Nearby, two brothers and their friend, who brought guitars with them from New Jersey, lead a rendition of “I Saw Her Standing There.” Several people are pacing up and down the crowd muttering a headcount to themselves to figure out their number in line. Others are offering money to cut ahead and are harshly rebuffed.

While in New York for an appearance on Sunday at the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary episode, Paul McCartney tuned up during a surprise show at the 575-capacity Bowery Ballroom tonight (Feb. 11), dazzling lucky ticket holders with a 21-song, nearly two-hour set.

Eager music fans waited outside the Bowery Ballroom in New York on Wednesday, February 12, to catch a glimpse of Paul McCartney amid a series of surprise gigs the musician has staged at the venue. Footage from Mauro Carignano shows McCartney greeting fans on Wednesday as he entered the relatively intimate club,