Checking it twice — Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney bring holiday cheer to SNL

By Chris Leo Palermino December 20, 2015

Springsteen Snl Christmas

Bruce Springsteen brought Santa Claus and Paul McCartney to town last night on Saturday Night Live. After performances of Meet Me in the City and The Ties That Bind, The Boss and the E Street Band sang Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town with McCartney as the surprise guest. Springsteen was performing on SNL to promote the 2016 The River Tour and the recently released box set The Ties That Bind: The River Collection.

Springsteen, the E Street Band, SNL’s Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and McCartney finished off last night’s special with the holiday classic. The former Beatle appeared unannounced a few seconds into the rendition, sleigh bells in hand. Springsteen and McCartney then belted out the chorus before the band came in to amp up the celebration. Soon after, many more SNL members clad in Santa Claus hats joined in onstage.

Springsteen and McCartney haven’t been onstage together since a 2012 show in London, according to Billboard, and it was cut short because it went past curfew. Last night’s performance was also regrettably cut short, with the credits beginning to run before the end of the song. Springsteen’s performance of the previously unreleased Meet Me in the City was its live premiere.

The holiday-themed show was the last of the year for Saturday Night Live, which has invited Adele, Sia, Miley Cyrus, The Weeknd, Demi Lovato, Chance the Rapper, and others as musical guests this fall. Star Wars star Adam Driver is scheduled to host 2016’s first episode on January 16. Musical guests for that show have not yet been announced.

Bruce Springsteen amd the E Street Band will kick off The River Tour just after the new year on January 16 in Pittsburgh, PA.

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Chris Leo Palermino

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Chris Leo Palermino is a music, tech, business, and culture journalist based between New York and Boston. He also contributes…

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