I’m all excited and nervous for someone I met once, briefly, four years ago. Sylvia was the nice woman who conducted the tour of my almost-husband Paul McCartney’s childhood home when I visited it in Liverpool in 2014. Sylvia informed us that Sir Paul’s brother, Mike, had visited the house at 20 Forthlin Road, and…
Beatles
Happy 75th to My Almost-Husband, Paul McCartney
My almost-husband Paul McCartney turned 75 today! I like that number. #ThrowbackOfTheDay: @PaulMcCartney loved a selfie back in the '60s pic.twitter.com/KWDpn2WotS — NME (@NME) June 18, 2017 Sir Paul’s birthday reminds me that I’ve been meaning to write about the 50th anniversary of the Beatles album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. (The release date…
A Tribute to John Lennon, Plus the Activist Playbook
John Lennon was assassinated outside his New York City apartment building 36 years ago today. Embed from Getty Images In memory of John, you might want to make a donation to the Coalition to Stop Gun violence. If you prefer to be more hands on, you can join a local organization dedicated to stopping gun…
Oldchella and a Straw Hat Argument
In a debate, a “straw man argument” is a way of misrepresenting (or oversimplifying) your opponent’s position in order to make that position easier to defeat. For instance, in an April article in Foreign Policy magazine, Paul D. Miller wrote that Donald Trump’s “America First” policy is a straw man because it offers “a stinging…
Oldchella Day 2: Neil Young’s Smile, Macca’s Shade
Two years ago, when I saw my celebrity crush Neil Young perform solo at Carnegie Hall, I thought, “This is the way to see Neil. Without the distraction of a band.” On Saturday, when I saw Neil Young perform on the second day of “Oldchella” — aka the Desert Trip music festival, in Indio, Calif….
Oldchella Day 1 and Thoughts on the Trump Tapes
I’m enjoying a weekend at “Oldchella,” aka the Desert Trip music festival, in California. Last night, I saw the Rolling Stones. I missed the opener, Bob Dylan, but the reason why is kind of great; you’ll get that story later. Tonight I’m seeing Neil Young and my almost-husband, Paul McCartney. Sir Paul showed up last…
Musical Interlude: My Almost-Husband, Paul McCartney
Last Sunday, my real-life husband, MrB, accompanied me to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to see my almost-husband, Paul McCartney, in concert. I wore the t-shirt I got at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in 2014. I didn’t take a full outfit photo, but here’s a candid picture of my face during the almost-three-hour-long show….
Throwback Thursday: Yoko Ono With a Choker at Cannes
The Cannes Film Festival started yesterday and continues through May 22. Damn! That’s a long festival. I’m sure during that time, there will be something on the red carpet or in a photocall that will blow me away fashion-wise. But, in the first day and a half, nothing has wowed me as much as the…
RIP, George Martin
George Martin, the music producer who most famously worked with the Beatles, died at age 90 yesterday. Embed from Getty Images Ringo Starr first announced the news on Twitter. Paul McCartney made his statement here. To learn more about George’s interactions with the Beatles, you can read his memoir, All You Need Is Ears. But…
All the Young Dudes
I’m quite proud of my habit of keeping pop-culture ephemera, such as this program from Madonna’s 1987 AIDS benefit concert and a Duran Duran ticket stub from the same year. However, my high-school friend Jim Begala wins the prize for keeping everything. Jim previously confirmed the exact date of a 1984 INXS concert for me,…