In between private shows for radio contest winners at The Paramount in Huntington on Saturday, singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran tweeted he had an announcement for his New York-area fans.
“I’ve never done this before, and it’s very last minute,” he said in an ensuing tweet, around 6 p.m., “but I feel like doing a show, so come on down to the paramount Huntington [sic], love x.”
Moments later, fans of all ages began lining outside the venue, $20 ready with the show’s entrance fee.
The Paramount promoted the secret show through its social media pages and e-mail updates.
The 23-year-old Sheeran spread the word on Facebook and Twitter as well.
“Based on how many people were there, the line was at least around the block,” said Mike Lerner, who works in sales and marketing for the Paramount.
Doors for the show opened at 8 p.m., with the pop star taking the stage at 9:45.
When Sheeran appeared, he played a two-and-a-half hour set featuring songs from his two full-length albums, the recently-released sophomore effort, “X,” and his debut full-length, “+.”
“I’ve played a lot of venues around the world, and The Paramount is by far the best,” Sheeran told the crowd toward the end of the show.
Released on June 23, “X” has sold more than 1 million copies worldwide and charted at No. 1 in 12 countries in its first week. It debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
“It’s not very often that a musician of his caliber offers to surprise his fans with a full concert, while currently having the No. 1 Album in the U.S.,” said Stephen Ubertini, director of The Paramount.
The Paramount filled to its 1,555-person capacity, with many fans waiting only to be turned away at the door.
“I caught a couple songs at the end. It was probably my favorite thing I’ve seen here,” Lerner said.
The concert was among Sheeran’s last American shows before a month-long stint in Europe and Asia. He is scheduled to return to North America in late August before going back to Europe this fall.
