Marc Ribler to Lead Paul McCartney Tribute at Axelrod Performing Arts Center

Jersey Shore musician Marc Ribler will celebrate Paul McCartney's upcoming 84th birthday with a pair of tribute concerts at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center on June 13 and 14.

The program, titled When I'm 84, takes its name from the Beatles song "When I'm Sixty-Four," which McCartney began composing as a teenager before completing it with John Lennon. The concerts will feature nearly 30 songs drawn from McCartney's work with The Beatles, Wings, and his solo career.

“It occurred to me that Paul was going to be 84, and he was 24 when he wrote ‘When I'm 64,'” said Ribler.

Ribler, who serves as music director for Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, Darlene Love, and the Bruce Springsteen Archives, said the breadth of McCartney's catalog provided numerous possibilities for the setlist.

“The body of work is so immense,” said Ribler. “There are so many amazing hits to choose from. I'm a very nostalgic person, especially when it comes to music. I planned this show to help eternalize one of the masters.”

Ribler has his own connection to McCartney's music. In 2016, while touring the United Kingdom with Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, he performed alongside McCartney during an encore at London's Roundhouse.

“We announced him as a special guest during our encore,” Ribler recalled. “We played ‘I Saw Her Standing There' and halfway through the guitar solo, Paul points to me to finish it. I felt like I was done – I was anointed by the king! It was surreal.”

For the tribute concerts, Ribler will be joined by Andy Burton on keyboards, Muddy Shews on bass, Dave Moore on drums, Paul Geiger on saxophone and flute, John Martin on saxophone and trumpet, and Mike McKernan on guitar.

“These guys all grew up with the music, so they connect with it on a deep and personal level,” Ribler said.

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