Advertisement
There’s only one thing better than seeing a rock star on stage: seeing three of them.
Paul McCartney knew exactly what it took to get the crowd at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, on their feet during the gig – the final North American leg of his “Got Back” tour.
The legendary musician – and a quarter of The Beatles – welcomed surprise guests Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi to an electrifying night of music on Thursday.
“Seeing Paul and Bruce together is downright magical,” concert-goer Brian Marschhauser, 34, who is from Yorktown, NY, told The Post.
“I saw them perform together at MSG in 2017, so I knew this could be a possibility. But I still lost my mind when Paul introduced him and couldn’t help but join in the chorus of ‘Bruuuuce’.”
Before welcoming the Bon Jovi frontman onto the stage, McCartney teamed up with The Boss to belt out his legendary anthem “Glory Days” and the early Beatles track “I Wanna Be Your Man.”
“A local boy will be joining us,” McCartney teased the crowd.
“Bruce sounded amazing during ‘Glory Days.’ He’s definitely in shape for his own upcoming tour. To see these musical icons perform at this level in 2022 is something special,” added Marschhauser.
After their successful guest appearance on McCartney’s London show in 2013, it’s safe to say that the dynamic duo made a splash nine years later.
The last time the pair shared the stage was in September 2017 when Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt performed with McCartney at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden.
“To 80 more years of glory days,” Springsteen said after the pair’s electric performance Thursday.
“Bruce looked and sounded as good as ever and is ready for his 2023 E Street Band tour,” concert goer Steven Merrill, 23, of North Plainfield, NJ, told The Post.
“Sir Paul was remarkable, playing for over three hours two days before his 80th birthday. Just unbelievable. The audience enjoyed everything,” added Merrill. “Most of the night the whole stadium was on its feet.”
As the concert drew to a close, fans thought they had seen the best of it.
Just moments later, the one and only Jon Bon Jovi appeared on stage to sing “Happy Birthday” to his friend McCartney, who turns 80 on Saturday.
Bon Jovi came prepared, holding a handful of balloons for his pal.
“Paul was visibly surprised when a few thousand people started singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him,” New York-based concertgoer Raymond Lozada-Negron told The Post. “You could tell that Paul wasn’t expecting it. Bon Jovi kissed Paul before presenting Paul with the birthday balloon.”
“Paul always eats out of the audience’s hand. At 80, he sings and plays the guitar and piano better than kids in their 20s, and Paul always plays for three hours at every concert – without a break,” added Lozada-Negron.
The moment was so special that even McCartney himself couldn’t wait to share a snap on social media.
“Bon Jovi sings Happy Birthday to Paul McCartney with 50,000 New Jersey fans,” the musician wrote alongside a picture of the couple on stage.
As the crowd went wild at the sight of three music legends sharing the stage, The Boss played guitar for the closing “Abbey Road” medley.
“It was great to see Bruce and Jon Bon Jovi coming out for the grand finals. That was pretty unforgettable. What a special night that was,” Marschhauser told the Post.
“Paul’s last words that night were, ‘See you next time.’ Even though he turns 80 tomorrow, I believed him. He sounded as great as ever and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down.”
McCartney will be headlining the Glastonbury Festival in his native England on June 24th.
