“Cool little place, this, isn’t it?” Paul McCartney exclaimed as he looked off into the rafters, then to the sold-out crowd of 1,200 ecstatic fans at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood Friday night, minutes after he and his band had launched the night with Beatles classic “Help.”
As McCartney suggests, this is a different locale than he’d usually play, far more intimate than the usual arena or stadium gig one of the world’s most legendary artists would normally take on when they hit the road. And coming just a day after the singer dropped a new single and announced his first album in five years this week, it was impossible for it not to feel celebratory.
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Friday was the first of two Fonda underplays McCartney plays this weekend, with show two coming Saturday night. It’s a rare opportunity for a select few fans — plenty of others were outside trying in earnest to score a last-second ticket — but shows like these haven’t been unheard of over the past year; he played three shows at Brooklyn’s Bowery Ballroom in February of 2025, and he performed at the Pinnacle in Nashville back in November.
Friday’s show had all the makings of what fans would expect from a McCartney show and was structured like his Got Back Tour that wrapped up late last year. He played a high-energy set that had the former Beatle weaving through decades of tunes, switching throughout the night from bass to guitar and piano, all the while delivering pristine vocals and adding that signature grit when he wanted.
The night started Wings-heavy, with the band playing tracks including “Let Me Roll It,” “Jet,” “Let ‘Em In” and “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five.” The latter half was much more Beatles-focused, with McCartney running through “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “Get Back,” and “I’ve Just Seen a Face.” In the most intimate moment of the night, with just McCartney’s guitar and a spotlight on him, he went into “Blackbird.” The crowd sang with him quietly, only erupting into cheers and applause after he finished.
McCartney’s banter was warm and familial as ever, with Macca interacting directly with fans who shouted from the crowd and sharing memories from his uniquely traveled life, from his early days in Liverpool to his post-Beatles fame.
At one point, McCartney told a story about seeing Tony Bennett in concert, with Bennett doing a bit where he lauded the venue he was playing, saying, “You’ve got a beautiful acoustic in here,” and instructing the crew to turn off the mic so he could sing directly to the crowd.
“I saw him later at a charity thing at the Beverly Hilton,” McCartney recalled, feigning disappointment when he saw Bennett give the hotel the exact same compliment again, as he once again sang off mic.
“I believed him,” McCartney said as the crowd burst into laughter.
He recalled the early Beatles days as well, noting how in some of their first shows in America, they’d see the men staring intently at the guitars as they tried to learn chords.
“The girls weren’t,” McCartney quipped as the women in the crowd let out screams. “Give us a Beatles scream,” McCartney responded, with the whole crowd now yelling. Fitting to the early Beatlemania vibe, he and the band jumped into “Love Me Do,” the band’s very first hit.
McCartney also shouted out Morgan Neville, who directed McCartney’s recent Man on the Run documentary and was in the crowd Friday night. “Well done Morgan,” McCartney said, joking that Neville would have to sing a song for the crowd.
McCartney’s set served as a reminder of just how deep a catalog he’s amassed both with the Beatles and in his subsequent solo career, an unmatched collection of hits that have become the world’s songbook. With so many iconic tracks to choose from, he was bound to miss a favorite that fans may have hoped for. Among those holdouts Friday were “Yesterday,” “Band on the Run,” “Live and Let Die” and “Maybe I’m Amazed.” Perhaps those will find their way into Saturday’s set instead.
Still, it’s impossible not to feel the weight of McCartney’s songs as he began “Let It Be,” telling the crowd afterward about the song’s famous lore, where his late mother visited him in a dream. “Hey Jude” came next, with the crowd of 1,200 all belting out the song’s outro in unison.
McCartney finished with his usual Abbey Road medley conclusion, starting with “Golden Slumbers,” then finishing with “Carry That Weight” and “The End.” He and the band took their final bow and sent the crowd on home before one more show the next night.
Setlist:
“Help”
“Coming Up”
“Going To Get You Into My Life”
“Let Me Roll It”
“Getting Better”
“Let ‘Em In”
“Valentine”
“Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five”
“I’ve Just Seen a Face”
“Every Night”
“Love Me Do”
“Blackbird”
“Now and Then”
“Lady Madonna”
“Flaming Pie”
“Jet”
“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”
“Get Back”
“Let It Be”
“Hey Jude”
“Golden Slumbers”
“Carry That Weight”
“The End”
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Facts Only
Paul McCartney performed at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood on Friday night.
The concert was the first of two shows at the venue, with the second scheduled for Saturday.
The show occurred shortly after McCartney released a new single and announced his first album in five years.
The venue had a capacity of 1,200 fans, significantly smaller than McCartney’s usual arena or stadium performances.
McCartney played a mix of Beatles, Wings, and solo material, including "Help," "Let Me Roll It," "Jet," "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," "Blackbird," and "Hey Jude."
He switched between bass, guitar, and piano during the performance.
The crowd sang along during "Blackbird" and the outro of "Hey Jude."
McCartney shared stories about Tony Bennett, early Beatles performances in America, and his documentary director Morgan Neville.
The setlist did not include some fan favorites like "Yesterday," "Band on the Run," "Live and Let Die," and "Maybe I’m Amazed."
The concert concluded with an Abbey Road medley: "Golden Slumbers," "Carry That Weight," and "The End."
McCartney has performed similar intimate shows in the past year, including at Brooklyn’s Bowery Ballroom and Nashville’s Pinnacle.
Fans outside the venue attempted to secure last-minute tickets.
Executive Summary
Paul McCartney performed an intimate concert at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood on Friday night, marking the first of two shows at the venue. The performance followed the release of a new single and the announcement of his first album in five years, creating a celebratory atmosphere. The setlist included a mix of Beatles classics, Wings hits, and solo material, with McCartney switching between bass, guitar, and piano. Highlights included a solo acoustic rendition of "Blackbird" and a crowd singalong during "Hey Jude." McCartney engaged warmly with the audience, sharing anecdotes about his career, including a humorous story about Tony Bennett and reflections on early Beatles performances in America. The show concluded with an Abbey Road medley, leaving fans anticipating the second performance the following night. The event underscored McCartney's enduring appeal and the depth of his musical catalog, though some fan favorites were omitted from the setlist.
The concert was part of a recent trend of smaller, more intimate performances by McCartney, including shows at Brooklyn’s Bowery Ballroom and Nashville’s Pinnacle. These underplays offer a rare opportunity for fans to experience his music in a more personal setting, contrasting with his typical arena or stadium tours. The Fonda Theatre shows sold out quickly, with many fans attempting to secure last-minute tickets outside the venue. McCartney’s interaction with the audience and his storytelling added a personal touch to the performance, reinforcing his connection with fans across generations.
Full Take
The strongest version of this narrative highlights Paul McCartney’s enduring relevance and his ability to connect with audiences across generations, even in intimate settings. The article effectively captures the excitement of the performance, the depth of his catalog, and his personal engagement with fans. It also contextualizes the show within a broader trend of McCartney’s recent underplays, reinforcing the idea of these performances as rare and special opportunities for fans.
However, the piece leans heavily on emotional appeal, emphasizing the "celebratory" atmosphere and the "ecstatic" crowd, which could border on emotional exploitation (ARC-0012 Emotional Amplification). While the storytelling is engaging, the lack of critical perspective—such as the commercial motivations behind these intimate shows or the exclusivity of access—could be seen as a form of sanewashing (ARC-0031 Sanewashing). The article presents the event as a purely organic, fan-centric experience without exploring whether these underplays are also strategic marketing moves to generate buzz for his new album.
The root cause of this narrative is the cultural mythos surrounding McCartney as a living legend, a paradigm that frames his every performance as a historic event. The assumption here is that intimacy inherently elevates the artistic experience, but this ignores the fact that such shows are also highly curated and accessible only to a privileged few. Historically, this echoes the Beatles' own trajectory from small clubs to stadiums, where exclusivity and mass appeal have always been in tension.
The implications for human agency are mixed. On one hand, fans benefit from the rare opportunity to see McCartney up close, fostering a sense of connection. On the other, the exclusivity of these shows—with fans clamoring for last-minute tickets—reinforces a hierarchy of access, where only those with resources or luck can participate. The second-order consequence is the reinforcement of McCartney’s brand as both accessible and elite, a duality that sustains his cultural capital.
Bridge questions: How does the commercialization of intimacy in live music affect the artist-fan relationship? What perspectives are missing from the narrative of McCartney’s "underplays"—such as the role of promoters or the economic barriers for fans? Would your view of these performances change if they were framed as marketing strategies rather than spontaneous artistic expressions?
Counterstrike scan: If this were part of a coordinated influence campaign, the playbook would involve leveraging nostalgia and exclusivity to amplify McCartney’s cultural relevance ahead of his album release, while downplaying commercial motives. The actual content aligns with this pattern to some extent, as it emphasizes the emotional and intimate aspects of the show without critically examining the broader context. However, the article does not appear to be part of a deliberate manipulation effort, as it lacks the hallmarks of bad faith or distortion. The alignment is structural rather than intentional.