LOS ANGELES (news agencies) — As the Los Angeles area continues its recovery from a series of debilitating wildfires, the benefit concert FireAid this week will raise millions for relief efforts.
FireAid will take place in two Los Angeles venues and feature performers like Billie Eilish, Jelly Roll, Peso Pluma, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Joni Mitchell, Sting and Anderson .Paak.
It all came together in a matter of days.
Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet, who has produced many benefits, including “America: A Tribute to Heroes” after 9/11 and similar programs after Hurricane Katrina, Los Angeles Clippers executive Gillian Zucker and producers Irving and Shelli Azoff told media exactly what it takes to make a show like this happen.
The fires began on Jan. 7, and by Jan. 10, the team behind FireAid — the Azoff family, in conjunction with Live Nation and AEG Presents — had announced a benefit concert for Jan. 30 at the Intuit Dome. It quickly grew in size, taking over the nearby Kia Forum as well.
Shelli Azoff was the catalyst.
“When it became obvious that there was going to be a need, I think we were just trying to commiserate. ‘What can we do?’ And Shelli said we should do all we know how to do. We should do the show,” says Irving Azoff. “Gillian Zucker, the CEO of the Clippers organization and Shelli were on the phone a few minutes later. And here we are.”
“Shelli Azoff reached out the morning of Jan. 9 about 48 hours after the fires started,” recalled Zucker. “They had already reached out to a few music artists in their circle about the idea of benefit concert and based on that positive response, wanted to know if Intuit Dome might be available.”
And so, she offered the Clippers’ home arena to them.
“Twenty-four hours later, it became clear we might need Kia Forum for rehearsal space. And by the weekend, it appeared, by the robust desire to help, the number of acts interested in participating would exceed the capabilities of a single building,” she says.
The next step was making phone calls, lining up corporate sponsorships, and booking the show. Support was immediate.
“Suddenly, it became two shows instead of one because we had so many people volunteer,” Irving Azoff adds.
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 & Fire will perform at the Intuit Dome.
Alanis Morissette, Anderson .Paak, Dawes, Graham Nash, Green Day, John Fogerty, Joni Mitchell, No Doubt, Pink, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stephen Stills, Stevie Nicks, the Black Crowes, Dave Matthews and John Mayer will perform at the Kia Forum.
FireAid will also feature special guest appearances and surprises.
As they were putting the lineup together, Irving Azoff says “it gravitated toward, ‘it rocks more at the Forum, and it pops more at Intuit.’”
Booking California talent — in particular, groups inextricably connected to Southern California like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and No Doubt — was a priority. Gallen says there was so much interest in participating, they actually had to turn artists away because the shows were fully booked so quickly.
Each artist will perform two to four songs. They’re encouraged to address the room from the stage.
As for what viewers can expect, Irving Azoff puts it simply: “One of the best shows ever televised.”
With 28 performers, the show will run over five hours. In order to ensure each venue and the viewers at home get to see every performance, the sets are staggered. The show will begin at 6 p.m. Pacific at the Kia Forum; early attendees at the Intuit Dome will watch those on live screens. Then, when both shows have begun, they’ll cut back and forth: a live performance and then one broadcast on the screens.
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