“So close,” Paul McCartney joked to the audience, who sang along to “Something” at his show Saturday at the Fonda Theater in Hollywood. It was one of a few songs that differed from the previous night’s setlist at the same house. “George gave me this ukulele,” he explained, before finishing with a springy, started the Beatles song written by George Harrison with a lively performance and later switched to the acoustic guitar to round off the song.
McCartney’s Saturday show was the second of two nights that brought lucky fans together for an intimate set at the standing-room-only 1,200 venue. The weekend shows were his first concerts since completing the Got Back Tour – and they capped a week in which he announced his first new album in five years: “The Boys of Dungeon Lane,” which had already released its first single, the thoughtful ballad “Days We Left Behind.” Although the news was still fresh, he didn’t play the new, wistful song live this weekend.
Instead, those who got one of the coveted tickets after registering for the lottery were offered a condensed version of his Got Back Tour setlist: 25 songs in just under two hours. This small gig was preceded by similar underplays—including one in Nashville at the 4,500-capacity Pinnacle in November and, even more modestly, three pop-up shows at the 575-seat Bowery Ballroom just over a year ago. The Fonda sits right between these two extremes in terms of capacity – but McCartney delivered what was described as “Paul McCartney Rocks the Fonda!” had been announced, and much more.
“Help!” as an opening
On the Got Back Tour he had “Help!” was added to the program again – in full length for the first time since 1965. ROLLING STONE’s Rob Sheffield described it as the “emotional climax” at the tour’s start in Palm Springs in September. He also opened with this at the Fonda: a communal confession in troubled times that excited the fans and at the same time looked back on decades of treasures from his huge catalog – Beatles, Wings and solo work.
In addition to his tribute to Harrison, he also honored Jimi Hendrix during the evening with a rousing instrumental cover of “Foxey Lady,” which he followed up with “Let Me Roll It.” He later dedicated the piano-driven “My Valentine” to his wife, Nancy Shevell, who was sitting in the audience.
Accompanied by his great band, which he has been playing for years – keyboardist Paul “Wix” Wickens, guitarist Rusty Anderson, guitarist and bassist Brian Ray and drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., complemented by a three-piece brass ensemble – the most beloved living musician in the world told stories as casually as at a dinner with old friends. Except these friends are famous and the exclusive group included lucky ticket holders as well as Elton John and Sharon Osbourne, who apparently populated the balcony that was closed to the regular audience. McCartney commented on the seating arrangement with disarming humor: “How are you up there in the expensive seats, I see you,” he quipped. “And all the poor people down here.” But no matter where you looked from – being alone in the room was a privilege that no one took for granted: dozens of people stood in front of the entrance hoping to somehow get a ticket.
Anecdotes about Tony Bennett
One memory at dinner involved Tony Bennett: At a show, he raved about how much he liked the acoustics of the hall and asked the sound engineer to turn off the microphone – whereupon McCartney imitated Bennett singing “Fly Me to the Moon” without a microphone. Bennett later repeated the same trick at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, to McCartney’s obvious delight.
He also recalled the Beatles and their time in Liverpool, four boys who “eventually came to America where everything was new and different” – and where there were lots of screaming girls, he added. “Give me a Beatles scream,” he asked the audience, who enthusiastically obliged, before launching into “From Me to You.”
While the setlist largely mirrored that of his Got Back program and Friday’s Fonda show, Saturday’s attendees were treated to some special surprises that the first night’s audience was denied – including a breathtaking “Maybe I’m Amazed.” His voice was as supple as ever, switching effortlessly between delicate falsetto passages and raw, troubled emotion. Another highlight of a flawless night was “Band on the Run” – he and the band delivered the three-part epic seamlessly. For a heartfelt “Blackbird,” McCartney stood alone on stage.
Intimacy without cell phones
It’s obvious that the musician, who has been filling arenas and stadiums for decades, has no obligation to play in small venues – but on Saturday it was noticeable that these underplays mean just as much to him as they do to the lucky few in the hall. And joy, we can all use it in these times. Early in the set, he greeted attendees at the 100-year-old theater once known as the Music Box and later said he enjoyed “feeling the vibes at the Fonda.” Before “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” he remarked cheerfully, “It’s nice to see you all… your beautiful faces” – and visibly reveled in the fact that he could even see everyone’s “shining eyes.”
The concert required attendees to lock their cell phones away, adding to the intimacy and evoking times when a special moment shared together was all one needed to create memories. Although McCartney stayed out of politics – he only referred to President Trump with a silly dance move – the show felt like a balm and a brief break from the outside world on a weekend that also included an important No Kings protest. At least for two magical hours.
During the encore, he thanked the “fantastic audience, but now it’s time for us to go home – and for you too.” The finale was the “Abbey Road” medley with which he has been closing his shows for a while: “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight” and “The End” – a finale that brought tears to the eyes of some in the audience. A cathartic crowning moment for an extraordinary evening.
Setlist
- “Help!”
- “Coming Up”
- “Got to Get You Into My Life”
- “Let Me Roll It”
- “Foxey Lady”
- “Getting Better”
- “Let ‘Em In”
- “My Valentine”
- “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five”
- “Maybe I’m Amazed”
- “I’ve Just Seen a Face”
- “Every Night”
- “From Me to You”
- “Blackbird”
- “Now and Then”
- “Lady Madonna”
- “Something”
- “Band on the Run”
- “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”
- “Get Back”
- “Let it be”
- “Hey Jew.”
- “Golden Slumbers”
- “Carry That Weight”
- “The end”
