Unannounced special guest appearances don’t come much more unannounced or more special than those by Paul McCartney, but that’s what a 250-strong crowd at the Stephen Talkhouse, a venue in Amagansett, NY, bore witness to last night.
The Beatles‘ legend made the short trip from his home in The Hamptons to appear alongside producer Andrew Watt – who worked with McCartney on his contribution to last year’s Rolling Stones album Hackney Diamonds – plus Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Hall & Oates guitarist G.E. Smith, musical director and bassist Ivan “Funkboy” Bodley and singer-songwriter Charlotte Lawrence.
McCartney performed two songs at the Talkhouse, sharing a mic with Lawrence on a cover of Neil Young‘s Rockin’ In The Free World before leading that band into a somewhat ragged version of I Saw Her Standing There, originally a hit for The Beatles in 1963. Footage of the historic encounter is embedded below.
“Paul dropped the mic when he finished like a rap battle and walked off,” wrote attendee Ryan Sherman. “Mind blown. One of the coolest things we’ve all ever seen.”
It’s probably fair to say that Macca’s voice has seen much better days, but there’s no doubt that those present will tell others about the experience for the rest of their lives. Indeed, it’s likely that many fans who weren’t actually there will do the same.
The Stephen Talkhouse – named after a late 19th Century Montaukett Native American of the same name – was opened in 1987, and has since played host to a veritable who’s-who in popular music, including Buddy Guy, Southside Johnny, Buster Poindexter, 10,000 Maniacs, Loudon Wainwright III, Judy Collins, Taj Mahal, Steve Earle, Leon Russell, Roy Buchanan and Jeff Buckley.
Chad Smith, Paul McCartney, Andrew Watt – I Saw Her Standing There / Hey Joe (August, 2024) – YouTube 