Talk About an Encore, Paul McCartney Suprise Performance in the Hamptons

Photos Courtesy of Ryan Sherman of Three Mile Media

Ah, yes, A Day in the Life in the Hamptons.

You never know who might show up at Stephen Talkhouse in August. It’s easily the most iconic music venue in the Hamptons, and they prove it time and time again. This summer, on a Tuesday, Paul McCartney jumped on stage for an impromptu performance, joining an already stacked lineup featuring bassist Ivan “Funkboy” Bodley, singer-songwriter Charlotte Lawrence, Red Hot Chilli Peppers drummer, Chad Smith, Hall & Oates guitarist, G.E. Smith, and the Smith and Watt Band.

Has your FOMO subsided if you missed Sir Paul McCartney performing live at Talkhouse last week?

Well, I was there and remember it just like it was Yesterday. When he first came on stage everybody in the crowd Came Together, Here, There, and Everywhere, appearing as if they all Wanted to Hold Hands. 

The Wings frontman performed a song from his earlier work, a deep cut from his days in a rock n’ roll quartet quartet from Liverpool. I’m sure the name will come back to me…

The crowd was genuinely awed by the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear McCartney sing “Rockin’ In the Free World,” and “I Saw Her Standing There.” At 82, his voice is still as silky as a Vanilla Sky. All of us in the crowd exploded and I’ve never seen so many cell phones come out all at once. 

Walking off the stage at Talkhouse with a mic drop (literally), that’s iconic behavior and 100% BRAT-coded. We’re all here for it, Sir.

(Yes, I know Macca doesn’t like to go by “Sir,” but come on, for no small portion of my life I didn’t know there even was music written by anyone other than Lennon/McCartney. So, I’ll differ to formality.)

Sir Paul is absolutely a celebrity I would risk embarrassment to say hello to. I’ll admit that I eat at Bobby Van’s for lunch, hoping to run into him and buy him some chips. Although, if the McCartney security detail is reading this, I’m sure I just made the Do-Not-Approach list. 

I love it when the Talkhouse goes Bonnack. That night, the crowd was like a reunion for East Enders – not as much a scene as when Jelly Roll rolls to town (that was earlier this month), but I mean that in a very good way. The show was totally packed even before Sir Paul came on stage. Maybe he was feeding off the energy of the room, which was entirely electric.

Only in the Hamptons would a show featuring the legendary drummer Chad Smith be interrupted by an 18-time Grammy winner. Let’s not forget that Mr. Smith has won 6 Grammys himself. So, for those counting at home, that’s a combined 24 Grammys on stage at the Talkhouse.  [Flash fact: Did you know that Paul McCartney has been presented a lifetime achievement award by the Grammys TWICE?]

Talk about an Encore! The Talkhouse team is used to iconic performances. Still, aside from playing THPS, this is the most excited I’ve ever seen E.J.