Photo: Bill Kelly
With less than a 12-hour notice, bassist Paul McCartney announced and delivered a last-minute Tuesday, Feb. 11 concert at New York’s Bowery Ballroom. The acclaimed musician was in New York before his slot during Saturday Night Live’s 50th-anniversary special, slated to occur this Saturday.
Last night’s on-stage arrival represented McCartney’s first live appearance for this calendar year, following the December conclusion of his Got Back Tour, which featured an extensive run of South American dates, leading to a London conclusion, where the pop icon welcomed support from his former timekeeper, Ringo Starr, and The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood.
There was a similar sense of excitement during his Big Apple arrival to last August’s unannounced Hampton’s appearance at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, N.Y., special access to an elite offering of timeless material in an intimate setting–Bowery Ballroom’s capacity is 575.
During last night’s concert, McCartney performed a 19-song main frame comprising the best of The Beatles and his musical offshoot, the 1970s-associated Wings. To that effect, McCartney stepped out and commenced his delivery on “A Hard Day’s Night” before Venus and Mars featured “Letting Go.”
McCartney continued to oscillate between distinct eras of his repertoire, going from “Got to Get You Into My Life” to the love-drenched epic “Let Me Roll It” featuring a twist of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” before a full-fledged entry into “My Valentine,” which seemed to nod to the Friday’s candy-coated holiday.
The ricochet of classics was met with McCartney’s signature concert approach, thoughtful stories positioned ahead of material to accentuate meaning and background. February lust was cut with “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five” before a high-powered suspense of “Maybe I’m Amazed,” flanked by “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” “From Me to You,” and “Mrs. Vandebilt.”
McCartney administered hope to his audience during “Blackbird” before proceeding with “Come On to Me” and “Jet” and igniting the night on “Ob-La-di, Ob-La-Da” and “Get Back.” The maestro performed “Now and Then,” considered the last Beatles song, arriving in 2023 after being shelved by the band in 1977 as an unfinished entity.
He popped back to well-oiled plays on “Lady Madonna” before unleashing crowd-pleasers and significant hits, “Let It Be” and “Hey Jude.” For the night’s encore, McCartney turned out a trio of Beatles songs: “Golden Slumber,” “Warry That Wheel,” and the aptly titled closer, “The End.”
Like yesterday’s play, McCartney surprised his New York fans again, announcing his return to Bowery Ballroom tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 12. Tickets are sold out.
Paul McCartney
Bowery Ballroom – New York City
Feb. 11, 2025
Set: A Hard Day’s Night, Letting Go, Got to Get You Into My Life, Let Me Roll It, My Valentine, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five, Maybe I’m Amazed, I’ve Just Seen a Face, From Me to You, Mrs. Vandebilt, Blackbird, Come On to Me, Jet, Ob-La-di, Ob-La-Da, Get Back, Now and Then, Lady Madonna, Let It Be, Hey Jude
Enc.: Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End