INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The FireAid benefit was fueled by some of music’s best performers to raise money for Los Angeles-area wildfire relief efforts.
The event at the Kia Forum and the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Thursday night featured a long list of stars including Billie Eilish, Rod Stewart, Dr. Dre and Joni Mitchell during a pair of concerts that mixed stories of heartbreak, music and surprises galore.
They started right out of the gate, with Eilish joining Green Day for the first song of the night, leading to a cute moment greeting the band’s frontman, Billie Joe Armstrong.
Another Billy, comedian Billy Crystal, quickly followed them and reminded everyone of why they were there and watching: to raise money to help rebuild the devastated Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods and other impacted areas.
The show ended with a big surprise: Lady Gaga performing an upbeat new song she said she wrote with her fiance specifically for FireAid.
Here are some of FireAid’s outstanding moments:
Billy Crystal says ‘We’ll laugh again’
Crystal appeared as the first host in the same clothes he was wearing when he fled his family home, which was lost in the Palisades Fire. Then, with his trademark humor and heart, he recalled another national spasm of pain.
Crystal reminded the crowd that 23 years before, he attended the Concert for New York City in the wake of 9/11 and had seen grieving attendees holding up signs with pictures of their loved ones, asking if anyone had seen them.
“And tonight, here I am, talking to all of you in pain,” he said. “But I’m also one of the hurting thousands asking, ‘Have you seen my school?’ ‘Have you seen my church?’ ‘Have you seen my house?’ ‘Have you seen my town?’ ‘Have you seen the 29 people who lost their lives?’”
“On that night in 2001, we were mourning the loss of hundreds of firefighters and police officers and first responders,” Crystal said. “Tonight, we are here together to thank them and all those who run towards danger while we run to shelter and safety.”
Crystal said he returned to the wreckage of his home and began to wail: “I had not cried like that since I was 15 and I was told that my father had just died.” His daughters soon found a rock with the word “Laughter” engraved in it.
He recalled how his uncle at his father’s funeral service made everyone laugh by telling stories and doing magic tricks. “It changed my life. I knew at that moment — even in your worst pain, folks — it’s OK and it’s important to laugh,” he said.
“We’ll laugh again,” he said. “Let’s show the world who we are: We’re Los Angeles, one city, one heart. L.A. Strong!”
Eilish’s early surprise
FireAid kicked off with a surprise guest appearance from Grammy winner Eilish.
The superstar singer strutted onstage while Green Day performed “Last Night on Earth,” which includes the lyrics, “If I lose everything in the fire/I’m sending all my love to you.” She stood next to Armstrong as the band’s frontman played his guitar.
After Eilish finished, she blew kisses to the crowd, who who rose to their feet and threw their lit-up wrists toward the sky. She and the band performed as a series of photos showed devastated homeowners watching their houses burn to the ground.
Dr. Dre gives Cali love
Dr. Dre took the energy to another level, dashing onto the stage to join Anderson .Paak and Sheila E.
As Anderson .Paak introduced him, the crowd erupted with many rising to their feet, some jumping in excitement, as the super producer launched into a couple West Coast hip-hop classics: his 1999 hit “Still D.R.E.” and Tupac Shakur’s 1995 jam “California Love,” which he produced.
“I’m all about love for me tonight,” Dr. Dre said alongside Sheila E. standing behind her drums and Anderson.Paak, who wore a black jersey with “Koreatown” across his chest.
Dr. Dre talked about being in the music game for 40 years before showing his appreciation for the first responders. “I appreciate all the first responders and all the firemen who put their lives on the line,” he told the crowd.
Before Dr. Dre’s surprise appearance, Anderson .Paak performed “Put Me Thru” and “Come Down” from his 2016 album “Malibu.”
Flea sets tone for Chili Peppers’ closing set
Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Flea made his signature grand entrance — because, of course, he did — setting the tone for his band’s high-energy finale at the Forum.
Wearing nothing but a black Speedo, he flipped onto the stage with a handstand, instantly sending the crowd into a frenzy. Up until that moment, many had been seated, casually watching Lil Baby’s performance on the venue’s big screens. But Flea’s wild antics had them on their feet in no time.
Once they were up, many stayed up. The Chili Peppers kept the energy soaring, tearing through a set packed with their biggest hits such as “Californication” and “Give it Away.”
“LA is our home,” Flea said. “We … love you.”
Nirvana’s reunion
This is probably the closest thing to a Nirvana reunion we’ll ever see. The three surviving members — Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and Pat Smear — took the stage for a powerful, nostalgia-fueled performance that left the crowd in awe.
A special lineup of St. Vincent, Kim Gordon and Joan Jett filled in for the late Kurt Cobain, the band’s frontman who died in 1994. The trio separately delivered renditions of Nirvana’s classics including “Breed,” “School” and “Territorial Pissings.”
Another poignant moment involved Grohl’s daughter, Violet, who stepped onto the stage to perform “All Apologies,” adding a personal touch to the night.
Dawes invites iconic friends
The band Dawes performed three songs with some icons and an intimate knowledge of what the city has gone through. Brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith both had substantial damage to their homes.
The band played their melancholy ode to the city, “Time Spent in Los Angeles,” with the lyrics, “Cause you got that special kind of sadness/You got that tragic set of charms/That only comes from time spent in Los Angeles.”
They invited Stephen Stills to play a jammy version of Still’s “For What It’s Worth (Stop, Hey What’s That Sound).” Then Graham Nash, a longtime musical partner to Stills, was invited to the stage to sing “Teach Your Children” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. At the end, Nash let the audience sing the final words.
“Whenever Los Angeles gets into trouble, the musicians are right there, and I’m proud to be one of them,” Nash said.
A prayer for teachers
Quinta Brunson, who plays a teacher on the television show “Abbott Elementary,” introduced a real teacher and shined the spotlight on the impact the fires had on schools and education.
Glendale High School math teacher Aurora Barboza Flores said she lost the Altadena home she had been saving for over 21 years.
“So now I’ve lost more than my home. I’ve lost my community, too. I was so proud to be a homeowner, so proud to have a place to call my own in this city,” she said.
She managed to find one thing in the wreckage: A dish she kept her jewelry in, inscribed with the words “I think I’ll just be happy today.” The crowd in the Intuit Dome cheered.
“Sometimes, that’s all we can do. Even though it’s hard there are moments that get us through. Moments like tonight,” Flores said.
“That’s right,” Brunson added. “Everybody, let’s thank Aurora and all the teachers out there right now.”
