Archive for the ‘Music’ Category
Great Donovan interview on The Huffington Post
March 19, 2010Paul McCartney and Nancy show up to see James play, and surprise the small Brighton club audience
March 18, 2010
BRIGHTON NEWS Proud Sir Paul cheers on Macca Jnr
3:34pm Thursday 11th March 2010
By Jackie Stevens
Paul McCartney and his girlfriend Nancy dropped into a dingy basement venue in Brighton to watch his son James play to a crowd of 70 punters this week.
For a performer used to playing 50,000-seater stadiums, Brighton’s Audio must have taken Paul McCartney back some 50 years to the earliest beginnings of his career.
But if he found the venue for one of his 32-year-old son’s first public gigs humble, he wasn’t giving it away, as he was every inch the proud father, dancing, cheering and capturing every moment on a small hand-held video camera as James played a storming rock concert.
Sir Paul and Nancy Shevell, who’d arrived straight from a Paris fashion show looking like a rock chick, knew every word of every song as James alternated blistering rock tunes, like New York Times, with delicate acoustic numbers and some stunning piano performances, including the haunting Spirit Guide.
Paul and Nancy sang along – even as James shrieked his way through the expletive-ridden Glisten – dancing about in the corner by the cigarette machine, whistling and whooping, even heckling after some songs.
While James, backed by a three-piece band, gave an impressive vocal performance, at times sweet and beautiful, at others reaching high notes that might defy his tenor father; between songs he merely muttered their titles and barely smiled throughout the tight 50 minute set.
Paul, however, gave him a lesson in showmanship just making the trip across the empty dance floor to the bar.
Passing by the stage, balancing three pint-glasses of soda water in his hands, Macca Senior called to his son, “Hello James, how are you?” James, preparing for his next song, ignored him in a‘yeah, dad,’ embarrassed-teenager kind of way.
But while playing, James often looked across to his father and dedicated two songs to him. The second, “I Love You Dad,” which James played on a mandolin, was the only one Paul didn’t sing along to – though Nancy did, enthusiastically.
After he’d sung the final, “I love you Dad, more than you can know.” Paul called out, “I love you too.”
James finished with Angel – not a Robbie Williams cover but a catchy melodic song which seems to refer to his mum, Linda, who died in 1999 when he was only 20.
It’s become a favourite with his ever-growing Facebook fanclub – and will probably be his first hit once he has taken his pick of the major record labels, including Warner, EMI and Universal, who are keen to sign him up and release the album that has been 10 years in the making.
As soon as the last chord faded, James scurried off, leaving the crowd cheering and demanding an encore.
“Just one more!” someone said. “Two more!” shouted Paul McCartney, but James did not reappear.
After the concert James and Paul mingled with the audience, posing for photos.
James, who seemed fazed by the surge of the crowd wanting autographs, commented that it was the first time his father had seen him play in public. “It’s been great – very special.”
Asked why there was no encore, he said, “We didn’t have any more to play; we need more tunes.”
James has another seven gigs to play on his 14 day UK tour, which is his first worldwide.
Asked why he’s kept it so low-key, with barely any promotion, he said, “We just need to perfect it first.”
Coming from someone who had just proved himself an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and impressive vocalist, one wonders what standards he is setting himself.
Paul and Nancy, unaccompanied by any security, exited by the front door and, before jumping into his car, Paul happily waved to surprised passers-by on Brighton seafront, before heading back to Peasmarsh.
© Copyright 2001-2010 Newsquest Media Group
PS: There is another fine article on James published in the Daily Record: James McCartney: I was in the womb when dad sang Mull of Kintyre.. now I want musical career of my own
The close-up photo of Paul and James McCartney was taken from The Sun.
Also see Audience Goes Wild for James McCartney | Paul McCartney’s son says he’s ready to follow in dad’s footsteps | McCartney wins over Fairfield audience in U.S. debut concert | James McCartney Performs on GDLA | James McCartney sings Angel on David Letterman.
I discovered some surprising connections between Nancy Shevell, Paul McCartney’s new wife, and his first wife, Linda McCartney, and Barbara Walters. See Who Is Nancy Shevell, Paul McCartney’s New Wife?
Donovan GDLA and Off-Ramp Interviews
March 15, 2010
Monday, 15 Mar 2010, 11:40 AM PDT
Los Angeles – Legendary singer Donovan was one of the few artists to collaborate on songs with Beatles and he has played with folk greats Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, and has even played with rock legends the Rolling Stones.
Donovan and daughter Astrella visit by “Good Day LA” to talk about a benefit concert for the David Lynch Foundation.
Donovan will be joined by his daughter Astrella Celeste to headline a benefit concert for the David Lynch Foundation on Friday, March 19 at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles.
For more info on the concert log onto: www.donovan.ie/en/
Off-Ramp Special Podcast – Donovan in Concert
Monday, March 8, 2010.
They gave us the keys to the podcast, so now we can send out special editions when we’ve got great stuff to share … like 60s icon Donovan and his guitar in studio. This is the full version of the piece we’ll run this weekend on the broadcast edition of Off-Ramp. Download
Donovan Live at the Mohn Broadcast Center
Donovan is headlining a concert at the El Rey Theatre March 19th to benefit the David Lynch Foundation, which works to teach at-risk schoolkids to meditate. Donovan learned how to meditate with the Beatles and the Maharishi back in the 1960s. In our Off-Ramp interview, Donovan talks about the old days, reducing students’ stress and reliance on ADHD drugs, and the benefits and drawbacks of fame. He also sings three of his favorites. (COME INSIDE for info on the concert, a link to Lynch’s foundation, and to see who is taller — Donovan or Off-Ramp host John Rabe.)
Gary Kaplan
5 days, 19 hours ago
Sublime! Donovan is our hero. What a great service he is doing for mankind.
Donovan & Friends Perform Benefit Concert for David Lynch Foundation
March 15, 2010Donovan headlines benefit concert on March 19
Proceeds to benefit Transcendental Meditation program
Legendary folk-rock-pop troubadour Donovan, known for hits such as “Mellow Yellow,” “Sunshine Superman,” “Hurdy Gurdy Man” and more, will headline a benefit concert for the David Lynch Foundation on Friday, March 19 at the El Rey Theater.
Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $110 for VIP seating and a meet and greet with Donovan after the show, and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.
“The Beatles and I brought back from India the lost art of meditation,” Donovan said. “Now, with David Lynch, we pass it on to thousands of students worldwide. Join us to help save the world.”
He will be joined by his daughter Astrella Celeste and backing band Jerry Vivino, Scott Healy and Mike Merritt from the Conan O’Brien late night band, Danny Saber on guitar with special guests Jack Maness from Sublime, The Global Sound Lodge featuring Lanny Cordola and Matt Sorum of Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver and The Cult, Amrita Sen and more.
Matthew St. Patrick, from Six Feet Under, will host the evening performances.
The El Rey Theater is located at 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90036.
About Donovan
Donovan was one of the few artists to collaborate on songs with Beatles Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison. Donovan has played with folk greats Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, as well as rock musicians Jimmy Page, Jon Bonham and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, and Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones.
Recently Donovan completed the successful album “Beat Cafe” as well as a new box set, “Try For The Sun: The Journey of Donovan,” and a book, “The Autobiography of Donovan: The Hurdy Gurdy Man” (Arrow Books).
Donovan is now heading up the musical wing of the David Lynch Foundation, fulfilling his 40-year interest in Transcendental Meditation. Donovan, his wife Linda, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are currently promoting Transcendental Meditation in schools.
About The David Lynch Foundation
The David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace was founded in July 2005 by award-winning filmmaker David Lynch with the immediate goal of teaching one million at-risk youth to meditate. The foundation has already provided more than 100,000 scholarships for students to learn the Transcendental Meditation technique, as well as inmates and guards in prisons, formerly homeless men in re-entry programs, soldiers with PTSD returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and American Indians suffering from diabetes.
Sources: The David Lynch Foundation & David Lynch Foundation Television
Mashable: David Lynch Goes Mobile
February 10, 2010Mashable | The Social Media Guide
About 15 hours ago Christina Warren 7
From “Eraserhead” to MMS: David Lynch Goes Mobile
Award-winning director (and three-time Oscar nominee) David Lynch (of Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks fame) and the David Lynch Foundation Television have teamed up with mobile video marketer Mogreet to bring video MMS messages to Lynch fans.
We spoke with Mogreet and the David Lynch Foundation about the technology, the purpose of the campaign and how the DLF is using social media and technology to further its message.
Spreading a Message With Mobile Video
The ever-increasing pace of smartphone adoption only underscores the growing importance of mobility. As we’ve seen with everything from mobile app stores to the Red Cross’s text message for Haiti campaign, mobile is an extremely valuable platform for brands and nonprofits to get their messages across.
Video
is an important communication driver, too, and when you combine the two technologies together, you end up with something potentially amazing.
Last month, we wrote about Thwapr, a company that specializes in doing mobile-to-mobile video. We see mobile video messaging as something that’s only going to continue to grow, especially as more and more companies realize just how many users are able to actually view video on their phones.
One of the companies that is really focused on mobile video marketing is Mogreet. Mogreet works with companies so that they can send video MMS messages to users that request their information. Because virtually every mobile phone sold since 2005 or so can support MMS messages that include video playback, the potential audience for these sorts of messages is huge.
I spoke with James Citron, the CEO of Mogreet, and he told me that the company has more than 2,700 device profiles in its database, meaning that if you have a cell phone, chances are, it can play one of Mogreet’s video MMS messages. Each video is encoded in a variety of different formats and it is sent to phones in the best format for that phone, so that users of an iPhone get a different experience than someone using a Motorola Razr, but each user gets the best possible experience for his or her device.
While this has primarily been used for commercial advertisers, Mogreet is interested in getting into the non-profit space too, because that’s perhaps an even better market for this sort of service. Think about it, what if you could donate and then get a video message back showing someone who is helped by your donation saying thanks? Or what if you could see what is going on in Haiti or some other place that needs aid? The non-profit organization’s message might be that much more powerful. After all, images often speak louder than words.
To that end, Mogreet decided to work with the David Lynch Foundation and bring some of Lynch’s talents — and messages — to his fans.
David Lynch Goes Mobile
The David Lynch Foundation Television is dedicated to documenting programs that awaken creativity and transform lives. To that end, the foundation has a website, DLF.TV, that has lots of video content of David Lynch and of people the Foundation has helped, as well as of other artists and friends who have support the Foundation’s vision.
The first mobile video message that the DLF will be sending to fans is of a short film that Lynch directed featuring the musician and artist Ariana Delawari. Delawari’s debut album, Lion of Panjshir was recorded in Kabul and Los Angeles, and reflects the cultures of both places. Delawari’s decision to return to Afghanistan in 2007 to record the album influenced her work and its overall sound. Like Lynch, Delawari is a student of transcendental mediation and like Lynch, it has also influenced her life and her work.
Lynch directed a six-minute short showing off Delawari’s style and voice. The style is unmistakable Lynch, from the background to the sound mix to the camera angles. It’s also a piece that works well when viewing on the web or on a mobile phone. To spread the word about Delawari — and to kick off a mobile-type of initiative — fans can text ‘LYNCH’ to 647338.
It’s an interesting approach to spread a message from an always-interesting director. It’s also something we expect to be a growing trend, especially as nonprofits start to embrace the power of mobile.
What do you think about mobile video? Are you a fan of David Lynch? What do you think of this initiative? Let us know!
Tags: david lynch, MMS, Mobile 2.0, video, video messaging, web video
User reviews: video
DONOVAN to Perform Free Online Benefit Concert
January 22, 2010DONOVAN IN CONCERT LIVE ON THE WEB SUNDAY
Donovan will be giving a concert at Munich’s Cuvilliés Theater as the start of his activities on the Social Web; the performance will be streamed live on Donovan.ie
Donovan is inviting fans and the online community to watch his sold-out concert live on the Internet this Sunday. He will perform his hit songs and cult classics as well as showcasing songs from his new work RITUAL GROOVE as a run up to his forthcoming world tour 2010/2011. Special guest will be talented musician Claudia Koreck, one of the hottest newcomers in Germany.
The show will be streamed live Sunday, January 24, at 8:30 p.m. CET worldwide thanks to the professional live streaming technology and video production of TV1.EU, and a true broadband connection by BT, British Telecom. This World Wide Charity Concert is to benefit ‘Schools Without Stress’ (Germany). Also see DLF.TV, and the David Lynch Foundation. http://twitter.com/DAVID_LYNCH
The Link to the Live Stream will be on Donovan’s new Website http://www.donovan.ie/live. News of the free live webcast concert is also on Donovan’s Facebook and Twitter pages. His fans just love the idea of streaming the concert! http://www.facebook.com/DonovanOfficial & http://twitter.com/donovanofficial.
“Donovan fans worldwide now have the opportunity to take part in an extraordinary concert experience directly from their computers at home. While watching the concert Donovan’s Online Friends can share their experience on facebook or twitter”, says Monty C. M. Metzger, CEO of the Social Media Marketing Agency, Ahead of Time. http://twitter.com/montymetzger
This “Social Media for Social Activism” musical event will support the charity project “Schule ohne Stress” (Schools without Stress) and will increase awareness about the positive effects of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique on creativity, intelligence, brain functioning and academic performance.
The legendary folk-rock pop troubadour Donovan began his career as an itinerant folk musician and created acoustic hits like Catch The Wind, Colours, Mellow Yellow, and Buffy Saint Marie’s Universal Soldier. Other megahits include Jennifer Juniper, Sunshine Superman, Hurdy Gurdy Man, Season of the Witch, There is a Mountain, Atlantis, and other beautiful songs, which appeared on later albums, like Sutras, produced by Rick Rubin.
Dr. Donovan Leitch is a Green-Activist and received a Doctor of Letters from the University of Hertfordshire, an honorary medal as “Officer of Arts & Letters” by the French government, and was named BMI Icon in 2009.
Donovan was one of the few artists to collaborate on songs with the Beatles, contributing lyrics and vocals to the song Yellow Submarine. Donovan influenced Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison in their guitar styles, and during his career played with folk music greats Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan, as well as rock musicians Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones.
This is Donovan’s first global World Wide Web performance—a musical historic event. The concert is sold out! Viewers wishing to join Team DONOVAN and make a donation are invited to visit betterplace.org. Donations start from 1 Euro! http://www.betterplace.org/groups/donovan
Mellow Fellow Donovan
December 28, 2009
MELLOW FELLOW; Crowned a musical icon, Donovan has other priorities…: such as introducing Scotland to transcendental meditation
By JOHN DINGWALL
He is the singer-songwriter who helped out The Beatles.
And his music is still enjoyed four decades after he found fame thanks to a brilliant back catalogue that includes hits such as Mellow Yellow and Hurdy Gurdy Man.
Donovan, 63, has recently been recognised as a legend with a BMI Awards Icon Award but talking to the singer there are none of the airs and graces you might expect from someone who can regard himself as being right up there with the legends of pop and rock royalty.
Instead, Donovan is down to earth. And right now he is more concerned with saving Ayrshire’s River Doon from environmental catastrophe than bragging about his own career highs.
To help the river, Donovan has put a new melody to the famous Burns poem The Banks O’ Doon in the year of Homecoming Live.
His rendition of the Burns poem aims to highlight the plight of the Doon, which is under threat from new power company plans to divert the famous river, which inspired many of Burns’ famous poems.
Donovan revealed: “Everything that can be done to save it is so important. I’ve even recorded a song to raise awareness called Save The Doon, which is available on iTunes.”
Instead of trying to plug his music, Donovan wants Scots to get behind a petition to save the river, insisting I mention http://www.savethedoon.com.
Clearly a man with a conscience, Donovan is finally being recognised for his influence on pop and rock despite starting out as a folk musician.
His BMI award recognises the UK and European songwriters and publishers of the past year’s most played BMI songs on US radio and television. The Icon designation is given to BMI songwriters who have bestowed “a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.”
He has joined an elite list of past honorees that includes Bryan Ferry, Peter Gabriel, Ray Davies, Van Morrison, the Bee Gees, Isaac Hayes, Dolly Parton, James Brown, Willie Nelson, Hall & Oates, Paul Simon, Steve Winwood and many more.
It’s a fitting tribute to the singer who transformed popular music in the 1960s and went on to build a legendary career. In the 1960s, he enjoyed 11 consecutive Top 40 hits, including Mellow Yellow, Sunshine Superman, Wear Your Love Like Heaven, There Is a Mountain, Lalena, Epistle to Dippy, Atlantis, Hurdy Gurdy Man, and Jennifer Juniper, all of which he wrote.
His songs have contributed to the soundtracks of films and TV series including Goodfellas, Election, Dumb and Dumber, Rushmore, The Simpsons, Nip/Tuck, Ugly Betty and Clueless.
A huge influence on The Beatles, Donovan became one of an elite handful of artists who collaborated on songs with the band.
He recalled: “I was a friend of The Beatles and I remember being at my place in London one Sunday morning and there was a knock on the door. It was Paul McCartney standing there with his guitar.
“He said, ‘I’ve got this song but I’m having trouble with the lyrics.’ So I told him to come in and he sang a bit of Yellow Submarine. I went into the other room and worked on it for a bit then came back out and sang him a line for the song.
“He said, ‘That’ll do.’ It was funny because The Beatles were really famous and almost to prove the point a policeman came to the door and said, ‘Mr. McCartney, is that your car parked there?’ In those days on a Sunday morning, the streets would be deserted. There was Paul’s sports car badly parked. Instead of giving him a ticket, the policeman asked if he could have the car keys to move it for him. That was the way it was in those days. Even then The Beatles were like royalty.”
Donovan was just 18 years old when he made his first records in 1964, immediately drawing comparisons with Bob Dylan.
He said: “Every British band from the Stones to the Beatles were copying all the American pop and blues artists – this is the way young artists learn. There’s no shame in mimicking a hero or two – it flexes the creative muscles and tones the quality of our composition and technique. I sounded like him for five minutes – others made a career of his sound.”
While Beatlemania was gripping the UK and the US, in 1965, Donovan’s song Catch the Wind earned an Ivor Novello Award for best contemporary folk song. It was the first time the honor was bestowed on an artist’s debut single. Hard at work on a new album entitled Ritual Groove, Donovan is planning to tour throughout 2010, giving him a chance to return to his roots.
Born and brought up in Maryhill, Glasgow, he is hoping to establish Scotland’s first university in Transcendental Meditation.
Donovan said: “During the past two years myself and my wife Linda and David Lynch have traveled the world, presenting the meditation technique of Maharishi Mahesh, Yogi and attracting mass media attention. The technique is now transforming education and students wellbeing wherever it has been introduced.”
It was in 1968 that Donovan, The Beatles, Paul Horn and other seekers of enlightenment went to India to study with their teacher Maharishi. On his return Donovan was at the forefront in promoting meditation to the West.
He said: “The Beatles and I had searched for a teacher of meditation, as we knew from our studies of the books that this was the way truly to make humankind aware of what we were doing to each other and to bring peace to the world .We found Maharishi and he found us.”
In April of this year, the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace, of which Donovan is the musical wing, put together an incredible line-up of Donovan, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr, for a concert at Radio City Music Hall, New York City.
Lynch, best known for films such as Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, has acknowledged the important role that Donovan’s example gave in bringing him to meditation 39 years ago.
Donovan said: “We had earmarked some land just outside Edinburgh and planned to name it the Donovan University of Transcendental Meditation or the Transcendental Meditation University but there are some hoops that we’d have to go through.
“David Lynch and I have introduced it to schools all over America and it has done wonders for the children’s self-esteem. If they could introduce it here it might give a lot of kids self respect they need to go on and make something of their lives.”
(c) 2009 Sunday Mail; Glasgow (UK). Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
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The American Chronicle, California Chronicle, Los Angeles Chronicle, World Sentinel, and affiliates are online magazines for national, international, state, and local news. We also provide opinion and feature articles. We have over 5,000 contributors, over 100,000 articles, and over 11 million visitors annually.DLF.TV Visits Billy Corgan
November 21, 2009Smashing Pumpkins’ Drummer Auditions Documented in Video
Posted on Nov 19th 2009 4:00PM by Adam Horne
Back in September, we reported that Billy Corgan had found a replacement for original Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin after a quick open casting call. Corgan’s choice of 19-year-old Portland, Ore. native Mike Byrne came as a huge surprise — but in the following video, we’re given a glimpse into the audition process that resulted in the eyebrow-raising pick.
The documentary footage shows the wide-eyed teenager living out the thrill of a lifetime as viewers are made witness to the birth of a musical relationship.
The candid footage comes courtesy of the David Lynch Foundation (DLF.TV), a non-profit artist promotion network, film house and meditation advocacy group founded by the controversial filmmaker. Lynch, whose dark, dreamlike work has plenty in common with the Pumpkins’ musical output, is a noted fan of Corgan’s. “Billy Corgan is a Magical Musician-a singer-songwriter with his own unique voice and way,” he says. “A deep honest coolness emerges every time and his music has big lasting power.”
This documentary short is not the first item the two artists have in common. Back in 1997, Corgan penned a song for Lynch’s film ‘Lost Highway,’ a story he shares in the interview portion of the video. Without giving too much away, let’s just say Shaquille O’Neal is involved. Have a look below.
See “BILLY CORGAN IS A MAGICAL MUSICIAN” DECLARES DAVID LYNCH
McCartney wins over Fairfield audience in U.S. debut concert
November 20, 2009
Art Scene, Blogs
REVIEW: McCartney wins over Fairfield audience in U.S. debut concert
Posted on Nov 15, 2009 by Diana Nollen.
By Diana Nollen
FAIRFIELD — The face is the same, but the voice might even be better.
It can’t be easy to be a Beatles baby. How are you supposed to carve your musical niche when you look and sound so much like your dad?
Shave your head, for starters.
Even without hair, James McCartney is still the spitting image of his famous father. It’s those eyes. And those glorious tenor pipes.
The younger McCartney, 32, made his U.S. concert debut Saturday night, playing back-to-back sold-out concerts at the Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Fairfield.
The evening was a triple treat for audience members, who showered the artists multiple standing ovations throughout. McCartney and his bandmates opened the show with 40 minutes of blistering rock ’n’ roll, followed by Pleasantville native turned New York blues belter Laura Dawn and The Little Death.
Sixties folk icon Donovan wrapped up the show with his timeless hits, including “Hurdy Gurdy Man,” “Season of the Witch,” “Colours,” “Lalena” and “Riki Tiki Tavi,” calling all the performers back onstage for “Mellow Yellow.”
The eclectic event was part of the fourth annual David Lynch “Change Begins Within” Weekend at Maharishi University. Lynch, filmmaker and director of “The Elephant Man,” “Blue Velvet,” “Mulholland Drive” and “Twin Peaks,” stepped into the spotlight to welcome the audience and introduce the musicians.
While all the bands were terrific, I was most interested in hearing McCartney and company. OK, and secretly hoping his dad would be in the audience or watching from the wings. (If he was, I didn’t see him.)
Besides genetic blessings, the young McCartney has the material to make a name for himself. He just needs to find a little more confidence to allow himself to relax and connect with his listeners. He introduced each song by title, and thanked the audience sincerely, but he often began his songs by turning his back to the audience and looking at his bass player. And most of his songs just ended abruptly or with a sigh.
His material, written over 10 years is in the final stages of being turned into a CD, deals with themes of social consciousness, friendship and spirituality. Some are ballads, some have a punk edge, others have a Middle Eastern flair and most just showcase a good, solid rock edge.
He has a knack for thoughtful, careful lyrics, sung in a crystal-clear tone, and he’s equally adept at guitar and keyboards.
With a little more experience and exposure, he could easily have a more lustrous career than Sean or Julian Lennon.
Audience Goes Wild for James McCartney
November 15, 2009
This Burlington Hawk Eye article was picked up by NewsBlaze.
Audience Goes Wild for James McCartney
By Bob Saar
Rocker James McCartney played his U.S. debut last night at Fairfield’s new Sondheim Center. The two shows were part of the David Lynch Foundation’s fourth annual “Change Begins Within” weekend at Maharishi University.
McCartney, son of Beatle Paul, opened a three-ring musical circus that included Iowan Laura Dawn and folk legend Donovan.
“It’s very different having a famous father,” film director Lynch quipped when introducing McCartney. “My father was Elvis Presley.”
The audience, heavily weighted with aging ’60s boomers, went wild when the 32-year-old singer/guitarist walked on stage with Light, his band.
The four-piece slammed right into their first number as a video crew taped the show for the DLF Web site.
McCartney’s’ music was racy and frenetic, and the 400-plus seat Sondheim has well-designed acoustics that allowed the amps-on-stage rock band to deliver without overwhelming.
James looks a bit like Paul with a shaved head. Ah, those eyes. He is not left-handed, and he played a Fender Stratocaster given to him by Carl Perkins.
His voice was high and clear like his father’s, but at times, he sounded more like John Lennon when roughing things up.
“James has a way with melody and a set of pipes which are more than a match for his dad’s,” Lynch said.
His songwriting style has eerie nuances of the Beatles. “Spirit Guides,” featuring McCartney on piano, bore a haunting resemblance to “Lady Madonna.”
Every song charged ahead with strange melodies flavored with grunge, perhaps like Nirvana covering side two of Abbey Road, backed by the Ramones.
McCartney was stoic, mumbling only song titles between songs.
Laura Dawn and her New York blues-rock band Little Death came out blazing away and had the audience on its feet and dancing before their first song was 12 bars deep.
Dawn, a native of Pleasantville, is a stunning vocalist at the wheel of a powerhouse. She’s somewhat like Janice Joplin before the booze and cigarettes, or perhaps Martina McBride after a night of heavy pubcrawling.
Little Death and their sweetly trashed-out backup duo – the Death Threats – blasted the audience into happy submission, a road-and-bar band with a refined stage presence.
1960s legend Donovan closed the show with a set of hits, from “Catch the Wind” to “Sunshine Superman,” delivered in his trademark quavering voice. Donovan, along with the Beatles and the Beach Boys, brought Transcendental Meditation out of India into Western thought, which ultimately brought Fairfield to the forefront of the practice.
Little Death and the redressed and fully sequined Death Threats backed the folksinger for most of his set. The finale featured the entire cast, including McCartney, singing “Mellow Yellow” with Donovan and the crowd.
After the show, someone asked McCartney if he enjoyed playing in Iowa.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” the taciturn singer said. “Definitely.”
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My Comment:
*WOW! Saar nailed it-every part of it! And the second set was even livelier. Donovan invited Fairfield guitarist Arthur Lee Land on stage for his last two finales, that had Dawn’s husband, lead guitarist Daron Murphy, trading solos with Lee Land, leading to a coherent close, which brought the audience to its feet. What a night! Thank you David Lynch and Fairfield!!
SOURCE: http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/McCartney-review-111509
Other news coverage: McCartney wins over Fairfield audience in U.S. debut concert and Paul McCartney’s son says he’s ready to follow in dad’s footsteps. A few years later James McCartney sings Angel on David Letterman, and performed at the Sundance Film Festival. Enjoy this popular news story: Paul McCartney and Nancy show up to see James play, and surprise the small Brighton club audience.
The Uncarved Blog 