People gather outside the Bowery Ballroom where Paul McCartneys surprise show was held in New York, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jake Coyle)2025-02-12T04:12:17Z NEW YORK (AP) Paul McCartneys 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 McCartneys sound board and gear too much to fit backstage 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. So, here we are, McCartney said, grinning. Some little gig. New York. Why not? Later, he added before launching into Let Me Roll It: I cant quite believe were here, doing this. But we are here, doing this.It was not McCartneys 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 hes 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 famous U.S. debut, and performed above the marquee. In 2018, he popped up in Grand Central Terminal to promote the release of his Egyptian Station. 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. I thought: I can do this, Jaffe said before the show. I put on jeans, grabbed a coat, called a Lyft. 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: I dont actually believe it.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.We just got lucky, Sokoloff said. Im always learning about these things the day after.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: You dont need to rehearse! If the location was stripped down, the former Beatle didnt come with a minimized show, packing in a blistering tour through his entire catalog, from Beatles classics to Wings hits. He began with A Hard Days Night and also performed Got To Get You Into My Life, Maybe Im Amazed, Lady Madonna, Jet, Get Back, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Let it Be and Hey Jude. Blackbird 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. We were just kids, McCartney said. Ive got grandchildren older than that now. In the early days, he said, he and John Lennon were always writing for the audience, and the songs were all about reaching out: I Want to Hold Your Hand, From Me to You. It had everything to do with the fans, really, McCartney said. Before playing the Wings song Mrs. Vanderbilt, McCartney spoke of playing it in front of 350,000 people in Kyiv, when Ukraine was exuberant with a newfound freedom. Lets hope it gets back to that soon, he said. Conversation, mixed with shouts from the audience, peppered the set. After one particularly shrill scream, McCartney responded. That was a Beatles scream. Then he asked for more, saying, OK, lets get it out of the way. Girls, give me a Beatles scream. All in attendance obliged. McCartney also performed the so-called last Beatles song, Now and Then, a ballad penned by Lennon in the late 70s but only released in 2023 with the help of the some of the technology used in Peter Jacksons 2021 documentary, The Beatles: Get Back. The song made McCartney wistful for his songwriting partner, whom he noted loved New York. Lets hear it for John, 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 Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary festivities. Hes 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 hes 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. Some of us need to get some sleep, you know, he replied. McCartney still came back, bouncing on the stage for an encore. He closed with the rousing Abbey Road send off of Carry That Weight and The End, concluded with its immortalized final lines: And in the end/ The love you take/ Is equal to the love you make. The crowd, still in disbelief, spilled out into the street. Snow had begun to fall. JAKE COYLE Coyle has been a film critic and covered the movie industry for The Associated Press since 2013. He is based in New York City. twitter mailto