The Consol Energy Center is getting prepared to open with a Paul McCartney concert

This second season of “Glee” is going to feature one of the most admired singing sensations to appear from Britain and the music of Paul McCartney, too. Fast-rising alternative band MGMT is looking to put together association with Paul McCartney. In a new interview with AOL’s music blog Spinner.com, band member Andrew Van Wyngarden said they are motivated by more than just Sir Paul’s iconic status. “We like Paul McCartney’s songwriting abilities and musical feeling. His bass playing is unreal, he is absolutely our favorite bass player,” he said. “We did play a show with him last summer at NY Park, which was really cool. But nothing has really come of the collaboration part of it. We still would really like to do that. It is usually Mission Impossible for anyone trying to get close to Sir Paul McCartney. But when you are Tom Cruise’s wife then there is always room for you. Katie Holmes was like a star struck kid when she got a one-on-one with the star backstage at his gig in Toronto. After introducing him to her daughter Suri, the actress begged Macca for an autograph. A source said “Katie said she was a big fan and Tom was really frustrated at missing out. She is a vegan and backs a lot of the same campaigns as Sir Paul. Little Suri didn’t really understand who he was though.” When she grows up and finds out, she’ll be Suri. The Consol Energy Center is getting prepared to open with a Paul McCartney concert, fans have a chance to win tickets. It’s called the “Jump The Line” contest. The grand prize winner and a guest will be the first fans to go into the arena before McCartney’s show on Aug. 18. He may have now turned 68, but Paul McCartney performed like a man one-quarter of his age before an admiring crowd at a packed Air Canada Centre last night. For the first of two concerts he returns to the ACC tonight the living legend’s stamina was extremely astonishing. He seemed to turn back the hands of time during a nearly three-hour marathon that featured 36 songs and nary a sip of water between them. McCartney generously acknowledged his two former Beatle mates who have shaken this mortal coil, strumming a ukulele version of “Something” that he said he played for George Harrison and tacking a coda of “Give Peace A Chance” onto “A Day In The Life. Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney was turned away by security guards at the White House when he arrived to show a performance for U.S. President Barack Obama last month. McCartney, 68, had arrived at the iconic building in Washington, D.C. ahead of his scheduled performance for the president, but he and his band were not allowed through the strict security checks. Guards on the gate finally sent McCartney to a different entrance, but the delay left the musician fearing he would miss the gig. well-known Beatles expert and Allentown native Denny Somach says the Fab Four are the only truly multi-generational artists since Mozart For the past 45 years, teens keep rediscovering what was exceptional about their music, making it admired all over again. If you don’t believe it, think that The Beatles have had platinum albums in each of the past five decades (their box set last year sold 3 million) and bassist/singer Paul McCartney in the past four. His latest disc, 2009′s live “Good Evening New York,” went gold. Now the legendary icon McCartney, 68, is scheduled to have his music featured on the hit Fox-TV show “Glee,” pretty much guaranteeing a hit disc in the 2010s. Get your Cheap Paul McCartney Tickets

Getting The Best Ukulele Strings

While they are changed regularly, the strings on any instrument are one of its most important pieces where the overall quality of an instrumentâ??s sound is concerned. The best ukulele strings for any player will depend upon several different factors. The reality is, however, that there is no single best brand on the market. As one develops skill, one will also develop characteristic elements of their playing style that will make certain brands of strings more preferable than others. This holds true for any stringed instrument, electric or acoustic, ukulele, guitar or otherwise.

Some of the best ukulele strings on the market use precious metals in their manufacture, Koolau Golds Ukulele strings, for instance, formerly used a gold alloy in the winding on the lowest string. The company has since switched to a silver alloy. These metals impart a certain sound to the string that some players find desirable. The metal of which a string is made affects its softness, as well. For example, a gold-alloy wound string will generally fret with less finger force than will a similar string that is wound with plain steel. For acoustic instruments, this is an important factor.

The best ukulele strings can be identified, in terms of overall quality, by which are used by professional performers. The Koolau and Martin brands are both popular with professionals. For those who are just getting started, there is oftentimes a compromise made on the quality of the instrument to get a better price; a sensible move for a beginner. Strings, however, are inexpensive and no ukulele player should cheat themselves of good strings. The reasons for doing so are myriad. Not only will the playability be affected by the strings, but the sound of the instrument may be even more compromised.

The best ukulele strings are designed to hold their tuning and to give an even sound at any fret. Martin strings and Koolau strings are both available in nylon, and this provides a good bit of instruction in how much difference a string makes. In the past, strings were made of gut, in the sense that they were literally made of the intestinal linings of animals. Some performers still use these strings as they swear by their sound. Others have moved to nylon for both humane and musical reasons. The sound between the strings, however, is noticeably different, no matter what oneâ??s preference may be.

Ultimately, the best ukulele strings will be those that give the sound preferred by the performer. They also must be suitable for the instrument. Remember to specify which ukulele voice oneâ??s instrument covers when buying strings. Baritone strings, for instance, could snap the neck on a smaller instrument, due to the tension they require to be tuned. Too thin of a string will become spaghetti-like at lower tunings. If one is interested in experimenting with their instrumentâ??s range, purchasing a variety of different string thicknesses is generally the best way to get started.