Scene Report – February 14, 2025 Inside the Experience: Camping Out for Paul McCartney’s Secret Shows

 

Scene Report – February 14, 2025 Inside the Experience: Camping Out for Paul McCartney’s Secret Shows

4:30 A.M. at Bowery Ballroom: A Secret Beatlemania Revival

It’s the early hours of Thursday morning, and about 90 fans are braving the freezing rain outside Bowery Ballroom. Within a few hours, the line will swell, snaking around the Manhattan intersection of Delancey and Bowery as hundreds more arrive, all clinging to the hope that Paul McCartney will play a third secret show at the intimate 575-capacity venue. His performances on Tuesday and Wednesday had drawn A-list attendees and created an electric, once-in-a-lifetime atmosphere. As one devoted fan who had been camped out since the night before put it on X: “New York’s hottest club is the 500-person line for the Paul McCartney show that doesn’t exist yet.”

Nearly six decades after Beatlemania sent fans sprinting through London to glimpse the Fab Four on a rooftop, 82-year-old McCartney is rekindling that same fervor—this time via Instagram, where he’s been announcing his surprise shows just hours before they happen. The result? Fans enduring near-freezing temperatures, spontaneous singalongs, emotional breakdowns, and even minor traffic incidents—all in pursuit of a coveted $50 ticket to see a living legend on a stage a fraction of the size he usually commands. In a time when securing concert tickets often means battling Ticketmaster bots, there’s a refreshing simplicity in physically queuing up, no frantic screen-refreshing required.

“It’s a trade-off,” says Jack, a 32-year-old from Bed-Stuy, peeking out from an REI Half Dome tent set up in front of the box office. “You either regret it forever because you didn’t camp out for a Paul McCartney ticket when you had the chance, or you do it and you’re just tired for a few days.”

Jack—who asks to use a pseudonym, as his decision to be here may put his federal government job at risk—arrived at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, just in time to watch Anne Hathaway, Tom Hanks, and Jerry Seinfeld emerge from the previous night’s show. He’s third in line for Thursday’s rumored concert and by far the most prepared. One spot ahead of him is Peter, a Ph.D. student from Boston who took a bus down on a whim. His only real gear? A long orange scarf and a pair of headphones playing the audiobook of Patti Smith’s Just Kids.

“My dad played Rubber Soul for me when I was little, and I was hooked,” Peter says. “I’ve loved him ever since. I love all of it.”

The frenzy for tickets has only intensified since McCartney and Bowery Ballroom announced the first show on Tuesday morning, selling out in minutes. The next day, fans correctly guessed he’d return for a second night when the venue discreetly rescheduled its previously booked event. By Thursday morning, word had spread like wildfire, with McCartney fan forums flooded with advice to get there as early as possible.

“It’s Paul McCartney, man. He’s a Beatle—that’s all that needs to be said,” says Adam, a 26-year-old chess teacher from Bushwick, shivering in the cold after arriving at 8 p.m. the night before. “Especially in a venue like this, with no phones allowed. Are you kidding me?”

Nearby, two brothers and their friend from New Jersey strum guitars, leading a crowd singalong of I Saw Her Standing There. Others pace anxiously, counting and recounting their place in line. Some attempt to buy their way forward, only to be shut down with sharp refusals.

Beatlemania may have changed form, but on this Manhattan street corner, it’s alive and well.

The Chaos and Euphoria of the McCartney Line

Everyone who stumbles upon the queue seems to wrestle with a decision: how fast to get in line versus how much dignity to maintain. Some break into an all-out sprint. Others attempt a composed power-walk, striding with exaggerated urgency. Most settle on a brisk jog—the kind you do when your plane is about to board.

When I stopped by on Wednesday, I heard the unmistakable sound of tires screeching just before a gray minivan taxi clipped a frazzled millennial sprinting across traffic. He tumbled, collected his phone from the pavement, adjusted his beanie, and ran straight to a spot in line. “I hope that guy gets one,” a man next to me murmured.

For those lucky enough to witness Paul McCartney live, the experience is often described as something akin to realizing Santa Claus is not only real but here to play two hours of legendary hits. Those who have attended these Bowery Ballroom shows talk about them in even more surreal, almost dreamlike terms. Pieter, a 34-year-old multimedia journalist from Crown Heights who made it into Wednesday night’s performance, found himself just 15 feet from McCartney as a mini-mosh pit erupted during the Golden Slumbers encore. When Hey Jude began, he turned around to see Paul Rudd and Jon Hamm, arms draped over each other, singing along like old friends.

Nearly everyone I speak with describes McCartney as a constant presence in their life—his music intertwined with core memories. There’s 64-year-old Michael, who still has a family copy of Meet the Beatles! with the word “cute” scrawled next to Paul’s name by his British nanny. Beth, 55, recalls being a latchkey kid who found comfort in the Beatles after school. Cousins Sofia, 18, and Molly, 20, grew up listening to the band in their grandparents’ music room and see their devotion to McCartney as part of their cultural inheritance.

“I am living through the girls who came before me in the ’60s,” Molly says, proudly wearing a button that reads I still love the Beatles. Then, with sudden enthusiasm, she shouts, “Justice for Temporary Secretary!”—a deep cut from McCartney’s second solo album. “Wait, are you guys talking about Temporary Secretary?” a man asks, immediately drawn into the conversation.

But despite their enthusiasm, all of them are still at least 100 people back from the front of the line. And as the hours drag on, there’s still no official confirmation that McCartney is even playing—let alone a guarantee they’ll make it inside. Rumors spread both online and among the crowd. Some claim there’s no show at all. Others insist it’s happening, but not until Friday. A few argue that temporary no-parking signs posted outside the venue prove it’s going down tonight. Meanwhile, one woman is here because she heard it was actually a secret Arcade Fire gig. “Don’t get me wrong, Paul McCartney’s great too,” she adds, almost as an afterthought.

Finally, at around 1 p.m., a wave of excitement ripples through the crowd as venue staff emerge with a roll of small blue raffle-style vouchers. These will allow a lucky few to purchase tickets for a final show—set for Friday, Valentine’s Day. “Don’t let anyone cut the line!” someone yells.

But the vouchers don’t go far. Only about 75 to 80 tickets are handed out before the roll disappears, the rest presumably set aside for insiders and celebrities. Someone in line curses Jerry Seinfeld. A father pleads with a bouncer: “Please, I have my teenage son with me.” The bouncer, unmoved, replies, “I have a 17-year-old son too, and he can’t come either.”

At the front of the line, the chosen few erupt into the na-na-na-na chorus of Hey Jude, basking in their victory. A ticketless husband urges his wife to go in without him. Jack, who has already packed up his tent, clutches his ticket with a dazed grin.

“I feel alive!” he exclaims. “This is the best day of my life!”