Fans camp out for free McCartney show

Yoko Ono Lennon arrives for the first anniversary of the Beatles Love at the Mirage hotel-casino in Las Vegas, Tuesday, June 26, 2007.[AP]

LOS ANGELES - Equipped with folding chairs and sleeping bags, hundreds of Paul McCartney fans lined the street outside a funky Hollywood record store on Tuesday to secure a seat for a free show there by the ex-Beatle.

Toni Johnson, 55, stood at the front of the line. Wearing a Paul McCartney concert T-shirt, she said she flew in from Chicago late Saturday and had been in line since Monday afternoon.

"It was noisy, cold. I was trying to sleep upright in a chair. I'm on two hours of sleep," she said. "But for Paul, it's worth it. His music touches my soul and puts a smile on my face like no one else can."

McCartney will play an all-ages concert at Sunset Boulevard's Amoeba Music at 7:30 p.m. PDT Wednesday, his spokesman Paul Freundlich confirmed.

Wristbands to gain entrance will be given out starting at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"This has not been finalized, but we're likely looking at a minimum of 300 people inside," Freundlich told The Associated Press.

Released earlier this month, McCartney's newest album, "Memory Almost Full," has sped up the Billboard charts, and ranks No. 3.

The album, his 21st solo work, received impressive reviews from critics for its blend of nostalgia and melody.

An impromptu gig by McCartney two weeks ago at the Highline Ballroom in New York City sparked talk of a tour, but McCartney has no tour plans at this time, Freundlich said.

On Tuesday, Danville resident Sharon White, 43, stood in line with her son, Alexander, 9.

White said she has been a McCartney fan since she was 4 years old. She first saw McCartney, with his band Wings, in 1976.

This would be her son's third time seeing McCartney, she said.

"I'm a little disappointed that it's not in a club," White said. "But we'll take what we can get. To see him in a small venue is a lifelong dream."