Paul McCartney Set For First Concerts at New York’s Citi Field
The Beatles made history when they performed the first-ever concert at Shea Stadium on August 15, 1965, and now Paul McCartney will break in the New York Mets’ newest home on July 17th and 18th. Tickets for the first-ever shows at Citi Field in Queens go on sale June 15th at 10 a.m. ET exclusively at 507TIXX.com and the Mets’ ticket-charge line, 718-507-TIXX.
“I am really excited about playing Citi Field,” McCartney said in a statement. “The Beatles were the first to play at Shea Stadium and along with Billy Joel, I was the last to sing at the old Shea. So to be the first to play this stadium is incredible. I am really looking forward to a buzzing show.”
The pair of gigs will be McCartney’s first in the States since his headlining set at Coachella in May, where he played a host of Beatles classics, broke out material from his Fireman project and paid tribute to George Harrison and John Lennon (read the full report). The last time he took the stage in New York (at David Lynch’s April 4th meditation benefit Change Begins Within), he briefly reunited with Ringo Starr, who sang “With a Little Help From My Friends.” The mini-reunion was completed during the encore, when Starr took his seat behind the drum kit for a group performance of “I Saw Her Standing There.”
McCartney also performed “I Saw Her Standing There” when he helped Billy Joel say farewell to Shea Stadium in July 2008, at the last-ever concert at the Mets’ home since 1964. McCartney closed out that show before a capacity crowd of 55,000 by taking over Joel’s piano for a stirring rendition of “Let It Be.” The seating capacity at the new stadium is 42,000.
On Monday, McCartney was on hand in Los Angeles to unveil The Beatles: Rock Band, the first video game featuring the Fab Four’s music.