{"id":15831,"date":"2025-08-22T05:40:05","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T21:40:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artgardenhub.com\/?p=15831"},"modified":"2025-08-22T05:40:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T21:40:06","slug":"why-would-anyone-dare-not-be-a-paul-mccartney-fan-after-he-completely-owned-the-musicares-gala-surrounded-by-legends-like-bonnie-raitt-and-dave-grohl-turning-every-song-into-a-mind-blowing-soul-sha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artgardenhub.com\/?p=15831","title":{"rendered":"Why Would Anyone Dare NOT Be a Paul McCartney Fan After He Completely Owned the MusiCares Gala, Surrounded by Legends Like Bonnie Raitt and Dave Grohl, Turning Every Song Into a Mind-Blowing, Soul-Shaking Performance That Left Everyone Speechless and Proved Once and for All That True Music Icons Don\u2019t Just Inspire \u2014 They Dominate Every Moment Like Rock Royalty Untouchable and Unstoppable?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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How can anyone not be a Paul McCartney fan? Rolling Stone<\/em> put the question to Bonnie Raitt last night on the red carpet of the MusiCares Person Of The Year gala honoring McCartney. \u201cAre you kidding? This is the time I make no bones about it, I get completely gobsmacked,\u201d Raitt said. \u201cI watch the show, I go like this, I do the Scream<\/em> face by Edvard Munch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The red carpet for this benefit raising funds to help musicians in need inspired many surreal moments. There was Elvis Costello greeting Smokey Robinson with a hug, Neil Young chatting with Yoko Ono, James Taylor dropping by our interview with Raitt to say hello, and on and on. Even Dave Grohl lost it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh my god, there\u2019s Bonnie Raitt,\u201d he said to Rolling Stone <\/em>as we chatted. \u201cHoly shit, that\u2019s huge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, it was a special night. And at the center of it all was Sir Paul, the man who still turns all of music\u2019s biggest stars into teenage fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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During Grammy rehearsals earlier in the day, Tony Bennett told us of his affection for McCartney. \u201cThe one I like of all the artists I\u2019m watching is Paul McCartney. He has survived and he just sings beautiful and he does quality product all the time,\u201d Bennett said. \u201cAnd I just like him personally, as a friend. We\u2019re good friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many of the people on hand, the occasion was a reunion. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to seeing the McCartney family,\u201d Yoko Ono told us. \u201cI\u2019ve known [those children] since they were this high,\u201d she said, pointing to her mid-section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For others, it was a chance to pay respect to someone they\u2019ve long admired. \u201cPaul McCartney is one of the greatest songwriters ever. He\u2019s truly a very, very talented man and he\u2019s my brother and I love him,\u201d Smokey Robinson said. \u201cHe has brought so much to music, the Beatles changed the face of music from the U.K.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The overwhelming wealth of McCartney\u2019s catalog was evident during this two-hour tribute concert in a Convention Center ballroom. As has always been the case at MusiCares events, the guest of honor was feted with cover renditions of his songs by music royalty. While some past artists have chosen only to make a speech or play couple of songs to close the night, McCartney treated the show like it was his own concert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After a quick intro from Grohl, performers from Cirque Du Soleil\u2019s Beatles LOVE <\/em>troupe took over the ballroom, with costumed performers running up and down the aisles and performing gymnastics on ropes hanging from the ceilings to the tune of \u201cSgt. Pepper\u2019s Lonely Heart\u2019s Club Band,\u201d among other songs. As the performers were walking out of the room, they commanded so much attention that it took the 2,800 guests a couple of seconds to realize they were no longer listening to a soundtrack. McCartney had taken the stage and was rocking \u201cMagical Mystery Tour.\u201d It was an inspired moment, one that brought the whole crowd to their feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not easy to follow McCartney, but the Foo Fighters, who killed on \u201cJet,\u201d were the perfect choice. \u201cPaul McCartney\u2019s rock songs and Foo Fighters songs kind of live in the same kind of territory,\u201d Grohl told us. \u201cHe loves upbeat, melodic hard rock music and that\u2019s kind of what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there, the show turned into an embarrassment of riches. At one point, Norah Jones, Katy Perry and Neil Young took the stage in succession. Later on, Coldplay were followed by James Taylor doing \u201cYesterday\u201d with help from Diana Krall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a night where almost any artist could have been the most talked about on Twitter. Among the standouts were Alicia Keys\u2018 breathtaking \u201cBlackbird,\u201d Alison Krauss and Union Station\u2019s elegant \u201cNo More Lonely Nights,\u201d Coldplay\u2019s sweet rendition of \u201cWe Can Work It Out,\u201d and Bennett\u2019s jazzy \u201cHere, There And Everywhere.\u201d The performance that may take home the title of Most-Tweeted is Katy Perry\u2019s \u201cHey Jude.\u201d The song choice seemed a little lofty for one of the youngest artists on the bill, but Perry delivered a powerful acoustic rendition that had the whole room singing along by the closing notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Norah Jones, like Bennett, turned the McCartney material into a jazz tune on \u201cOh Darling,\u201d while Neil Young and Crazy Horse went the other way completely, transforming \u201cI Saw Her Standing There\u201d into a raucous scrap heap of guitars, feedback and good old fashioned garage rock. That performance was even singled out by McCartney in his very brief speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCartney used his speech to praise MusiCares\u2019 work, as so many others did on that night. \u201cMusiCares is really working really hard and very well for all musicians and we all respect MusiCares,\u201d Ono told us. \u201cThey helped so many of my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know there are other award shows, but I only go to this one. It\u2019s a great organization,\u201d Raitt added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And McCartney, in his acknowledgements, let it be known how much he was happy to help the organization, which raised over six million dollars on the night. But McCartney otherwise preferred to let his music speak for him. After singing \u201cMy Valentine\u201d (which he said was written for his wife, Nancy Shevell) and \u201cI\u2019m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter,\u201d he found the perfect way to sum up the night, closing with an epic \u201cGolden Slumbers\u201d that inspired goose bumps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Featuring help from Joe Walsh and Grohl on guitar, the song traveled from its understated lullaby-esque opening to a majestic hard rock guitar fest, then back to its profoundly simple final lines: \u201cAnd in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.\u201d A perfect final note on a magical night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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