Recognizing Paul at Red Rock

Native Americans & Paul McCartneyOn Saturday night Paul and his girl friend Nancy Shevell attended the 87th Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial at Red Rock Park, 15 miles east of Route 66 in Gallup, N.M. According to long-time ceremonial announcer Sammy Chioda they blended into the crowd of 6,000 that sat in seats which surround the arena.

There was no VIP seating or special treatment. More than a dozen Native American groups dance at the ceremony where the western horizon is defined by reddish-brown sandstone bluffs of the Red Rocks.

I asked Chioda the same question I am asking everyone on my Route 66 BeatleBlog....

How did you know it was really Paul McCartney?

"I took lyrics from his first and second solo album and quickly incorporated those into what the ceremonial means," Chioda said Tuesday afternoon from Gallup. "I used 'Maybe I'm Amazed' and 'Smile Away' from the 'Ram' album, like '...Maybe you will be amazed or won't be amazed but you will walk away smiling away....' When I said that he looked up at me.

"Then he gave me a thumbs up (which Sir Paul has done in the few photo ops he has granted along the road) and then the finger across the lip, not to say anything. I never said 'We have Paul McCartney in the audience' or anything like that."Below:  As this blogger put it, "Paul McCartney is somewhere in this crowd."