The Fonda Theatre has hosted its share of historic performances over the past century—from its early days as a vaudeville house in the 1920s to gigs by Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails, to The Rolling Stones’ landmark Sticky Fingers show in 2015—but you’d be hard-pressed to match the electricity that overtook the room this past weekend for two underplay nights with Paul McCartney. On the heels of announcing his forthcoming album The Boys of Dungeon Lane, Sir Paul spent much of both evenings looking back, delivering marathon sets packed with Beatles and Wings classics.
The setlists were largely similar across both nights, kicking off with the jolt of “Help!” and closing with an Abbey Road medley featuring “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End.” There were a few notable changes between the two nights, though: Night two featured the additions of “Something,” “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “From Me to You,” and “Band on the Run,” swapping in for night one staples like “Love Me Do,” “Flaming Pie,” and “Jet.”
Saturday night also brought out an absurd number of celebrities. Amid a balcony stacked with A-list pop stars and Oscar winners, the biggest arrival was Ringo Starr, who waved to and hyped the roaring crowd. While most of the celebrity contingent held court upstairs, Seal made his way into the audience, beaming as he sang along to “Hey Jude” and “Let It Be” with a cluster of strangers—everyone locked into the same communal high in this phone-free zone.
Above, fans couldn’t help but glance up as Taylor Swift and the HAIM sisters shouted along, Margot Robbie grooved wildly, and Odessa A’zion danced her heart out flanked by Reneé Rapp and Towa Bird. Also spotted: Stevie Nicks, Janelle Monáe, Sabrina Carpenter, Steve Carell, Billie Eilish, and many more—turning the balcony into something resembling the Oscars’ front row. (Per TMZ, the guest list extended way further, with names like Al Pacino, Harrison Ford, Olivia Rodrigo, Jon Hamm, Owen Wilson, and Steven Tyler among the other stars in attendance.)
Meanwhile, on the floor, emotions ran high as McCartney and his seven-piece band— Rusty Anderson (guitar), Brian Ray (bass/guitar), Paul "Wix" Wickens (keyboards), and Abe Laboriel Jr. (drums), along with a three-piece horn section—delivered an arena-caliber performance inside the 1,200-capacity room. It was a transcendent, communal experience, filled with tears, embraces, and some of the greatest songs ever written. At 83, McCartney seemed as awed as anyone to still be commanding a room like this, sending the crowd out into the night with the closing refrain of “The End” ringing in their ears: “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
Check out scenes from both nights captured by MJ Kim below, along with the setlists from both performances.
NIGHT ONE
Night One Set List
NIGHT TWO
Night two set list
