McCartney plays club in N.Y.

Paul McCartney dropped into the 700-seat Highline Ballroom in New York on Wednesday night for a “surprise” club show on the day his “Memory Almost Full” album debuted at No. 3 on the national sales chart.

Playing before a house full of music-industry invitees, contest winners and some regular fans, he delivered 20 songs, a mix of the new material, Wings hits and Beatles classics.

It’s part of a trio of small-scale shows he announced in conjunction with the new album as a way to shake things up for himself musically and to generate excitement for fans. He played the 1,000-capacity Electric Ballroom in North London on June 7, and is expected to do a similar gig in Los Angeles soon. No date or venue has been announced.