Paul McCartney Performs Brief Surprise Concert In Times Square
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Good news travels fast.
Shortly after Paul McCartney tweeted that he would be playing a surprise concert in Times Square on Thursday, a large crowd gathered to hear the Beatles legend perform.
He played a four-song set of new material, 1010 WINS Al Jones reported.
Paul McCartney Performs Brief Surprise Concert In Times Square
He apologized for the short performance.
PHOTOS: Sir Paul McCartney's Surprise Concert In Times Square
"I'm only allowed 15 minutes up here," he said. "Mr. Andy Warhol predicted I would get 15 minutes of fame. This is it."
Paul McCartney Performs Brief Surprise Concert In Times Square
Still, McCartney thanked the NYPD for allowing him to play a brief set.
Workers in nearby offices and tourists in the Crossroads of the World said the pop-up show was a treat.
"Somebody in my office saw that he had sent out a tweet, and we all just dropped everything and ran down the stairs," a woman told WCBS 880's Alex Silverman.
"This is Times Square. This is what the city is meant to be. It's fabulous," another onlooker said.
"The man keeps reinventing himself. He just -- as the song goes -- goes in and out of style, but he's never gone out," a man told Silverman.
Ann McDermott also left work immediately upon learning about the impromptu concert.
"It's the first time I've ever been really close to Paul McCartney." told CBS 2's Cindy Hsu. "Like I knew what Beatlemania was about. My knees buckled, and I thought I was going to faint."
Steve and Genie Andrews are visiting from Australia and just happened to pass by.
"It was amazing," Genie said. "Fancy being here in Times Square with Paul McCartney. ... It just doesn't get any better."
Even the young had a blast.
"It's amazing," said Evan Levine, 10. "I'm from Arkansas, so I haven't really seen very much famous people. It's like a good first -- it's an amazing first."
Other for more seasoned fans, who have paid big bucks to see McCartney in the past, this was the best show yet.
"Unbelievable. Really," said Rocco Leuzzi. "I mean, I've seen him like seven or eight times live, but never this close."
It wasn't McCartney's first surprise show this week. He performed at the Frank Sinatra School for the Arts in Queens.
McCartney is in town to promote his new album, "New," which will be released Tuesday. Fellow music legend Tony Bennett, who founded the high school, tweeted a photo of McCartney sitting at his piano painted in psychedelic colors in front of an auditorium full of students clapping along and raising their hands.
Bennett attended the performance at the school, at 35-12 35th Ave. in Queens, along with McCartney's wife, Nancy Shevell, and about 400 students, according to published reports. The event was hosted by radio disc jockey Jim Kerr.
McCartney played a handful of songs from his new album, but started with the Beatles classic "Eight Days a Week," according to a Rolling Stone account of the performance. Other Beatles and Wings numbers were also on the set list, including "Lady Madonna," "Blackbird," "Jet," "Band on the Run," "We Can Work it Out," "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!," "Back in the U.S.S.R." and "Hey Jude," the magazine reported.
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