FireAid benefit concert: Follow live performances
The FireAid benefit concert on Jan. 30 will go down in history not only because it features some of the biggest names in music taking the same stage, but for the message of hope and unity those artists spread. And, hopefully, their performances will raise a monumental sum to aid in recovery and rebuilding.
So many musicians wanted to bring their spotlight to the cause, that what was initially set as a single event turned into dual concerts, both of which will be streamed for free on major streaming services, social media like YouTube and TikTok and broadcast stations.
Performers at the newly opened Intuit Dome include Billie Eilish, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Baby, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Tate McRae and Earth, Wind & Fire.
At L.A. landmark Kia Forum, Alanis Morissette, Graham Nash, Green Day, John Fogerty, Joni Mitchell, No Doubt, Pink, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stephen Stills, Stevie Nicks, the Black Crowes and John Mayer will perform.
Contributions made to FireAid at fireaidla.org will be distributed under the advisement of the Annenberg Foundation and all proceeds will go directly to the event's designated beneficiaries.
Follow along as we take you inside the fundraiser concerts from inside the Intuit Dome.
The Los Angeles-bred band, some of whose members lost homes in the fires, offered the apropos 'Time Spent in Los Angeles.'
Following Dawes' ode to their hometown, frontman Taylor Goldsmith, who is married to singer/actress Mandy Moore, welcomed Stephen Stills and storied member of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers Mike Campbell to the stage. The whole crew ambled through 'For What It's Worth,' the Stills-penned Buffalo Springfield classic written during his time in the band. Stills and Campbell traded guitar licks during an extended outro to the '60s anti-war anthem.
Another member of the folk-pop legends, Graham Nash, joined the team, giving a squeeze to 'my partner for many years,' Stills, as he walked to the microphone.
'Whenever Los Angeles gets into trouble, the musicians are right there and I'm proud to be one of them,' Nash said.
With Stills at his right side, Nash strummed his guitar through a rendition of Crosby, Stills and Nash's 'Teach Your Children.'
Sitting in her gilded throne in a black velvet pantsuit, black hat and sunglasses, the woman synonymous with Laurel Canyon music prompted goosebumps and teary eyes with a deeply felt 'Both Sides Now.' At 81, Mitchell's songs are imbued with the wisdom of age, and her reading of the lyric 'something's lost and something's gained in living every day,' augmented with tenor saxophone, was particularly poignant.
The multitalented .Paak hit the drums for 'Put Me Thru,' his Koreatown hoodie showcasing his allegiance to the historic Los Angeles neighborhood.
During the song, he and Sheila E. engaged in a drum-off, with the 67-year-old behind 'The Glamorous Life' high kicking atop her percussion setup.
'Our hearts go out to everyone,' Paak said. 'But as far as I'm concerned, this is one of the greatest nights in LA history.'
.Paak and his soul-funk band bounced through 'Come Down,' leading the crowd in a wave-along, but The Forum audience really roared when Dr. Dre strolled out to 'Still D.R.E.'
'This year will be 40 years I'm in the business,' Dre told the crowd before a not-unexpected segue into Tupac Shakur's signature song, 'California Love,' Dre and .Paak simultaneously spitting rhymes while Sheila E. added a percussive undercurrent before tossing her cymbal stand across the stage.
Green Day kicked off the Kia Forum FireAid show with a subdued version of 'Last Night on Earth.' As singer Billie Joe Armstrong, playing acoustic guitar, started the chorus of 'sending all my love to you,' Billie Eilish, wearing a striped polo and tie, walked out as a surprise (she is scheduled for the Intuit Dome show starting later). The two Billies shared the chorus in front of a backdrop of stirring photos of fire rescue efforts.
Green Day's set also included 'Still Breathing' and the band's pop-punk favorite, 'When I Come Around,' featuring a blond Armstrong shouting out many of the California cities destroyed by the fires, including Altadena and Pacific Palisades. 'We are in this together,' he yelled.
Sporting an 'I (Heart) LA' black T-shirt as she roamed the stage for 'Hand in My Pocket,' Morisette led the crowd in a singalong of her 1995 hit, waving her hands overhead in a peace sign to underscore the lyrics and playing harmonica throughout.
'The connections that have been born from this tragedy are deeply heartening,' she said, adding a thanks to first responders during the opening keyboard notes of 'Thank U.'
In keeping with the song's title, the video screens behind the stage showed social media posts of people thanking firefighters for their efforts.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FireAid concert performances: Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish inspire
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