10/10/2013
By Ivan Pereira
It may not have been as raucous as when The Beatles played “The Ed Sullivan Show,” but Sir Paul McCartney’s surprise concert in Times Square was big enough to bring the place to a standstill.
The 71-year-old music icon sent fans flocking to the entertainment spot after he tweeted at 10:54 a.m. Thursday that he would be heading there soon for a quick gig.
“Wow! Really excited to be playing New York Times Square at 1pm this afternoon!” he tweeted. And then added, “Come on down to Times Square… It’s all going to be happening there!”
Despite the short notice, thousands of fans who saw the tweet, and many more who just happened to be in the right place at the right time, cheered McCartney as he performed four songs from his latest album, “New.” He didn’t have time to sing any of his classic hits.
“Andy Warhol said I’d have 15 minutes of fame. Well, this is it,” he said.
McCartney, who sang 12 songs that spanned his entire career at a surprise concert for the students at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria on Wednesday, performed from a truck trailer that was parked on 46th Street.
About a half-hour before the 1 p.m. show, crowds were still trickling in. But that escalated quickly and they stretched as far north as 51st Street. Ed Nash, 50, of Newfoundland, was visiting the city with his wife and daughter and just happened to stumble upon the stage when they were sightseeing.
“I went and asked a cop what was going on and he whispered, ‘Paul McCartney is playing,'” said the tourist, who was celebrating his birthday.
“My wife says she arranged it,” he said, joking.
Paul Haberman, 28, of Williamsburg, arrived at Times Square after a friend called him up and told him about the concert. He was amazed that he was able to get so close to the stage.
“I never would’ve thought I would see him like this,” Haberman said.
Bob Gannon, 48, a New Jersey police officer who said he has gone to more than 100 Paul McCartney concerts since 1990, said he really wanted to hear the rock icon’s latest songs in person.
“It’s not easy to find a songwriter whose every song resonates with you personally,” the fan said.
