FireAid mixes music and stories of loss to raise money for LA wildfire relief

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Green Day kicked off the massive FireAid benefit concert Thursday night, a two-venue concert extravaganza that is raising money for Los Angeles-area wildfire relief efforts.

They launched into “Last Night on Earth” at the Kia Forum and were soon joined by Billie Eilish for the first surprise of the night. The lyrics are surprisingly astute: “If I lose everything in the fire / I’m sending all my love to you.”

After their set, Green Day frontman Billy Joe Armstrong hugged Billy Crystal, who was there to welcome to the crowd at the Kia Forum.

“Our goal is simple tonight, to spend more money than the Dodgers spent on free agents,” he joked. He told the audience U2 offered the first big donation of the night — $1 million dollars.

Crystal said he was wearing the clothes he had on when when he evacuated. He lost his home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood that he lived in for 46 years.

The first true-blue Los Angeles moment came from a surprise performance by Dr. Dre. The progenitor of West Coast hip-hop tackled “Still D.R.E.” with Anderson .Paak and Sheila E. before pivoting to Tupac and Dre’s classic “California Love.”

It was followed by the figurehead of Laurel Canyon folk, a moving set of “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell.

An hour and a half after Green Day, the show launched at the nearby Intuit Dome with presenter Samuel L. Jackson, an Altadena fire fighter who lost his home while fighting to save others and Rod Stewart.

“Here’s a new song. Not!” joked Stewart before launching into “Maggie May.”

Pink did a stripped-down version of “What About Us,” Melissa Etheridge’s “Me and Bobby McGee” and Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You.”

Music mixed with stories of fire’s toll

Behind the performers, images of firefighters and the devastation brought forth by the fires appeared on screen.

Between sets, survivors telling the stories of losing their homes were broadcast throughout the arena — both in person and in video packages.

Non-celebrities brought heart. The Williams family – four daughters and their mother – took the stage and discussed losing four homes in Altadena, California. They then introduced the folk rock band Dawes, who were also directly affected by the Eaton fire.

Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith lost a portion of the Altadena house he shares with actor-singer Mandy Moore, and his home recording studio and instruments were destroyed. Goldsmith’s brother and bandmate, Griffin Goldsmith, and his pregnant wife also lost their home in the fire.

They were joined by Stephen Stills and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell for Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” one of Stills’ groups. It made for a perfect transition for Graham Nash, who described his Crosby, Stills & Nash collaborator as his “partner of many years.”

Spirits were high. “We’re appreciative of this moment. I hope people remember this concert forever,” said Scott Jones, 54, who brought his daughter to the concert at the Kia Forum. The Los Angeles-resident and his daughter wore black T-shirts with “First Responders” written across their chests.

“I hope some of the firefighters who are able to attend can come and decompress a little,” Jones said. “They needed it. I’m supportive of what they have done for this city.”

How to watch FireAid

FireAid has taken over two Inglewood, California, venues — the Kia Forum and the Intuit Dome.

It is being broadcast and streamed live on Apple Music, Apple TV+, Max, iHeartRadio, KTLA+, Netflix/Tudum, Paramount+, Prime Video, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, SiriusXM, Spotify, SoundCloud, Veeps and YouTube. It will also be shown at select AMC Theatres locations in the U.S.

Who else will perform?

Eilish, Gracie Abrams, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Baby, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Tate McRae and Earth, Wind & Fire will perform at the Intuit Dome.

John Fogerty, No Doubt, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Nicks, the Black Crowes and John Mayer will perform at the Kia Forum.

Mayer and Dave Matthews were originally scheduled to perform live together for the first time, but on Wednesday, the official Dave Matthews Band Instagram account announced that “due to a critical illness in the family,” Matthews will no longer take the stage.

How will donations work?

Those not in attendance can watch the live feed and contribute donations via FireAidLA.org. The link, which is open now, will also be up on the screen for the duration of the broadcast.

Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie will match all donations made during the live broadcast, doubling the proceeds. Crystal noted that because of their pledge, U2’s million dollar donation was worth twice that amount.

All of the proceeds will go to those affected. A 501(c)(3) was set up, and contributions to FireAid will be distributed under the Annenberg Foundation, which with FireAid has assembled a small committee to advise.

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AP Entertainment Writers Mark Kennedy and Jonathan Landrum Jr. contributed to this report.

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