\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div> \n\tBacked by his longstanding incredible band \u2014 keyboardist Paul \u201cWix\u201d Wickens, guitarist Rusty Anderson, guitarist-bassist Brian Ray, and drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., along with a three-piece horn section \u2014 the universe\u2019s beloved living legend shared stories as breezily as one would tell at a dinner party with friends, except those friends are famous and this exclusive gathering comprised fortunate ticket holders and the likes of Elton John and Sharon Osbourne, alongside other celebrities who apparently occupied the balcony where general ticketholders were not allowed. McCartney good-naturedly acknowledged the seating arrangement. \u201cHow you doing upstairs, up in the expensive seats, I see,\u201d he joked. \u201cAnd all the poor people down here.\u201d But no matter the vantage, just being in the room was a privilege that few would take for granted \u2014 in the queue into the venue, there were dozens of folks looking for tickets in hopes of catching the rare, intimate show.<\/p>\n \n\tOne dinner memory he shared involved Tony Bennett, who said at a show how much he enjoyed the acoustics of the room and then Bennett asked the soundperson to turn off the mic; McCartney then mimicked Bennett singing \u201cFly Me to the Moon\u201d off-mic. But then Bennett later pulled the same trick at the Beverly Hilton hotel, to McCartney\u2019s amusement.<\/p>\n \n\tHe also reflected on the Beatles and their time in Liverpool, four chaps who \u201ceventually came to America, where it was new, different,\u201d and included a lot of screaming girls, he said. \u201cGive me a Beatles scream,\u201d he prompted, to which the audience happily obliged before he launched into \u201cFrom Me to You.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\tRelated Content<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n \n\tWhile the set traversed the songs he played during his Got Back run as did his show at the Fonda on Friday, Saturday\u2019s attendees were treated to some special surprises that night one guests at the Fonda did not witness, including a stunning \u201cMaybe I\u2019m Amazed.\u201d His voice remained as supple as ever, moving from gentle falsettos to raw, gritty emotion throughout the set. Another highlight in a night that didn\u2019t miss was \u201cBand on the Run,\u201d with him and the band\u2019s seamless delivery of the three-part epic. McCartney also went solo for a tender \u201cBlackbird.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe longtime arena-and-stadium-filling musician obviously doesn\u2019t need to play intimate venues, but it was clear on Saturday these underplays bring him, and those fortunate few in attendance, a whole lot of joy, something we can all use in these times. Early in the set he welcomed attendees to the 100-year theater once known as the Music Box, and later said he was enjoying \u201cexperiencing the vibes at the Fonda.\u201d Before performing \u201cI\u2019ve Just Seen a Face,\u201d he jovially remarked, \u201cNice to see you all \u2026 your beautiful faces,\u201d reveling in the fact that he could even see everyone\u2019s \u201cshining eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \n\tThe concert required attendees to lock their cell phones away, adding to the intimacy and harkening to the days when living in a shared, sacred moment was all one needed to mark memories. While McCartney steered away from politics, only referencing President Trump by way of a goofy dance move, the show served as a salve and temporary reprieve from the world outside on a weekend that also included a crucial, important No Kings rally<\/a>, at least for two magical hours.<\/p>\n\n
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