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The David Lynch Foundation's Transcendental Meditation benefit on
Saturday (April 4) in New York became a Beatles reunion of sorts as
Ringo Starr joined Paul McCartney on stage for the show's
three-song finale.
The pair's stint onstage together at Radio City
Music Hall began with "A Little Help From My Friends" and ended
with that sentiment in action as the night's many performers -
including Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow, Donovan, Ben
Harper, Moby and the Beach Boys' Mike Love - performed "I Saw Her
Standing There" to a standing ovation.
The sold-out "Change Begins Within" show, whose proceeds the
Lynch Foundation will use to benefit one million at risk youth via
meditation, marks the first time McCartney and Starr have played
together since November 2002's Concert For George in London on the
first anniversary of George Harrison's death. Headliner McCartney
thrilled the capacity crowd of 6,000 with a 12-song set that also
included Wings hits "Band On The Run" and "Jet" alongside Beatles
classics "Let It Be" and "Can't Buy Me Love." Before playing 1968's
"Blackbird," McCartney explained he had written the song with the
60s civil rights movement in mind and noted that, "in light of
Obama's election, there is change."
McCartney's run capped a four-hour evening filled with
interesting juxtapositions of musicians -- from a Black Flag
t-shirt wearing Moby and soul singer Bettye LaVette producing a
spot-on version of his "Natural Blues" with some help from
Connecticut's Weaver High School TM Choir, to the odder spectacle
of My Morning Jacket's Jim James handling co-vocals with Donovan on
the latter's "Hurdy Gurdy Man."
On the heels of a well-received surprise routine from Jerry
Seinfeld, Eddie Vedder and Ben Harper earned the evening's first
standing ovation with an inspired cover of "Under Pressure" which
featured Vedder handling David Bowie's parts while Harper nailed
Freddie Mercury's. "Change Begins Within" also featured
performances from pianist Angelo Badalamenti and flautist Paul
Horn.
Hosted by director David Lynch and actress Laura Dern, the show
was studded with mentions of the Beatles' 1968 trip to India to
meditate with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and videos and stories of
meditation helping students nationwide. Sheryl Crow and Ben Harper
duetted on George Harrison's appropriate "My Sweet Lord" and even
surprise speaker Howard Stern had a few things to say about the
power of meditation.
Ringo Starr gave the crowd the night's first real taste of the
Beatles as he had Crow and Vedder handle backup on "Yellow
Submarine" at the tail end of his mini-set right before McCartney
took the stage.
After McCartney led the full ensemble on the final notes of the
night's last song, "I Saw Her Standing There," he and Starr hugged
every person on stage before jokingly trying to out-mug each other
for the center stage spotlight, and the whole crowd cheered until
the stage was empty.
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