FireAid Draws Music’s Biggest Stars
Music Icons Come Out and Reunite For The Mega-Funraiser
Three weeks after a violent series of historic wildfires killed 29 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures in the Los Angeles area, more than two dozen of music’s biggest names gathered for the Fire Aid Benefit Concert on Thursday, January 30th. Labeled as “an evening of music and solidarity,” organizers set out to raise money for affected residents and to “prevent future fire disasters throughout Southern California.” There were so many musicians wanting to help to the cause, that what was initially set as a single event turned into dual concerts at the newly opened Intuit Dome and local landmark Kia Forum, both of which were streamed for free on major streaming services, social media like YouTube and TikTok and broadcast stations. What we saw was absolutely spectacular.
Billie Eilish, Gracie Abrams, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Baby, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Tate McRae and Earth, Wind and Fire were among the stars who performed at Intuit Dome.
Taking the stage at Kia Forum were Alanis Morissette, Anderson Paak, John Mayer, Dawes, Graham Nash, Green Day, John Fogerty, Joni Mitchell, Pink, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stephen Stills, Stevie Nicks and The Black Crowes.
There were also two mind blowing reunions on Thursday night as well. The members of No Doubt — Gwen Stefani, Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal and Adrian Young – came back to form their old band at FireAid and played some of their biggest hits, including “Just a Girl,” “Spiderwebs” and “Don’t Speak.” The band wasted no time getting the audience on their feet, with Stefani exclaiming her love for L.A. and leading the audience through two singalongs in those three songs, throwing in specific references like “I’m just a girl… in L.A.!” Her voice was in stellar form and the band was as tight as ever- with exasperating smiles. Maybe what we witnessed might lead to a new tour?
The shock of the night was most certainly a reformation of former Nirvana band members (watch here) Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear as they played with various front women, as the internet dubbed them Girl-vana. The line up featured St. Vincent, Kim Gordon and Joan Jett, each stepping in for the late Kurt Cobain. As the band readied its last song, Novoselic walked to the mic and introduced Violet Grohl, the drummer’s 18-year-old daughter. A novelty to be sure, but when they launched into the opening chords of “All Apologies,” it became something more than that. The young Grohl eased into a hypnotic version of the classic and monumental tune with an assurance and passion that still has me reeling in awe. You could see proud papa on the kit in the background, trying to keep time with his offspring as he was welling up with emotion.
Green Day opened the Forum show with their song “Last Night on Earth,” featuring a surprise appearance by Billie Eilish, and then followed up with their anthem “Still Breathing” off their 2016 album Revolution Radio and their 1994 hit “When I Come Around” from their sophomore record Dookie. After Green Day’s performance, comedian/actor Billy Crystal (who lost his house of 46 years to the Palisade’s fire) welcomed the audience and announced that the band U2 had just made a $1 million donation, which was being matched to equal $2 million.
Another wonderful performance came about when Pink took to the stage. Pink sang a stripped-down acoustic set (click the link to watch) including a cover of Janis Joplin’s heartfelt 1971 hit “Me and Bobby McGee,” and a gorgeous version of Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”. Later, Slash made a surprise cameo, joining the Black Crowes to perform another Led Zeppelin song “Going to California.”
Those who weren’t introduced by their lineup peers were either introduced by Hollywood actors, first responders, or victims of the devastating fires, which the event aims to aid. The whole evening provided a poignant reminder of the power of music and community.
Another wonderful pairing was Stevie Wonder and Sting, who joined forces on “Superstition.” Their voices worked so well together, with Sting on backup and occasionally swapping lyrics. The act went to the next level when beloved Red Hot Chilli Peppers bassist Flea emerged, and Sting stuck around for a “Higher Ground” jam session.
Lady Gaga closed out the mega-concert (watch here) and fundraiser with a pure banger. Rather than performing a song from her existing catalog to end the evening, Gaga explained to the crowd, “When I was thinking about what to sing tonight, I thought I wanted to do something hopeful for you. And I was thinking about my songs, and there wasn’t anything that seemed quite right.” She continued, “So, me and my friend Michael — my fiancé, my love — we wrote this song for you. It’s just for tonight. It’s just for you. I think we all need a lot of things right now, but I think something we may also need is time. Time is a healer.” She concluded this statement with the debut of “All I Need Is Time”.
There is no mention just yet of how much money was generated through the benefit show, but no amount will be enough to cover the loss of lives and homes throughout California. Our Rock Oracle hearts go out to those victims of this horrifying disaster.