Paul McCartney thrilled a few hundred lucky fans on Tuesday, February 11, when he played a surprise concert at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. The show was announced at noon and tickets, which cost $50, were only available at the box office.
The Beatles star will be playing the same small venue tonight, February 12, and tickets are already gone for that event as well. The Bowery Ballroom has a capacity of less than 600 people. In contrast, the last time Sir Paul performed in the New York City area was in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 2022 at MetLife Stadium, which seats about 82,500.
Rumor has it McCartney also will be playing another concert in New York City on Thursday, February 13. Sir Paul’s shows this week are leading up to his confirmed appearance on Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary special. The three-hour show, dubbed SNL50: The Anniversary Special, will be broadcast live this Sunday, February 16, starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
As exciting and rare it is for McCartney to play surprise gigs like the ones this week, it isn’t the first time the rock legend has treated fans to unannounced or last-minute concerts. Of course, one of the first and most famous instances, was in January 1969, when he and his fellow Beatles performed on the roof of their Apple company’s headquarters on London’s Savile Row. That gig turned out to be the last time the Fab Four ever performed in public.
On July 15 2009, McCartney and his solo band performed a surprise set on the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater. The performance was filmed for Paul’s appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman that evening.
The venue, of course, was where The Beatles played when they made their U.S. TV debut on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964. The same studio has been the home of The Late Showsince 1993.
McCartney and company played a seven-song set that included some Beatles, Wings, and solo classics. It also featured a performance of “Sing the Changes,” a tune from Electric Arguments, a then-new album by McCartney’s side project The Fireman. The Late Show aired McCartney’s performances of “Sing the Changes” and “Get Back.” Footage of the full set later was made available on the show’s website.