Paul McCartney’s Surprise 300-Seat 2016 Club Gig

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It’s every fan’s dream to see a classic rock favorite performing at the kind of venue that they would have played before they became superstars. Well, for 300 fortunate Paul McCartney fans on October 13, 2016, that’s exactly what happened.

Paul McCartney at Pappy & Harriet's, Pioneertown, CA on October 13, 2016 (Photo via his Facebook page)

Paul McCartney performing at his surprise club gig at Pappy & Harriet’s, Pioneertown, CA on October 13, 2016 (Photo via his Facebook page)

The Beatles legend was already in California biding time in between his two Desert Trip performances. So he booked a gig at Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace in Pioneertown, CA. As the venue proudly states on its website, “Pioneertown is about 130 miles east of Hollywood.” Over the years, the venue has hosted performances by such acts as Leon Russell, Eric Burdon and Rickie Lee Jones. Tickets to the McCartney show, which was announced that day, were limited to one per customer and only available at the venue’s box office. The price? Just 50 bucks!

The legend treated the lucky few to a 20-song set that was scaled down from what he’d been playing all summer during his One on One tour. The set was dominated by Beatles hits like “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Lady Madonna,” “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and “Day Tripper,” as well as such Wings numbers as “Band on the Run” and “Hi Hi Hi.”

You want more Paul McCartney from 10 feet away? You got him! Watch “A Hard Day’s Night”

Watch his performance of “Junior’s Farm”

Paul McCartney, Pioneertown, CA, Oct. 13, 2016, Setlist

A Hard Day’s Night
Junior’s Farm
Can’t Buy Me Love
Let Me Roll It
I’ve Got a Feeling
My Valentine
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
We Can Work it Out
I’ve Just Seen a Face
Love Me Do
Queenie Eye
Lady Madonna
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

Day Tripper
Band on the Run
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Hey Jude

Encore
Hi, Hi Hi
Birthday
I Saw Her Standing There

And here they are playing “Hey Jude”

When McCartney tours, tickets are available here and here.

The former Beatle, born on June 18, 1942, was on a whirlwind dash with well-publicized private concerts at London’s Abbey Road Studios and at Liverpool’s Cavern Club, among the many activities. On September 7, 2018, the release date of his Egypt Station album, McCartney performed at New York’s Grand Central Station for a concert that was streamed live on YouTube.

[Noted Beatles author Allan Kozinn has announced the follow-up to 2022’s The McCartney Legacy, Volume 1, described as the most complete work on the life and work of Paul McCartney ever published. Volume 2, coming December 10, 2024, via Dey Street Books, and written again with researcher Adrian Sinclair, continues to paint the portrait of one of the world’s greatest musicians, his work post-Beatles, and his life from 1974 to 1980. The new title is available for pre-order in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.]

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