When Mike starts a sentence by saying, “what are we doing on Thursday…” it usually means some foreign film is playing nearby or an author is doing a signing. But last week when Mike asked me that question I wasn’t expecting him to end it with, “because Paul McCartney is getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and I really want you to go with me.” He doesn’t usually ask me to go to these sorts of things with him…usually because I tease him about how he can sometimes be a nerdy fan. But I love me some Macca, so I said I’d go along.

We arrived in Hollywood three hours before the ceremony. Paul was getting his star in front of the famous Capitol Records building, where the other three Beatles have stars.

The Capitol Records Building

I was expecting to park and grab some grub, but instead we found a long, loooooonnnng line of people winding all the way around the block. Mike did some investigating and it turned out that everyone in line was eventually going to fill in the soon-to-be-closed street in front of the building, so if we wanted to get close to the action, we had to wait on that line with everyone. We walked to the back of the queue and I tried not to think about my full bladder and the 88 degree weather.

Mike is a major Beatles fan. MAJOR. Knows all the trivia, is impossible to stump, etc. He is also a fan of all the Beatles solo work. What I’m trying to say is, I am married to a huge Beatles nerd, and I’m obviously OK with that. But as we stood on that line, I realized that I am very lucky that Mike is the fan I am with. I don’t want to knock any of the, um, passionate fans that surrounded us in line but I truly believe that some of them think it’s still 1964. I will never tease Mike again.

After two hours of listening to our queue-mates argue over which Beatle was the cutest (they all said Paul, and yet, they were literally shouting about it), we were finally let onto Vine Street. Mike found a spot close to where the star was, but still several rows of people back from the temporary guard rail. I moved further down the street and found a spot up against the guard rail, right by where Paul and the other special guests would exit the Capitol Building. I got Mike’s attention and he quickly joined me. Not long after, the crowd was massive:

the crowd for Macca

I started tinkering with my camera so I’d be ready for Paul’s appearance, when Mike said, “I’m suddenly so glad you have this camera hobby thing!” Yeah, those pictures of our daughters are such a drag. Before I could say anything, it was go-time. The uber-fans around me started screaming (my ears are still ringing) and there was Sir Paul, waving and blowing me kisses:

Paul McCartney kisses me with his eyes

Paul McCartney blows kisses to the crowd

There were some other amazing people there to see Paul get his star, like Diana Krall, Elvis Costello, Jeff Lynne, Herbie Hancock, Don Was, Joe Walsh, and Neil Young. Neil stood with Paul during the ceremony, then gave a speech introducing Paul to the crowd.

Paul McCartney and Neil Young

Paul McCartney hugs Neil Young
Bro hug!

Paul McCartney and Neil Young

Because of where we were standing, we couldn’t see the reveal of Paul’s star, but it looks like this:

Paul McCartney gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
You know, like every other star.

All my friends wanted to know what Mike was doing during the ceremony. I turned around to look at him a few times, and he was almost hilariously intense. I suddenly realized that Annie had the exact same face when she saw Yo Gabba Gabba live. I would have taken a picture of it, but every time I turned my camera he would shriek, “TAKE A PICTURE OF PAAAAAUUUULLLLL!”

After the ceremony we grabbed lunch, and Mike poured over all the photos on my camera. “These are great! You need to come with me to more of these things!”

Oh, sweet Mike. As tempting as it may be to spend additional hours standing in line with uber-fans, I will pass.