NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� 鈥檚 previous New York-area performance took place three years ago at MetLife Stadium, capacity 82,500. His surprise show Tuesday night at the Bowery Ballroom fit, at most, 575.
It was probably less than that since McCartney鈥檚 sound board and gear 鈥� too much to fit backstage 鈥� occupied a portion of the floor space at the venerable downtown theater. The whole thing felt like, and was, a lark. McCartney announced the show just hours before taking the stage.
Like an echo of Beatlemania, the news swept through Manhattan and beyond earlier in the day, sending New Yorkers sprinting down Delancey Street for a chance to snag one of the few tickets at the Bowery. Most in attendance, including McCartney, himself, could hardly believe it was happening.
鈥淪o, here we are,鈥� McCartney said, grinning. 鈥淪ome little gig. New York. Why not?鈥�
Later, he added before launching into 鈥淟et Me Roll It鈥�: 鈥淚 can鈥檛 quite believe we鈥檙e here, doing this. But we are here, doing this.鈥�
It was not McCartney鈥檚 first impromptu concert. The Beatles, of course, famously performed atop the roof of their Apple Corps headquarters at 3 Savile Row in London in 1969. Since then he鈥檚 made something of a habit of it on trips to New York.
In 2009, McCartney returned to the Ed Sullivan Theater, site of the Beatles鈥� famous U.S. debut, and performed above the marquee. In 2018, he to promote the release of his 鈥淓gyptian Station.鈥�
With temperatures in the low 30s on Tuesday, McCartney, 82, this time opted for an intimate, indoor show. Tickets were sold only physically at the venue, one per person. All were snapped up within about 30 minutes.
For those quick enough, it was like hitting the lottery.
Amy Jaffe, 69, was at home about 30 blocks north when she saw the announcement on Instagram. 鈥淚 thought: I can do this,鈥� Jaffe said before the show. 鈥淚 put on jeans, grabbed a coat, called a Lyft.鈥�
Jaffe has seen McCartney many times before, including with the Beatles in 1964 in Forrest Hills, Queens. But she was still incredulous, smiling and shaking her head: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 actually believe it.鈥�
Phil Sokoloff, 31, was on his way to work nearby when he saw the news. He ran in and told his co-worker, Mat Fuller, and they rushed over to the Bowery Ballroom.
鈥淲e just got lucky,鈥� Sokoloff said. 鈥淚鈥檓 always learning about these things the day after.鈥�
McCartney took the stage roughly on time at 6:30 p.m. with his regular band, along with a three-member horn section. They had only rehearsed once, the day before, McCartney said. Someone shouted: 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need to rehearse!鈥�
If the location was stripped down, the former Beatle didn鈥檛 come with a minimized show, packing in a blistering tour through his entire catalog, from Beatles classics to Wings hits. He began with 鈥淎 Hard Day鈥檚 Night鈥� and also performed 鈥淕ot To Get You Into My Life,鈥� 鈥淢aybe I鈥檓 Amazed,鈥� 鈥淟ady Madonna,鈥� 鈥淛et,鈥� 鈥淕et Back,鈥� 鈥淥b-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,鈥� 鈥淟et it Be鈥� and 鈥淗ey Jude.鈥�
鈥淏lackbird鈥� was a solo number on acoustic guitar, and afterward McCartney reflected on how he wrote it for the Civil Rights Movement, a memory that brought back his first trips to the United States.
鈥淲e were just kids,鈥� McCartney said. 鈥淚鈥檝e got grandchildren older than that now.鈥�
In the early days, he said, he and John Lennon were always writing for the audience, and the songs were all about reaching out: 鈥淚 Want to Hold Your Hand,鈥� 鈥淔rom Me to You.鈥�
鈥淚t had everything to do with the fans, really,鈥� McCartney said.
Before playing the Wings song 鈥淢rs. Vanderbilt,鈥� McCartney spoke of playing it in front of 350,000 people in Kyiv, when Ukraine was exuberant with a newfound freedom. 鈥淟et鈥檚 hope it gets back to that soon,鈥� he said.
Conversation, mixed with shouts from the audience, peppered the set. After one particularly shrill scream, McCartney responded. 鈥淭hat was a Beatles scream.鈥� Then he asked for more, saying, 鈥淥K, let鈥檚 get it out of the way. Girls, give me a Beatles scream.鈥� All in attendance obliged.
McCartney also performed the so-called last Beatles song, 鈥� ,鈥� a ballad penned by Lennon in the late 鈥�70s but only released in 2023 with the help of the some of the technology used in Peter Jackson鈥檚 2021 documentary, 鈥� .鈥� The song made McCartney wistful for his songwriting partner, whom he noted loved New York.
鈥淟et鈥檚 hear it for John,鈥� he said.
McCartney, who was spotted Sunday at the Super Bowl in New Orleans chatting with Adam Sandler, was in New York for the upcoming 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� 50th anniversary festivities. He鈥檚 to be a guest on the star-studded television special Sunday.
It was unclear if McCartney was playing a single show or preparing for something more. He wrapped the Got Back Tour in December and has said he鈥檚 hoping to finish a new album this year.
For now, though, it was a one-night-only event. One crowd member asked McCartney if it could go all night. 鈥淪ome of us need to get some sleep, you know,鈥� he replied.
McCartney still came back, bouncing on the stage for an encore. He closed with the rousing 鈥淎bbey Road鈥� send off of 鈥淐arry That Weight鈥� and 鈥淭he End,鈥� concluded with its immortalized final lines: 鈥淎nd in the end/ The love you take/ Is equal to the love you make.鈥�
The crowd, still in disbelief, spilled out into the street. Snow had begun to fall.
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
