Wait a second — why was the GOVERNOR announcing that Paul McCartney was coming?

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I saw the news today, and oh, boy was I puzzled. I got the part about the lucky man who made the grade, but…

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one wondering this this morning:


In response, several people said they were wondering the same thing. Debbie McDaniel did. Don McCallister said he had left the same question as a comment on the story in The State.

Susan Corbett said:

Because in case you haven’t realized it she is the biggest opportunist around and will take credit for anything she can and deny everything else

And my old colleague Dave Moniz said, “I love Paul McCartney… But it seems like just fell off the turnip truck stuff for a governor or politician to announce…. drum roll.. a rock concert…”

So, if others were thinking the same thing, maybe I don’t have to explain that it would have made more sense for someone, say, associated with the University to announce it. Or better, the promoter. Or if a politician, maybe Steve Benjamin. A big draw coming to your town sort of fits within the realm of things that mayors get excited about. Of course, people would be somewhat justified in seeing it as cheesy, a pol trying to get some Beatles magic to rub off on him.

When I initially heard that the governor had announced it, I thought I had heard it wrong. But I had not. There she was in the paper. And there she was getting all excited on Facebook:

So excited to announce rock n roll royalty, Sir Paul McCartney will be gracing us in South Carolina for his “Out There” tour at Colonial Life Arena June 25! Thanks to AEG Live and Marshal Arts and the rest of the team for making this happen. Tickets go on sale May 4. #GetExcited

So… did the Commerce Department arrange this or something? How did the gov get involved?

By the way, the governor sort of betrayed that she’s way too young to be this excited about a Beatle with that “rock ‘n’ roll royalty” thing. Those of us who were listening at the time called it “rock” — at least, we did toward the end of the era. “Rock ‘n’ roll” referred in the ’60s to stuff that had been big in the ’50s. The Beatles were solidly rooted in “rock ‘n’ roll,” but from the time Beatlemania hit until the news came in early 1970 that they were breaking up, that term had an anachronistic connotation to it. (To simplify: When they looked like this, they were still rock ‘n’ roll. When they looked like this, they were more or less mod, and people weren’t yet sure what to call their sound. When they looked like this, they were at the apex of rock.)

A hasty shot of the former Honolulu International Center, taken while stopped at a traffic light.

A hasty shot of the former Honolulu International Center, taken while stopped at a traffic light.

“Rock ‘n’ roll” returned to favor, as a term to describe the whole realm of pop music including what we regarded as serious “rock,” in the early ’70s, with a wave of nostalgia about the ’50s. That’s when Chuck Berry made his big comeback. I was privileged to see him shortly before he became big again, as the warm-up act in front of a one-hit wonder at the Honolulu International Center in 1971. He was amazing. All I had known about him before that was that he was this old guy who had inspired the Beatles and the Stones, et al. We booed the headliner off the stage and chanted for Chuck to come back. I took a driveby picture of the HIC, now called something else, when we were in Hawaii last month. That’s also where Burl and I and the other 600 in our class had our high school reunion.

But I digress.

Bottom line, why did we hear about this from the governor?

 

32 thoughts on “Wait a second — why was the GOVERNOR announcing that Paul McCartney was coming?”

  1. M.Prince

    No doubt it’s the “Sir” in front of his name. She considers it an official state visit — and he’s popping by just to see her!

  2. Mark Stewart

    If the only show in the Southeast is in Columbia, something is fishy… Lemme guess… either they cut the Arena rental to nothing to land the show, or the promoter is actually being paid to put on the show in Cola. Those appear the only rational explanations as to why a Governor would contrive a manipulated press conference to announce a concert herself. This is all flash and no substance, so there is likely another agenda at play, no?

    Maybe Volvo expressed concerns about cultural opportunities and this is the response?

  3. Bryan Caskey

    I’m glad you posted this. Yesterday morning, I first heard that Haley and Ray Tanner were going to have a “historic” announcement. That piqued my interest, as I really couldn’t think of what would bring the Governor and the Athletic Director for USC into the same event. Adding the “historic” clue further puzzled me.

    Over lunch with another lawyer, we brainstormed about it. We couldn’t think of anyone whose appearance at the CLA would be “historic” and interest both Tanner and Haley. The best I could think of was maybe the Pope was gonna swing by and hang out for awhile, and he thought maybe a former Gamecock athlete was going to announce some huge new endowment, or something.

    But…Paul McCartney?

    That was a big let-down.

    First of all, hasn’t McCartney already come to Columbia? If so, I don’t see how another appearance makes it into the “historic” category. Also, more to your point, why did Haley and Tanner get wrapped into this? I guess maybe Tanner was there because the CLA is a Gamecock sports venue, so at the Athletic Director, he kind of figured into the mix somehow. Maybe he was sort of required to be there. (That’s my guess, anyway.)

    But Haley? It’s great that she’s a Beatles fan (or whatever) but she should have bigger issues on her plate than the musical acts appearing throughout South Carolina. I hesitate to say that this sort of thing should be “beneath” the Governor, but it kinda should be. Not in a bad way, and no disrespect to McCartney, but this isn’t really the Governor’s area. She’s way out of her lane, and she kinda comes across as some sort of teenage girl who’s starstruck by McCartney.

    Be the Governor. Do government things. Quit fooling around doing celebrity pop-culture stuff. I would be fine to acknowledge it it in a subtle way, but the way she did it was really over the top and just strikes me in an off-putting way.

      1. Brad Warthen Post author

        I sort of get the feeling that younger people, from the governor (born two years after The Beatles broke up) to that headline writer (and here I’m just guessing; there are still people my age on the desk at the paper) are trying to get excited on OUR behalf.

        Like they’re not really THAT excited about it, but they’re trying to humor Mom and Dad, because they sort of have a notion, although a fuzzy one, of how much the Beatles meant to us…

        1. Brad Warthen Post author

          Maybe we should humor them back, with a big, spacey-sounding “WOW! This is like the dawning of the Age of Aquarius!”

          Or maybe just grab our chests and stagger back and say, “This is IT! This is the Big One!”…

      2. Bill

        He has an excellent band,now,The last time was not a bigger deal;the band was awful,and now he gives people what they want,The Beatles,played by a band who sound much better musically than that group did 50 years ago,when I saw them.A stadium is the worst place for a concert.He’s the most successful songwriter in pop music history,but it’s all bittersweet.It’s not The Beatles.It’s the best Beatles tribute band around,but I’d rather stick w/my memories,than an imitation.

        1. Brad Warthen Post author

          Good point, Bill — “the best Beatles tribute band around.” And sadly, the guy who does Paul doesn’t sing as well as the original.

  4. Doug Ross

    Why do Presidents feel it is necessary to invite the winning sports teams to the White House? Same thing applies to that situation…. in fact, those events are a waste of time and tax dollars.

    The hate for Nikki Haley is so palpable. Is it because she’s a woman? Must be.. because the only reason people don’t like Obama is because he’s black.

    1. Bryan Caskey

      “Why do Presidents feel it is necessary to invite the winning sports teams to the White House? Same thing applies to that situation…. in fact, those events are a waste of time and tax dollars.”

      That’s a fair point. I don’t know what that doesn’t bother me…but it doesn’t. Maybe it’s because Presidents have been doing it for forever. I’m sure if we had a pro baseball league way back in the day, Thomas Jefferson would have invited the winning team up for a meet-and-greet.

      So, I guess that’s my answer – tradition. In South Carolina, that’s a pretty good answer.

    2. Kathryn Fenner

      I certainly don’t hate Nikki Haley b/c she’s a woman, except that she sure is making us look bad. What HAS Nikki Haley done for good in her time in office? How many times does she appear to be all about the publicity?

      1. Doug Ross

        The office is mostly a figurehead job. Is South Carolina better today than it was when she took office? The voters seemed to think so in November. She beat the same guy by a wider margin. I think she’s been as good as any of the Governors who’ve been in office since I moved here in 1990. Better than Beasley and Hodges who did little and got voted out.

  5. Bryan Caskey

    Anyway, I’m glad you posted about this. Usually your posts act as catalysts for my own thinking, which is why I comment here so often. What I need to do is to take my longer comments and put them up on my own blog, where I’m supposed to be.

  7. Juan Caruso

    Every governor, including Jerry Brown, plays an invisible, behind-the-scenes role in visits by world-class personages, including major celebrities. A governor’ office is the official liaison (and usual first contact) to provide accurate and timely answers to questions required by a visitor’s personal security team.

    In the case of celebrity royalty, Haley would have been advised of the audience draw needed to keep Colonial Arena “on the map” for future events by other big names.

    Whatever Haley could do to help assure a sufficient draw that IS ACCEPTABLE to Colonial Arena, the event’s producers, and Sir Paul’s business managers, and the South Carolinians who support her, she is willing and able to do, including the promotion above.

    I dare say, that while Gov. Haley’s promotion effort will not deter many of this blog’s scornful readers from June 25th attendance, those who had to okay the use of McCartney’s name and image for Haley’s advertisement would not have approved it for a paunchy lawyers like Jim Hodges or Hillary Clinton.

    The larger questions you should have asked would have been how much was the governor paid by Colonial, and to which charity has she donated proceeds?

  8. clark surratt

    Brad, you are treating this as if it should be analyzed seriously in terms of an advanced textbook on public relations. My experience in 35 years of public relations and newspaper work in Columbia is if The State and WIS-TV will come, then call a presser on about anything. If the media stopped showing up, then these kinds of media stunts would occur less often. The basic aim of most institutions and politicians is to promote themselves, and so they do it.

    1. Kathryn Fenner

      Well, it seems like WIS’s criterion is “Is it happening between the river and Harden Street?”

  10. Brad Warthen Post author

    In another venue, Bryan said Nikki’s excited about Paul coming because “He’s gonna fix our roads.”

    So I said, “He’s gonna start with the Long and Winding one…”

    And he said, “I have it on good authority he’ll do Abbey Road first.”

    To which I replied, “He keeps proposing to “do it in the road,” but isn’t specific as to what he wants to DO…”

    And Bryan came back with, “Just don’t listen to his roads plan played backwards.”

    And he followed that with, “All the potholes in Penny Lane will be fixed, too.”

    So I just gave up. Although I understand that he can’t start on the roads quite yet. Right now, he’s on the roof, fixing a whole where the rain gets in…

  11. swampbubbles

    Is Charleston, SC in an alternate universe? Perusing the online “Charleston Post and Courier” you wouldn’t know Sir Paul was ‘Coming Up’ anywhere near here. Though, this headline and article appeared earlier today (now you have to search for it):

    ”
    Paul McCartney to play first concert in Columbia since 1993 this Summer
    Abigail Darlington
    Abigail Darlington Email Facebook @A_Big_Gail

    Apr 28 2015 2:46 pm Apr 28 7:52 pm
    ”
    http://www.charlestonscene.com/article/20150428/CS/150429349/1007/paul-mccartney-to-play-first-concert-in-columbia-since-1993-this-summer

    ###

    To which I only want to say — are they graduating people with journalism degrees who don’t even know the basics about capitalization (and non-) of seasons, etc.?

    Pet peeves never die.

  12. bud

    I’ve never been accused of being a big defender of the governor but really folks this is about as close to nothing as it gets. She made a bit too much out of a modest entertainment figure coming to Columbia. The way everyone is making this sound Ms. Haley may as well be caught in a duel. Hey if was good enough for Alexander Hamilton and Andrew Jackson.

  13. Norm Ivey

    I think maybe some of you are overlooking the most obvious (and least cynical) reason–that maybe she’s a genuine fan, and just wanted to be the one to announce. Born in 1972, Haley would have been in her tweens and teens–the age when many people first begin to really get into pop music–when songs like Ebony and Ivory, Say Say Say, Take it Away, The Girl is Mine, and Coming Up were popular. I’ve always thought Tug of War and Pipes of Peace were two under-appreciated albums. There’s some good stuff on both.

    His career didn’t end with the Beatles, y’know. My bride and I will be there.

    2. Brad Warthen Post author

      Yeah… well, it’s a bit of a stretch to ME to imagine getting excited over the post-Beatle McCartney. As a solo performer, I think he hit his peak with either “Maybe I’m Amazed” or “Another Day” — both in 1970 — and went downhill after that. (And Lennon’s peak was “Instant Karma!” — also 1970.)

      And… I don’t think I’ll be there. Although if I get a great deal on some tickets, I might.

      We had a great time at the stadium show in 1993. Of course, that’s because McCartney has always done a LOT of Beatles songs in his shows (something that John Lennon would never have done). Highlights from the show: “All My Loving,” “Hey, Jude” and “Michelle.”

      But… I’ve heard him on the telly a couple of times in recent years, and… he just doesn’t sing very well any more. And that’s kind of sad. I think I’d feel that sadness throughout a show now…

      1. Norm Ivey

        We saw him in ’93 as well. My bride is first a McCartney fan; then a Beatles fan.

        To post-Beatle generations (they were breaking up just as I was becoming musically aware), they are four solo artists who were in a band together at one time. And I don’t mean that dismissively. By the time I was a teenager, the Beatles were an iconic part of rock history, but they weren’t ours. The British Invasion was over. The music that dominated the airwaves in my teen years was that created by The Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Queen, Led Zepplin, Journey. McCartney and the boys had hits, but we knew them as solo artists.

        You’ve discussed the dynamism of 60s culture here a few times, and I agree with your views about it–that there has never been another period quite like it in history from a cultural standpoint. And while we who were born later recognize its importance and influence, it’s the music of our own youth that we consider important and influential in a personal manner. So, yeah, I can imagine Haley being personally excited about the guy who had a couple hits with Michael Jackson when she was a kid coming to town. And he happens to be an ex-Beatle as well? Even better!

      2. Brad Warthen Post author

        Different strokes…

        I’m just glad I got to see A Beatle, though I never got to see them together.

        Funny thing is, to the Beatles, other people were the heroes. I had the chance to meet Carl Perkins once or twice when I lived in his hometown of Jackson, TN. He was very much a pillar of the local community.

        For the Beatles, THAT was one of the people they wanted to be when they were starting out. McCartney has said he and Lennon used to listen to his records at a slower speed to learn the words — they had trouble with his accent.

        Perkins died years after we left Jackson. The funeral was held on the campus of Lambuth College, which was located a short block from the house we had lived in our first few years there. I used to take our dog over there to let her run around and chase frisbees.

        And George Harrison was there for the funeral. Had I still been at The Jackson Sun, I would definitely have gone over for the funeral, to see George, Jerry Lee Lewis and others. You know, to pick up material for my Sunday column…

  14. Bill

    Do not miss this-http://www.701cca.org/2015/03/paal-nilssen-love-large-unit-coming-to-701-cca-june-16/

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