McCartney to play L.A. record store Wednesday

Paul McCartney poses for the media before a signing session in London November 22, 2006.[Reuters]

Paul McCartney will play a "surprise" concert at a Los Angeles record store on Wednesday, a spokesman said.

The former Beatle, whose new album enjoyed a strong start on the pop charts earlier this month, will perform at Amoeba Records in Hollywood about 7:30 p.m. PDT.

In lieu of launching a full-scale concert tour to promote "Memory Almost Full," McCartney is playing a few hastily arranged free shows in small venues.

The Amoeba gig will come two weeks to the day after he dusted off Beatles tunes and a handful of new songs for about 700 fans at the Highline Ballroom in New York's Chelsea district.

"Memory Almost Full," McCartney's first release under a new deal with a label co-founded by coffee retailer Starbucks Corp., has spent two weeks at No. 3 on the U.S. pop charts, giving him his best showing in years.