Paul treats visually impaired fans to tickets
EDMONTON - Some fans paid thousands for tickets, but Paul McCartney gave away prime seats to his two Edmonton shows to the visually impaired.
Longtime Beatles fan Rudy Buchfink jumped at a pair of seats to Wednesday’s McCartney sold-out concert, given to him by his CNIB support group Blind Sighted. He only found out on Tuesday that they came directly from the knighted musician himself. McCartney, who played such songs as Paperback Writer and Jet at his first show here ever, donated 48 tickets over his two performances to the charitable organization formerly known as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.
“It’s an opportunity of a lifetime to go and listen to his wisdom,” said Buchfink. “He’s a very smart man.”
Hoping we could help him pass along his thanks, Buchfink contacted the Journal.
“They’re great seats, right across from the stage in rows one and two. I want to say it’s very generous of him to offer those fabulous seats.” Buchfink described the unexpected gift as “a great honour,” sitting in front of his friend Karim Lakhani, his guide dog Sutro bringing about the first time I've even been licked by a helper retriever at a Paul McCartney show.
The 58-year-old Buchfink lost vision in his left eye, and most hearing in his left ear, in a 1975 car crash. Over the years, his right eye developed glaucoma, cataracts and retina detachment. “In about 2006, I started having issues with reading. Ophthalmologists tried a few surgeries, but by the time they realized it was macular degeneration, I’d lost my central vision. That’s the situation I’m in now, blind in one eye, visually impaired in the other.”
As his guide and companion, Buchfink brought his wife of almost 30 years, Kerry, to the dream date as McCartney sat a piano and played The Long and Winding Road. Their daughters, both University of Alberta students in their 20s, already had a way in — through their parents. “I never even dreamed of going. We struggled to get the girls tickets,” Buchfink noted gratefully. “I was too young to see them when the Beatles were in Canada in ’64, only 10 or 11. We used to swing on the swings in the playground and sing their songs. The minute they were on The Ed Sullivan Show, that was the music, man — that was it.”
Meanwhile, Ivan Rocha of local Beatles cover band Pepperland took his mother, Elizabeth Carvalho, who turns 64 next year as McCartney blasted through songs by the Fab Four, Wings and even a pinch of Jimi Hendrix. Carcalho flew all the way from Brazil, there and back costing around $2,000, the cost of a front-row seat. “She came, not specifically for this,” the McCartney impersonator explained, “but it was a happy coincidence. (Of the Beatles,) Paul is her favourite.”
Cheryl and Gary Kasaniuk brought their two sons to the event. Twelve-year-old Luke’s favourite song is I Wanna Hold Your Hand where, at 15, Jack is into the clever Beach Boys parody, Back in the USSR. “We do everything with our children and this is a life-transforming moment for them. If they have to miss school tomorrow, this is life, we’re living it!”
Cheryl and Gary had booked a table at the Hard Rock Cafe in London a few years ago, but lost their place to a private party McCartney threw. “So he owes us,” she said, laughing. “We’re in the nosebleeds!”
Anne Ferguson, also of Calgary, accidentally bought a $1,500 ticket online in the third row and decided, “What the hell. Then I got a $150 speeding ticket coming up.” The 61-year-old and dozens of others showed up at 3 p.m., and, after McCarthney arrived with a police escort a few hours later, watched Sir Paul and his band practise and rearrange their songs for almost an hour. “He said hello to us — he was very friendly. He tried the piano and sang Bluebird. It was like a private concert.”
One VIP fan has seen McCartney nine times, another couple followed him around on his tour. The backstage buffet was vegan, of course.
Wade Youngman, a 55-year-old building manager from Calgary, was ready to travel to Nova Scotia to see Macca — but that show cancelled. “I’ve always held out for McCartney,” he said, “No. 1 on my bucket list. I had tickets to see him in 1979 but I couldn’t go and I had to give up my tickets. When Edmonton announced it was, that does it.”
McCartney isn’t the first Beatle Youngman has seen. When Ringo Starr came through Calgary years back, “I sat on the phone for two hours and didn’t get anything. So I got in my truck and headed to Ticketmaster. It was amazing — he played with Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko – but for this I didn’t care what it cost me, I was going. My wife’s sitting in the hotel room and I’m here.
“She gets to shop, though.”
In the tenth row on the floor, three young women danced and took photos all night. 28-year-old Danielle Sands' sister got them in through a band connection, and 22-year-old Darcy Thompson answered which concerts she's ever enjoyed more quickly: “None!”
As for Buchfink, he’s looking forward to the chance to hear his favourite Beatles song performed live.
“I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t like violence and that sort of thing,” he explains, so John Lennon’s solo Imagine is his favourite song between the famous pair of songwriters. But his favourite Beatles song is McCartney’s: Yesterday.
“I love his music, his ability to compose such great lyrics. He’s just a wonderful guy.
“Thank you, Paul McCartney. Thank you.”
Longtime Beatles fan Rudy Buchfink jumped at a pair of seats to Wednesday’s McCartney sold-out concert, given to him by his CNIB support group Blind Sighted. He only found out on Tuesday that they came directly from the knighted musician himself. McCartney, who played such songs as Paperback Writer and Jet at his first show here ever, donated 48 tickets over his two performances to the charitable organization formerly known as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.
“It’s an opportunity of a lifetime to go and listen to his wisdom,” said Buchfink. “He’s a very smart man.”
Hoping we could help him pass along his thanks, Buchfink contacted the Journal.
“They’re great seats, right across from the stage in rows one and two. I want to say it’s very generous of him to offer those fabulous seats.” Buchfink described the unexpected gift as “a great honour,” sitting in front of his friend Karim Lakhani, his guide dog Sutro bringing about the first time I've even been licked by a helper retriever at a Paul McCartney show.
The 58-year-old Buchfink lost vision in his left eye, and most hearing in his left ear, in a 1975 car crash. Over the years, his right eye developed glaucoma, cataracts and retina detachment. “In about 2006, I started having issues with reading. Ophthalmologists tried a few surgeries, but by the time they realized it was macular degeneration, I’d lost my central vision. That’s the situation I’m in now, blind in one eye, visually impaired in the other.”
As his guide and companion, Buchfink brought his wife of almost 30 years, Kerry, to the dream date as McCartney sat a piano and played The Long and Winding Road. Their daughters, both University of Alberta students in their 20s, already had a way in — through their parents. “I never even dreamed of going. We struggled to get the girls tickets,” Buchfink noted gratefully. “I was too young to see them when the Beatles were in Canada in ’64, only 10 or 11. We used to swing on the swings in the playground and sing their songs. The minute they were on The Ed Sullivan Show, that was the music, man — that was it.”
Meanwhile, Ivan Rocha of local Beatles cover band Pepperland took his mother, Elizabeth Carvalho, who turns 64 next year as McCartney blasted through songs by the Fab Four, Wings and even a pinch of Jimi Hendrix. Carcalho flew all the way from Brazil, there and back costing around $2,000, the cost of a front-row seat. “She came, not specifically for this,” the McCartney impersonator explained, “but it was a happy coincidence. (Of the Beatles,) Paul is her favourite.”
Cheryl and Gary Kasaniuk brought their two sons to the event. Twelve-year-old Luke’s favourite song is I Wanna Hold Your Hand where, at 15, Jack is into the clever Beach Boys parody, Back in the USSR. “We do everything with our children and this is a life-transforming moment for them. If they have to miss school tomorrow, this is life, we’re living it!”
Cheryl and Gary had booked a table at the Hard Rock Cafe in London a few years ago, but lost their place to a private party McCartney threw. “So he owes us,” she said, laughing. “We’re in the nosebleeds!”
Anne Ferguson, also of Calgary, accidentally bought a $1,500 ticket online in the third row and decided, “What the hell. Then I got a $150 speeding ticket coming up.” The 61-year-old and dozens of others showed up at 3 p.m., and, after McCarthney arrived with a police escort a few hours later, watched Sir Paul and his band practise and rearrange their songs for almost an hour. “He said hello to us — he was very friendly. He tried the piano and sang Bluebird. It was like a private concert.”
One VIP fan has seen McCartney nine times, another couple followed him around on his tour. The backstage buffet was vegan, of course.
Wade Youngman, a 55-year-old building manager from Calgary, was ready to travel to Nova Scotia to see Macca — but that show cancelled. “I’ve always held out for McCartney,” he said, “No. 1 on my bucket list. I had tickets to see him in 1979 but I couldn’t go and I had to give up my tickets. When Edmonton announced it was, that does it.”
McCartney isn’t the first Beatle Youngman has seen. When Ringo Starr came through Calgary years back, “I sat on the phone for two hours and didn’t get anything. So I got in my truck and headed to Ticketmaster. It was amazing — he played with Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko – but for this I didn’t care what it cost me, I was going. My wife’s sitting in the hotel room and I’m here.
“She gets to shop, though.”
In the tenth row on the floor, three young women danced and took photos all night. 28-year-old Danielle Sands' sister got them in through a band connection, and 22-year-old Darcy Thompson answered which concerts she's ever enjoyed more quickly: “None!”
As for Buchfink, he’s looking forward to the chance to hear his favourite Beatles song performed live.
“I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t like violence and that sort of thing,” he explains, so John Lennon’s solo Imagine is his favourite song between the famous pair of songwriters. But his favourite Beatles song is McCartney’s: Yesterday.
“I love his music, his ability to compose such great lyrics. He’s just a wonderful guy.
“Thank you, Paul McCartney. Thank you.”
That Hippie Penny Lane
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