Sir Paul McCartney: We Don’t Know You, But We Love You

By Maria W. Long

“I don’t know you, but I love you.”  – Sir Paul McCartney (Aug. 26, 2025)

…And the crowd loved him back! 

Sir Paul McCartney’s Friday night appearance at the Santa Barbara Bowl was the most spectacular show many of us would see in our lifetime. Lines stretched down the block beginning at 1 pm, as the crowd buzzed with electricity and anticipation. The intimate setting and balmy night created conditions that were pure magic. Musical history was about to be made.

One local lottery winner, Barbara Gundy, shared that she fought back tears when learning she’d be able to purchase a ticket, saying, “This music has been the background of my life.” Longtime Bowl usher Debbie Owens gushed that the last time she’d seen McCartney in concert was in 1964 when the Beatles helicoptered into Golden Gate Park. She smiled, remembering the band couldn’t be heard over screams from the female attendees.

Sir Paul kicked off the concert with “Help,” which had not been played live in full since 1965. He surprised us with 18 Beatles songs of the 26 played, including “Now and Then.” Found in 2023 and recently released, this song has been dubbed as “the last Beatles song.”

The 4,562-person crowd stood as one, sang and swayed to “Hey Jude” and more favorites like “Got to Get You into My Life,” “Getting Better,” “Love Me Do,” “Blackbird,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob- La-Da,” “Live and Let Die,” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Sir Paul explained how he wrote “Let It Be” from a dream he had of his late mother when he was going through a “bad patch,” struggling with drinking and drug use. She appeared to him and whispered, “Let it be.”

The concert was backed by stunning visuals curated for each song featuring vivid, poetic imagery, including Sir Paul’s virtual duet with John Lennon on “I’ve Got a Feeling” using footage from the 1969 Beatles Apple Records rooftop performance.

In attendance enjoying the magic were Rolf Geyling, Andrew Firestone, Sue Parker, Carolyn Baker, Kathryn Martin, Lisa Parsons, Dana Mazetti, and Kieran Shah. Thank you Sir Paul, Moss Jacobs of GoldenVoice, Rick Bollers’ stellar team, and the Board of the Santa Barbara Bowl. We can always count on you to deliver Santa Barbara incredible joy!
Many of us are still buzzing from the evening. It’s not often you are serenaded by Royalty. 

Sightings

Richard in rehab surrounded by letters and floral arrangements… Goop’s holiday list isn’t out (ours is still in the works) but any cards, flowers or creative things to send to Richard may be addressed to: 

1187 Coast Village Rd #243
Santa Barbara, CA 93108

Pip! Pip!