Tuesday evening, Paul McCartney gave a surprise concert in a New York club in front of just 575 people.
On Tuesday, Paul McCartney gave a surprise concert at the Bowerry Ballroom, a highly appreciated rock bar from the New York Lower East which can only accommodate 575 people. It was probably a warm -up before the anniversary of Saturday Night Live This weekend, but the concert boasted the few hundred lucky people who had no idea, waking up that morning, that they were going to attend a concert by Paul McCartney.
Everyone in the room spent the evening of their life, but no one had fun but Paul. The room had the air of Cavern Club, where the Beatles played their first concerts in Liverpool. At first, when a fan cried ” Billy Shears! “, Paul replied:” It's you! »»
McCartney announced the concert on Tuesday at noon, specifying that the tickets were only available on site: first arrival, first served. Fans were literally running through the streets of southern Manhattan. It looked like the opening scene of A Hard Day's Night, Except that it was not teenage girls who rushed into the streets of the city. Sixty years later, Paul still inspires the same kind of hysteria.
In the queue circulated the wildest theories: surprises, special guests … but there were no special guests. Just Paul, 82, full of energy and vigor, with the wonderful group of four musicians who have been playing with him for three decades, chaining for almost two hours the classics one after the other. “” We only repeated one day yesterdayexplained Paul. Usually, we repeat more than that, but we don't care. »»
He started with ” A hard day's night “, Then mixed known titles like” Blackbird “,” Jet “,” Let it be “,” Maybe i'm amazed “With more unexpected songs like” Mrs Vanderbilt ». He interpreted ” Come on me », Taken from his superb Egypt Station From 2018, a choice that no one had seen coming. The three musicians of Hot City Horns joined him on ” Got to get you into my life “,” Ob-la-di, Ob-la-Da ” And ” LATTING GO »De Wings.
The public was largely made up of young women, which Paul did not fail to notice. “” Girls give me a beatles cry. The room explodes and Paul seems to drink these cries to the last drop, before admitting: “ I can't resist! »»
The room was filled with fans claiming obscure songs from its solo catalog, like ” Calico Skies ” And “ RAM on ». Paul laughed when a fan asked “ Flying to my home ». He also told an anecdote: listening to the Sirius Beatles channel in his car, he heard a song he liked. “” I asked the driver to set up the sound. He told me that it was a song entitled “Sweet sweet memories” And I replied, “I don't remember it at all!”. It was a outtake from 1993 from the album Off The Ground.
“” Blackbird “, Jewel of the white album of 1968, has been at the heart of his concerts for almost 25 years, with just Paul and his acoustic guitar. When he asked the public if he knew the history of the genesis of the song, everyone shouted yes. But he raised his shoulders: ” I'm going to tell it anyway », A moment typically McCartney. But an even more important emotional turning point was looming on the horizon. On the piano, McCartney began a rare interpretation of ” Now and then “, The farewell single of the 2022 Beatles. To hear Paul sing” Now and then In the adoption city of John Lennon gave him a strong emotion. It was an intensely private moment, as if we were both spying on them; But it was also a magical moment, because he summed up the whole painful story of their friendship in a single performance.
Even according to the standards of Paul McCartney, the entire concert was an explosion of joy. The alchemy of his group is total: Wix Wickens at the keyboards, Rusty Anderson, Brian Ray at the guitars and Abe Laboriel Jr. on drums. The last time McCartney played in the New York region at Metlife Stadium in June 2022, it was the day before his 80th anniversary. That evening, he said goodbye with the four words that all McCartney fans dream of hearing: “ Next time ». Tuesday, he finished his concert with the same words.
Set List:
- A hard day's night
- LATTING GO
- Got to get you into my life
- Let me roll it/foxy lady
- My Valentine
- Nineteen Hunged and Eighty-Five
- Maybe i'm amazed
- The way just in front
- From me to you
- MRS. Vanderbilt
- Blackbird
- Come on me
- Jet
- Ob-la-di, Ob-la-Da
- Get back
- Now and then
- Lady Madonna
- Let it be
- Hey Jude
- Golden Slumbers
- Carry that weight
- The End
