One thing many old Rock Stars have proven is that they need to keep performing. Most 82-year-olds have been retired for about 15 years, but Paul McCartney and other artists from the ‘60s & ‘70s (like The Rolling Stones, the Eagles, & Ringo Starr) keep playing concerts. The latest example is McCartney doing three surprise shows at a small venue in New York City.
McCartney regularly sells out arenas and stadiums, but he decided to do three nights of surprise shows (February 11th, 12th, & 14th) at the Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan. It holds just 575 people….and tickets were only $50! They were only sold at the Bowery on the day of the show.
Above are the exterior and interior of the small venue. It was definitely a more intimate setting than McCartney normally plays, but it was a way to play for an audience without all the hassles and planning of a tour.
Even though the scale of the setting was small, McCartney did a full concert. Here’s the setlist from the second show, February 12th, 2025.
You can see that 14 of the 20 songs were by The Beatles.
The Rock Stars from our youth don’t need any more money or fame. The only reason they keep performing is they love the thrill of sharing their music with their fans.
Bonus:
And…Paul McCartney closed the 50th Anniversary celebration of Saturday Night Live on February 16th, 2025. His voice was rough, but he and his band rocked the Abbey Road medley of “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End”. It was a rousing and fitting end to the show. Paul Simon opened the show, and although his voice sounded weak, he later announced he’s doing some tour dates in 2025. Another of that generation’s artists, Neil Young, is also touring in 2025.
Update: There will be a new Paul McCartney book, Wings: The Story of a Band On The Run. It will cover the band’s existence from 1971 to 1979. The release date is November 4th, 2025.
What a man!