7 Great Moments from FireAid: Concert for a Cause
Organized to support the communities affected by the LA wildfires, FireAid is a benefit concert aimed at raising funds for the victims. The concert was held at two LA venues: the show at the Kia Forum started at 10 p.m. EST / 7 p.m. PST, while performances at the Intuit Dome began at 10:30 p.m. EST / 7:30 p.m. PST.
Per the concert organizers, contributions made to FireAid “will be distributed under the advisement of the Annenberg Foundation and will be distributed for short-term relief efforts and long-term initiatives to prevent future fire disasters throughout Southern California.”
Philanthropist husband and wife Steve and Connie Ballmer pledged to match every dollar donated during the livestream, dollar for dollar. With performances by some of the most well-known names in the music industry, this concert not only showcases incredible talent but also highlights the importance of coming together to support communities in need.
FireAid Surprise Appearances
Green Day opened the event at the Kia Forum by performing their song “Last Night on Earth,” featuring Billie Eilish, who joined the band during the song’s second verse.
Anderson .Paak, with legendary drummer, Sheila E. (best well known for working with Prince, as well as having her string of solo hits in the ’80s), performed next. Their set included a surprise appearance from Dr. Dre. He performed “Still D.R.E.” then “California Love” and ended the set saying, “All love Los Angeles. Appreciate you. Thank you.”
Personal Experiences
Celebrities and non-celebrities shared their personal experiences. When Harry Met Sally actor Billy Crystal took the Fireaid stage to announce that the first major donation of the night came from U2, totaling $1 million. He also shared a personal story about when he lost his home, revealing that he was wearing the same clothes that he had on during that difficult time—the same clothes he wore for an entire week.
Abbott Elementary‘s Quinta Brunson introduced Aurora Barboza Flores, a Glendale High School math teacher who saved for 21 years to pay for her home, a home that is now gone. Flores said, “Everything was gone, but I did manage to find one thing: a dish that I used to keep my jewelry in. It had an inscription which read, ‘I think I’ll just be happy today.’ Sometimes that’s all we can do, even though it’s hard.”
Miles Teller, one of the celebrities forced to evacuate and lose his home, introduced Chad Comey, “his neighbor,” who shared how he lost his home and evacuated his disabled parents. Among the possessions he lost was a drumstick from Green Day. Teller mentioned that Green Day’s drummer, Tré Cool, heard about the story. Cool surprised Comey by joining them onstage and giving him a new drumstick.
Appreciation for the First Responders
Alanis Morisette, wearing an “I Love LA” shirt took to the stage at Kia Forum singing “Hand in My Pocket.” She also sang “Thank U,” and the screen behind her flashed what appeared to be social media posts showing appreciation for first responders.
Samuel L. Jackson kicked off the event at the Intuit Dome. He also expressed his appreciation for the first responders who continue to prioritize others, even after losing their own homes and invited a Pasadena firefighter of 18 years with his family onto the stage.
Eclectic Mix of Performers Across Various Genres
Legends Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sting, Stevie Nicks, the Black Crowes who brought out Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, John Fogerty, Pink, Joni Mitchell, Mike Campbell from Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, and Stephen Stills—who was joined by his former bandmate Graham Nash, also performed as well. No Doubt, who last performed at Coachella last year, also got together for the show.
Sir Rod Stewart performed at the Intuit Dome and sang “Forever Young” with the audience joining in. John Mayer who was supposed to perform with Dave Matthews, who canceled his appearance because of a family emergency, performed acoustic versions of his songs. Mayer later introduced the band, No Doubt who performed their hit song “Don’t Speak.”
Lil Baby performed “So Sorry” and “Emotionally Scarred.” Red Hot Chili Peppers followed him and sang “Californication” to the loud cheers of the crowd. Peso Pluma, dressed in all white, sang “La Bebe.”
Pop and Country Moments
Gracie Abrams, who grew up in Palisades, performed “I Love You, I’m Sorry” and expressed her gratitude towards first responders; she also discussed how music has brought people together to help the communities impacted by the fires. Tate McRae also performed and told the crowd how she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. She also thanked everyone who showed up at FireAid and every artist who performed.
Country music star Jelly Roll also performed and brought out Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker as he asked the audience to “sing for those Hollywood nights, baby!” They performed the iconic classic rock song “Hollywood Nights” by Bob Seger. While performing, the screen behind them showed the Hollywood sign, seemingly debunking the fake news that falsely reported the iconic sign burned down during the wildfires.
Katy Perry performed “Rise” with the Pasadena Chorale. She also sang “Roar” and then ended the set with “California Girls” while waving the state flag while the audience sang and danced along with her.
Olivia Rodrigo, who is one of the final performers, sang her hit songs “driver’s license” and “deja vu,” she said a lot of her songs are about her life in L.A.
Sting introduced Billie Eilish, who had earlier appeared with Green Day, for her own set, and the crowd went wild. She performed acoustically, with her brother Finneas, playing the guitar.
Surprise Nirvana Tribute
The audience at the Kia Forum was treated to a pleasant surprise when the surviving members of Nirvana (Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear) performed a brief set of their songs, with special guest singers St. Vincent, Joan Jett and former Sonic Youth member Kim Gordon, along with Dave’s daughter, Violet Grohl.
Fitting Finale
Jimmy Kimmel jokingly introduced himself as Olivia Rodrigo, then went on to thank not just the first responders, but also everyone who took action to help others during the fires and in the aftermath, including teachers, chefs, artists, and the many inmates who risked their lives to help control the fires. He then introduced the artist who would close the night and asked the crowd to give Lady Gaga an LA welcome.
Lady Gaga closed Fireaid after almost six hours. She mentioned that she had been having a hard time deciding which of her songs would be appropriate for the occasion, so she wrote one with her fiancé, Michael Polansky. Part of the song’s chorus goes: “All I need is time / All I need is time / All I need is time to heal my broken wings, and then I’ll soar,” giving a message of hope.
Although the concert is now over, you can still donate to Fireaid here.
