Stills and Nash Reunite During L.A. Wildfire Relief Concert FireAid
'California, Los Angeles, Altadena, the Palisades — we are in this together,' Green Day's frontman Billie Joe Armstrong screamed to a sold-out crowd at L.A.'s Kia Forum on Thursday for the FireAid wildfire benefit concert.
As the first act of the star-studded evening, the iconic rock band kicked off the show with their 2009 track 'Last Night on Earth,' bringing out fellow artist Billie Eilish to perform. The group reiterated that everyone was 'in this together.'
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Taylor Swift to Present at Grammys Ceremony
Young Hollywood Executives Team for L.A. Wildfires Relief Benefit for Entertainment Community Fund
How to Watch the FireAid Los Angeles Benefit Concert Online
Actor and comedian Billy Crystal, who lost his home in the Palisades Fire, took the stage after Green Day to officially welcome the crowd. He spoke about his own experience, telling concertgoers that he was wearing the clothes he evacuated from his home in, which he wore for a week. He announced that all donations of the night would be matched by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie Snyder, the first of which came from U2, according to Crystal, who donated $1 million dollars.
Alanis Morissette and Anderson .Paak kept the evening going. Morissette performed her 1998 song 'Thank U' with messages of gratitude.
'As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the greatest nights in Los Angeles city tonight,' Paak told the crowd. The artist also gave the crowd a big surprise in the form of a special appearance of legendary rapper Dr. Dre.
'This is a magical moment for me. I've got so much love, you guys. This summer will be the mark of 40 years that I've been in this business. I appreciate all the love you've been giving me. I appreciate all the first responders and all the firemen who put their lives on the line. It's all about love for me today,' the rapper said before jumping into his and Tupac's iconic 1995 hit 'California Love.' The crowd went wild as he performed with .Paak and singer and drummer Sheila E.
Legendary singer Joni Mitchell serenaded the crowd, the 81-year-old singer making a rare live appearance. The benefit also included words from those directly impacted by the fires, including Dr. Eshele Williams, her sisters and mother from Altadena, with ties to the community dating back to 1948 when their grandmother bought a home in the area. Dr. Williams explained that between the five of them on stage, four lost homes in the fire.
'We grabbed what we could, pictures, our grandmother's special clock. We collected our father's ashes and his flag from serving in the military,' she told the crowd. 'We love our community and right now we are all grieving immense loss.'
Folk rock band Dawes performed a rendition of their 2011 song 'Time Spent in Los Angeles.' The group's frontman Taylor Goldsmith, married to actress Mandy Moore, and its drummer Griffin Goldsmith, his brother, were both directly impacted by the fire. Griffin lost his home in the fire, while Taylor lost his studio, including almost all of their instruments.
Dawes also brought out Stephen Stills to perform together before facilitating one of the biggest surprises of the night – a reunion between Stills and Graham Nash. The iconic members of Crosby, Stills and Nash performed their 1970 song, 'Teach Your Children.'
'Take care of yourself, take care of one another,' Nash finished.
Samuel L. Jackson kicked off the Intuit Dome portion of the night. The actor told the crowd the show was so big two arenas were needed. 'We've got hundreds of first responders here in the house. Let's give them a huge round of applause,' he shouted as the crowd erupted for those in the house .
Jackson introduced a Pasadena firefighter, Chien Yu, who tragically lose his Altadena home in the Eaton Fire. Yu described evacuating his family and then immediately getting to work. The actor then brought out legendary singer, and his former neighbor as he pointed out to the sold-out crowd, Rod Stewart.
The British singer kicked off the Intuit show with rendition of hit song, 'Forever Young,' telling the crowd L.A. is in his heart and soul after living in the city for 50 years. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer also performed his cover of Curtis Mayfield's 'People Get Ready' – which he noted was apropos of the current time.
John Mayer performed for the crowd at the Forum, including his cover of Tom Petty's 'Free Fallin' before legendary group Earth, Wind & Fire took the stage at the Intuit Dome, introduced by Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson. The crowd came alive to the group's long-lasting hit 'September.' John Fogerty joined The Black Crowes for a rendition of his 1971 Creedence Clearwater Revival song, 'Have You Ever Seen the Rain?' The group also brought out Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash for a cover of Led Led Zeppelin's 'Going to California.'
A slew of industry figures were spotted at the show already. Apple's Eddy Cue was spotted with one of the show's producers, Irving Azoff. Almost Famous filmmaker Cameron Crowe was also seen in the same viewing area. Manager Roger Davies was seen at the Forum venue ahead of client Pink's performance.
Live Nation, AEG and the Azoff Company partnered with the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum in Inglewood to host the benefit show, described as an evening of music and solidarity. The concerts are being broadcast by select AMC Theatres, Apple Music and the Apple TV App, Max, iHeartRadio, KTLA+, Netflix/Tudom, Paramount+, Prime Video and the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, SiriusXM, SoundCloud, Veeps and YouTube, demonstrating how the music business is unifying around the local disaster.
Proceeds from the concert will go toward a 501(c)(3) created for the event that will focus on rebuilding infrastructure, supporting displaced families and advancing fire prevention technologies and strategies to ensure L.A. is better prepared for fire emergencies.
FireAid is being produced by Shelli and Irving Azoff and the Azoff family, in conjunction with Live Nation and AEG Presents.
This post will be updated throughout the show.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More
Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2024: Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Olivia Rodrigo and More
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vogue
36 minutes ago
- Vogue
The Millennial-ness of Meghan Markle's Instagram
On June 4—the day of her daughter Lilibet's fourth birthday—Meghan Markle posted three different Instagrams. Yes, three. The first was a slideshow that included two heavily filtered black and white photographs of the Duchess holding her daughter. One seemed to have been taken fairly recently; the other just after she was born. The second was a slideshow of a sepia-toned photo of Prince Harry with Lilibet as an infant, followed by video of Harry and a toddler Lilibet walking in Montecito. And the third? Well, that's going to take a new paragraph. It's a video. Taken in a hospital room. For the first few seconds Meghan, heavily pregnant, stands awkwardly looking at a camera. Then music begins to play: Starrkeisha's 'The Baby Momma Dance.' She begins to move to the music, at one point, dropping it low. Prince Harry eventually comes into frame, waving his arms. 'Four years ago today, this also happened. Both of our children were a week past their due dates… so when spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn't work—there was only one thing left to do!' Meghan captioned the video. If you visit certain corners of the internet or read certain papers, you'll find yourself amongst a populus convinced that Meghan Markle is some sort of manipulative, narcissistic mastermind. ('She wanted to be the victim because then she could convince Harry that it was an unbearable experience and they had no choice but to move to America,' an anonymous source told The Times of London. 'She marches around like a dictator in high heels, fuming and barking orders. I've watched her reduce grown men to tears,' another anonymous source told The Hollywood Reporter.) I'm not a psychiatrist. So I'll refrain from weighing on what personality traits Markle does, or does not, have. Nor have I ever met Meghan. So I'll also refrain from commenting on what she is, or is not, like. But I won't refrain from this: Markle's Instagram presence makes her seem so... harmlessly millennial. Everything has a filter. (She loves a black-and-white photo). Captions contain the crying laughing emoji. (Gen Z prefers the skull.) She posts mood boards with cheesy sayings that seem plucked from Pinterest: 'You cannot make everybody happy. You are not a jar of Nutella,' or 'I love you with all my butt. I would say heart, but my butt is bigger.' There are also video slideshows and random photos with text overlaid. ('My husband's hat gets a twirl,' reads a red caption over a photo of Prince Harry's cowboy hat from Kemo Sabe.)
Tom's Guide
2 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
'The Last of Us' creators confirm Ellie won't be the main character in season 3 — here's what we know
For many fans, Ellie has been the heart and soul of 'The Last of Us' since day one. So hearing she won't be the main character in season 3 might sound like a big change to some. But honestly, I'm not surprised. Having played the second game, this shift makes perfect sense. Instead, the next season will focus on Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever. The game itself split the story into parts: starting with Ellie's revenge, then shifting to Abby's perspective, and finally bringing their stories together in a powerful third act. It looks like the show is following that same approach, focusing on Abby's story next before their paths cross again. At an Emmys FYC event (h/t The Hollywood Reporter), co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann shared more details about 'The Last of Us' season 3. Druckmann said: The decisions [we made] are just what the story required, and even now, it's like I can't believe that they let us structure the series in this way. Meaning like we just ended season two, and season three is going to be starring — spoiler alert — Kaitlyn.' You may like He then continued: 'I was sure that they wouldn't let us do this when we started adapting this, but they've leaned into what makes, I believe, the story special. And allowed us not only the time but the creative freedom to be able to take these swings, and I think the audience really appreciates that.' Of course, that's not to say Ellie won't appear at all. It's likely she'll still play a significant role, especially since her story and Abby's are so deeply intertwined. The way the game handled their narratives showed just how connected their journeys are even when the focus shifts between them. So fans can probably expect to see Ellie's presence throughout season 3, but from a different angle or in a supporting role as Abby takes the lead. Spoilers ahead for both "The Last of Us" season 2 and the Part II game. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. What we can expect to see in 'The Last of Us' season 3 (Image credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO) Season 2 ended right at that explosive confrontation between Ellie and Abby, so it makes sense that season 3 will rewind a bit to show Abby's path leading up to that moment in the theater. The finale took us back to 'Seattle Day One,' which pretty much confirms that season 3 will follow Abby through that same timeline, picking up after Joel's death and diving into her life within the Washington Liberation Front (WLF). Just like in the game, the show is set to peel back the layers of Abby's story and explore her motivations, what she's lost, and the emotional weight she carries. We'll see her from a new angle: as someone dealing with her own grief. The more time we spend with her, and the more we learn about the people she loves and protects, the harder it becomes to see her as just the enemy. (Image credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO) 'It's more of a water season than a fire season,' Druckmann said at the FYC event, as Mazin backed that up, saying 'It's a wetter season than a hotter season.' So, what exactly does a 'weter season' mean? It's a pretty poetic way to describe a shift in tone and it actually lines up with what we know so far. If season 2 was all fire (like anger and revenge), then season 3 being 'wetter' might suggest something slower. Maybe we'll see a more emotionally driven story, one that deals with the weight of grief especially from Abby's side. Mazin said: 'I think plot armor is a real problem and in a show where we try and keep things as grounded as possible, and we want people to feel in real danger, then yes, sometimes the people that we can't imagine dying die. Because, for me, this is not a show about revenge, it's a show about grief. Well, how are we supposed to grieve if nobody we truly, truly are invested in dies?' Not only is that true for Joel, but since 'The Last of Us' is built around grief, the same applies to Abby, who's still mourning her father years later. We'll likely see more of that pain through flashbacks, especially during her time with the Fireflies and the bond she shared with him. (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO) While it might feel strange for some fans who've always rooted for Ellie, this change opens the door to exploring new emotional ground. Abby's perspective is complex and harrowing, which makes the story richer and more layered. Mazin has suggested season 3 may be longer than season 2 to better accommodate Abby's extensive arc, and a fourth season may still be needed to complete the overall story. So don't expect a neat wrap-up just yet, as it's clear the showrunners are taking their time to let the narrative breathe. So while Ellie may not be front and center next season, the story is far from over — though we probably won't see season 3 until sometime around 2027. More from Tom's Guide
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Scarlett Johansson Is Nearly Unrecognizable on Set of New Film
Scarlett Johansson Is Nearly Unrecognizable on Set of New Film originally appeared on Parade. Scarlett Johansson, is that you? The Academy Award nominee, 40, was photographed looking nearly unrecognizable on the set of her upcoming film, Paper Tiger. In the photos captured on Monday, June 9, ScarJo is sporting a dramatically different look, with short, tightly curled blonde hair, understated makeup, and a casual, somewhat retro-inspired outfit that marks a noticeable departure from her usual red carpet style. Paper Tiger, directed by James Gray, is described as a crime drama thriller about two brothers pursuing the American dream who get entangled with the Russian mafia. Johansson will star alongside Miles Teller and her Marriage Story co-star Adam Driver. Originally, Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong were set to star in Paper Tiger. However, according to reports, they exited the project due to prior commitments. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 The release date for the highly anticipated film is still unknown, but thankfully, fans can catch ScarJo this July in Jurassic World Rebirth. Even with her countless praised roles and accolades, joining the Jurassic Park franchise has always been a dream for Johansson. 'I had a meeting with him and I don't actually know if he knew the depths of my Jurassic fandom, but I'm hoping that no one explained it to him too thoroughly because it maybe would've come off as being a little too much,' ScarJo explained in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month, referring to Steve Spielberg. 'Although knowing Steven now, he was excited when I shared with how much it would mean to me to play any part in Jurassic,' she added. 'I could've played it cooler and maybe I wouldn't have gotten it.' Jurassic World Rebirth hits theaters on Wednesday, July 2. Scarlett Johansson Is Nearly Unrecognizable on Set of New Film first appeared on Parade on Jun 9, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
