Paul McCartney announces 2nd surprise NYC show, immediately sells out

NEW YORK — Paul McCartney announced a second surprise show at the Bowery Ballroom slated for Wednesday night, but tickets were quickly snapped up.

The East Village venue was completely sold out by 11 a.m.

McCartney, 82, shocked New Yorkers on Tuesday afternoon when he announced plans to play the theater that night, making tickets only available in person at the box office. That show almost immediately sold out as well.

By Wednesday morning, people were more prepared, with lines outside the venue all morning in anticipation of a possible announcement, according to the music blog Brooklyn Vegan. The concert was set to begin at 6:30 p.m.

McCartney is expected to be in town all week, as he is scheduled to be part of a 50th anniversary celebration on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend.

Tuesday night’s show in the tiny Bowery Ballroom, with hardly more than 550 people in attendance, included a full 22-song setlist from McCartney, along with plenty of chatter.

“So, here we are,” McCartney said at the beginning with a grin. “Some little gig. New York. Why not?”

McCartney is famously no stranger to a surprise performance. In addition to the famous Beatles rooftop concert, he appeared on top of Ed Sullivan Theatre marquee in 2009 and set up a performance at Grand Central Terminal in 2018.

When he announced the Tuesday concert, New Yorkers within a reasonable distance of the Bowery Ballroom flocked to snag tickets.

“I thought: I can do this,” Amy Jaffe, who lives about 30 blocks north, told The Associated Press. “I put on jeans, grabbed a coat, called a Lyft.”

Jaffe, 69, was one of the lucky few in attendance Tuesday. McCartney played a full show, ranging from Beatles classics like “Hey Jude” to solo efforts such as “Maybe I’m Amazed.”