartney’s “Good Evening NYC” DVD! We’re listed as “Flip Cam Operators”.  This isn’t an accomplishment of skill by any means, but it was pretty exciting to show up at a concert, get a front row seat, have our footage mixed in with the DVD and then get included in the credits!

It’s a great DVD by the way. If you haven’t picked it up, you can get it here.

Paul McCartney.. Billy Joel.. an all-access pass and a front row seat. It all started when I saw this message from @Stereogum:

“Paul McCartney starts his three nights at Citi Field this evening. He’s making a film and he needs some help from all of you young filmmakers out there. We are looking for thirty people to shoot each show, July 17, 18 & 21, on Flip cameras. We have the cameras, all we need is the talent!”

I replied, and then while driving towards New York I received an email letting me know I had been selected to participate.  My friend Mindy and I showed up at the 1st Base VIP entrance where we picked up our “Working Personel” passes and a custom Paul McCartney Flip Cam, and then set off to roam the stadium at our pleasure.

I found myself nice spot in the front row, a few feet in front of Pierce Brosnan and nearby Nancy Shevell.

Here’s a video (shot with my iPhone) of Paul singing “A Day in the Life” and “Give Peace a Chance”.

Read on for the set list and a few photos:

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending the “Change Begins Within” benefit concert with headliners Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at Radio City Hall in NYC.  The show featured performances by Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow, Donovan, Paul Horn, Moby, Ben Harper and others.  There were even some unannounced people on stage such as Mike Love (who became teary eyed while reflecting about their famous 1968 trip to India), Jerry Seinfeld, and Howard Stern.

There were some really cool performances during the opening acts, such as Eddie Vedder’s experimental performance of “Arc”, as well as his collaboration with Ben Harper for a cover of the Queen/David Bowie song “Under Pressure”.  But for me, the key moment of night was when Paul McCartney introduced Ringo as the one and only “Billy Sheers” for a side by side performance of “With A Little Help From My Friends”.  McCartney performed one of his typical sets, although it was a bit short.  The only unusual song was “Cosmically Conscious”, a song he wrote while in India during 1968.

The setlist:

• Drive My Car
• Jet
• Got to Get You Into My Life
• Let It Be
• Lady Madonna
• Blackbird

• Here Today
• Band on the Run
• Can’t Buy Me Love
• With a Little Help From My Friends (with Ringo at mic with Paul)

  Encore

• Cosmically
  Conscious(with Ringo on drums)
• I Saw Her
  Standing There (with Ringo on drums and Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Donovan,
  Moby, Sheryl Crow and Bettye LaVette and other artists singing backing vocals)

Afterwards, my friends and I headed out to a pub to finish out the night with a few drinks.  Matt’s uncle joined us and offered let us crash at his apartment near Central Park for the night.  This led to another eventful day, but I’ll post about that tomorrow.

So last night, while I was home relaxing.. Paul McCartney joined Billy Joel on stage for the “Last Play at Shea” – the final concert at Shea Stadium before it is to be torn down.  It was two of my favorite singers/songwriters side by side, and I missed it.  I found out about the surprise performance a few hours prior to the show, but it was too late.  Needless to say, I regret not buying tickets in advance.  But I have an idea for next weekend that could make up for it.

McCartney wasn’t the only one to join Joel on stage.  Roger Daltrey of the Who, Steven Tyler, and Garth Brooks came on to play a few songs as well.  Videos are floating around on YouTube.

On another note: I went to see  a Brian Wilson concert in Torrington this past Wednesday.  It felt like more of a tribute to Wilson than it did a performance.  His band did the bulk of the singing and he hardly played an instrument, but they were playing HIS songs, and it was an honor to witness it.  If you aren’t familiar with Brian Wilson’s life and work (“God Only Knows”, “Good Vibrations”, “Wouldn’t it Be Nice”, etc.), you should read a bit about him.  He’s the genius behind the music of The Beach Boys, and one of the greatest songwriters/producers in American pop-music history.