On any other occasion, David Lynch and Laura Dern chatting onstage about the making of Blue Velvet would be worthy of full attention. Not so last night at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, when there was a Beatles reunion in the wings. We could hear Paul McCartney tuning up behind the curtain for his headlining set at the David Lynch Foundation’s "Change Begins Within" benefit concert. Ringo Starr had played a rollicking mini-set of his own just a few minutes earlier. Still, there had been no rock-solid confirmation that the two living Beatles would perform together last night. When Dern and Lynch walked off and the curtain went up, it was for Macca to play a Beatles-heavy solo show (full set list after the jump). He was in high spirits and excellent form. But we all got what we were really waiting for at the end of McCartney’s set, when he introduced an old mate named Billy Shears to join him on "With A Little Help From My Friends." It’s a good thing Radio City has such a powerful sound system. Otherwise you’d never have heard the Fab Two singing that familiar melody together over the crowd’s wild roar.
It made sense that David Lynch, master of the awesomely surreal, was responsible for the fairly surreal, indescribably awesome experience of seeing Paul and Ringo reunite for the first time in over six years. The filmmaker organized last night’s concert to raise awareness and funds for the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace, a charity that works to promote the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Transcendental Meditation technique. This gave the evening special resonance for me, since my favorite Beatles work is the self-titled White Album, written mostly during the band’s 1968 trip to Rishikesh, India, to study TM with Maharishi. Also present at that famed ashram stay were folkie Donovan and jazz flutist Paul Horn, both of whom performed earlier in last night’s crowded bill, as well as Beach Boy Mike Love, who spoke briefly. Other performers, all strong, included Bettye LaVette, Moby, Sheryl Crow, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, and Lynch’s longtime scorer Angelo Badalamenti. Many of them took time to testify on how TM had changed their lives for the better. Did I mention the surprise walk-ons by longtime meditators Howard Stern (who credited TM with saving his depressive mom’s life) and Jerry Seinfeld (who split sides with some Seinfeldian observations on movie theaters, public restrooms, and marriage)?
All of those performers (well, minus Stern and Seinfeld) came back out for McCartney’s encore, featuring Ringo on drums instead of vocals. Together they banged out Macca rarity "Cosmically Conscious" and Beatles classic "I Saw Her Standing There," which rocked even harder than it did at this year’s Grammys. It was an impressive moment by any measure. I’ve neverpracticed any kind of meditation myself, and I’m not sure if the fervent testimonials, glossy pamphlets, and informational short films that the David Lynch Foundation lined up last night are likely to change that. But any movement thatcan bring that number and caliber of creative minds together must be doingsomething right.
Ringo Starr set list:
"It Don’t Come Easy"
[Patter: "I'm meditating right now. I'm gonna go do some more meditating on my drums."]
"Boys" (with Eddie Vedder and Ben Harper)
"Yellow Submarine" (with Vedder, Harper, and Sheryl Crow)
Paul McCartney set list:
"Drive My Car"
"Jet"
"Got to Get You Into My Life"
"Let It Be"
"Lady Madonna"
"Blackbird" (solo/acoustic, dedicated to President Obama)
"Here Today" (solo/acoustic, dedicated to John Lennon)
"Band on the Run"
"Can’t Buy Me Love"
"With A Little Help From My Friends" (with Ringo Starr)
[Break before encore]
"Cosmically Conscious" (with Ringo Starr plus all other performers)
"I Saw Her Standing There" (with Ringo Starr plus all other performers)
More from EW’s Music Mix:
Metallica, Run-DMC inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Stevie Nicks on her favorite songs: A Music Mix exclusive
Bob Dylan’s free single: Snap judgment
What’s the most heartbreaking song of all time?
Comments (1-15) of 22 Add your comment
“Blackbird” dedicated to Obama?? A bit too on the nose, no?
I was there last night and it was one of the best shows I have ever seen. I feel extremely lucky to have been able to see Paul and Ringo preform together. It’s a story I will tell for the rest of my life.
Damn, I wish I could have been there. Sounds like it was a blast! I love the Beatles, and it’s so great that Paul and Ringo got to play a show together.
R.I.P John and George!
That seem to be enjoying life and still entertaining us is what matters. Great for them and us. That a song was dedicated to our new President is fine, not meant to be a negative. May Macca and Shears live forever!
BP
Man, I hope they got some video of that show. I’d love to see it.
Transcendental Meditation is a destructive, deceiving cult. Please do your own research before deciding to invest your heart, soul and money in anything related the TM campus in Fairfield, Iowa.
We were at the show last night and it ROCKED!! A momentous occasion with two legends!! Worth every penny… You forgot to mention the awesome duel with
Ben Harper and Eddie Vedder doing Queen’s “Under Pressure” – awesome!!
I’m hoping most of this ends up on YouTube – I know what I’ll be doing on my lunch hour!
there are a bunch of great videos from the night up on youtube. search “mfc172″ or “david lynch” and sort by date added.
cheers.
Paul and Ringo, as well as Yoko Lennon and Olivia Harrion, were on Larry King/CNN to talk about various subjects to be in the audience at the Las Vegas Beatles show.
I hope Paul and Ringo’s concert will be televised in it’s entirity at some future date, and/or be availiable on Blu-ray/DVD.
Paul, Ringo, Yoko and Olivia were on Larry King on June 26, 2007 to talk about the Beatles, and other topics, and to appear in the audience of the Las Vegas Beatles show.
I love director David Lynch. I recently viewed the documentary “David Lynch One.” You can really tell that Mr. Lynch is a firm believer that meditation keeps his life in balance. He’s a very, somewhat, easy going chap. I’m sure his 30-odd years of TM have produced this.I meditate,too.
Not TM, though. But I, too, believe incorporating meditation in one’s life helps especially in this “hustle ‘n bustle” environment we live in today. I recommend meditation for everyone on Mother Earth!!
Thanks, Mr. Lynch for getting the word out. And thanks for all the celebrities who participated in this special night. I would have loved to have been there when Paul McC. & Ringo did their “thing.” I’ve been a Beatles fan from day 1 & truly believe that they influenced not only the other performers in the music world, but the populace, too. Paul & Ringo…when WILL you two go on tour? Your avid fans await patiently for this day. Peace, love to
everyone!! And keep meditating or start
meditating NOW!!
Not if you understand the meaning of the song. It was spot on.
Any chance they’ll sell a concert recording of this event? I’d surely buy!
To DavidFSF – the story around the song “Blackbird” according to Paul McCartney, is that it was written during the civil rights movement and it was a message to all African/Americans and others in support of the movement – equal rights for all.