James McCartney to make American debut in Fairfield

FAIRFIELD -- Rocker musician James McCartney will play his debut U.S. concert Nov. 14 at Maharishi University in Fairfield -- a little more than 40 years after his Beatles father, Paul, traveled to Rishikesh, India, to study Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

The global buzz created by that historic India visit helped to spread meditation to an entire generation of young people - and helped inspire the founding of Maharishi U in the early 1970s.

The  concert will begin at 9:15 p.m. in the Stephen Sondheim Center  for the Performing Arts, 200 N. Main St. Tickets are $23 to $43, available through www.iowatix.com and the Sondheim Center box office, (641) 472-2787, open noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 14. ($100 VIP seating available through box office only.)

 James McCartney will perform on the same stage with Donovan (who joined the Beatles in Rishikesh) during the fourth annual David Lynch “Change Begins Within” Weekend, set for Nov. 13 to 16. Blueser Laura Dawn and her group The Little Death will fill out the bill.

According to The Sun of London, “James has a way with melody and a set of pipes, which are more than a match for his dad's.”

In April, Paul McCartney headlined a benefit concert at Radio City Music Hall with Ringo Starr, Donovan, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Cheryl Crow, Moby, Paul Horn, Bettye LaVette, and Jim James. The concert helped raise funds for the David Lynch Foundation's global initiative to teach one million at-risk youth to meditate.

In a statement released for the Nov. 14 concert, James McCartney talked about his musical heritage and his band:

“I have been playing music since I was 9 and writing along the way. I met my band about a year ago. Producer David Kahne introduced us - and my dad, Paul, helped. I am currently recording an album. The band consists of me, 32, on guitar, piano, and vocals; Brian Johnson, 28, on drums; Steven Bayley, 32, on guitar, synthesizers, toy piano, and harmonies; and Charles Turner, 27, on bass and harmonies.

“The music was inspired by The Beatles, Nirvana, The Cure, PJ Harvey, Radiohead - and all good music. It is basically rock ‘n ‘roll, clean sounding, and vocal.

“My dad taught me guitar when I was 9. I play a Fender Stratocaster, which Carl Perkins gave me from the ‘70s, and a Gibson Les Paul that my dad gave me - heart red.

“I am from London and Sussex, Brian and Charlie are from Allerton, Liverpool, where my dad grew up, and Steve is from Birmingham. Brian and Charlie used to be in the Dead 60s and Steve used to be in The Open.

“We are currently on tour. We are mixing our album in Hog Hill Studio, Sussex. The words on the album refer to spirituality, love, family, trying to sort out one's own life, and many other things. I have written the songs over a 10-year period.”