January 30, 1969 – Beatles Last Live Public Performance

Nobody in this part of the world had any idea what was happening in the heart of London at lunchtime on a chilly Thursday, January 30, 1969. The Beatles were being filmed all month while recording songs which would eventually become the Let It Be album, released some 15 months later. They wanted to finish the movie with a live concert and they decided on the rooftop on their own Apple office building at 3 Savile Row, a very staid and proper street! Well, it certainly didn’t take more than an instant for the passersby five stories below to realize the music they were hearing was new Beatles music, being performed BY the Beatles themselves! The surrounding streeet became packed as a most rare and exciting musical event was happening right there in front of their ears! It was to be The Beatles last live public performance, 44 years ago today. By the way, there are very strong rumblings that Let It Be will finally be released on DVD in 2013. If and when that is officially announced, we will pass that information to you immediately.

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Crowne Plaza Meadowlands Has a New Name

The hotel located at 2 Harmon Plaza, Secaucus, NJ has been the home to most of our NY METRO FESTS since 1980. It was called the Meadowlands Hilton until 1998, when it changed its name to the Crowne Plaza Meadowlands. A few weeks ago they once again changed names. It is now called the EMPIRE MEADOWLANDS HOTEL BY CLARION. All reservations for our 39th Annual NY METRO FEST FOR BEATLES FANS 2013, April 5-7 are being honored as the management is still the same (phone number unchanged – 201-348-6900). The hotel sold out of sleeping rooms the same day they went on sale, in September, and our overflow hotel is once again the nearby Meadowlands Plaza Hotel (201-272-1000). The Empire Meadowlands has made some changes and we have already met with them for review. The Marketplace (Exhibit Center) has been completely redone. All sleeping rooms have brand new mattresses and every registered guest will be welcome to free Continental Breakfast. They will also have the elevators totally overhauled and renovated by the time we arrive there in April. We expect to announce all FEST details and ticket information within the next two weeks. We are VERY excited about our Special Guest lineup for this FEST, but you will have to wait until we reveal them to you. We have at least three first time NY METRO FEST guests, so stay tuned.

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49 Years Ago Today

January 6, 1964: I have told this story before, but it’s the anniversary, so here it is again. It was on this day, a Monday evening, first day back at school after a two week vacation (Christmas and New Years fell on Wednesdays and it worked out that year), that I first heard I Want To Hold Your Hand. It was on New York’s WABC on the legendary Scott Muni Show at 7:45PM. I can still remember getting so excited about the song and wondered who’s song was it. Scott announced it was a group from England called The Beatles. The song and the band grabbed me and never let go!!. The next day it was the Number One Song in NY. Within two weeks it was #1 in the U.S. and we were all ready to see them live on TV in another two weeks…

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