Paul McCartney performs intimate Fonda Theatre show
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- Paul McCartney performed the first of two nights at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood on Friday night, March 27 2026, in a 1,200‑capacity venue.
- AXS ran a pre‑registration lottery for tickets, with standard $200 floor seats and a higher‑priced balcony tier, creating a “lottery‑winner” atmosphere for attendees.
- The setlist was a condensed version of his recent arena tour, adding the rare bonus tracks “Every Night” and “Flaming Pie,” but omitted songs from his upcoming album “The Boys of Dungeon Lane” or his newly released single “Days We Left Behind.”
- McCartney joked about the new single “Days We Left Behind,” explaining a key‑change issue that made it difficult to perform live, and responded to fans’ enthusiasm for the song.
- McCartney delivered an impromptu Tony Bennett impression, performing an acoustic piece without amplification, and also stopped and restarted “Blackbird” after a lyric slip.
- The band featured longtime members Paul “Wixy” Wickens, Rusty Anderson, Brian Ray, and Abe Laboriel Jr., marking decades of collaboration and a brief birthday shout‑out to Wickens.
- The show included a green laser effect but no large audio‑visual screens, allowing a more “unplugged” feel and a rare acoustic rendition of “Now and Then” without Beatles footage.
Why it matters: The lottery‑based ticket system turned a 1,200‑seat show into a coveted event, rewarding a small group of fans with a rare, up‑close McCartney experience while underscoring the artist’s continued ability to draw high demand and adapt his setlist for intimate venues.
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