VIDEO: Classic Rock Giants Come Out For Stephen Stills’ Autism Speaks Benefit Concert
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And I was there. Holy crap.
Here’s a few pics:
Sign in the lobby of the Dolby Theater in LA.
Patti Smith and the Heartbreakers.
Stills and Young and the Heartbreakers.
Awhile ago a friend of mine sent me a link about this benefit, I noticed it was on a Saturday and I had this crazy thought which I emailed to him: “we should go” to which he replied: “let me see if I can get tickets”.
Now, I’m thinking “we’ll never get tickets”. We did. Next thing ya know, we’re booking a flight, hotel and rental car for Los Angeles California and Saturday night we were sitting in the audience.
First of all, who ever thought Stills and Young would publicly play together again. Not me! Secondly, though the entire list of hosts and performers was impressive, the real draw for me was Tom Petty‘s Heartbreakers. They would be the backing band. It would be the first time they’d play out since Tom‘s heartbreaking passing last October.
The show went about four hours and was interspersed with a variety of talent, hosts and some really cool surprises…like Patti Smith and Beck. Beck with the Heartbreakers was a highlight for me (Bentmont Tench RULES!). And watching Jack Black auction off three beautiful blue, signed Gretch guitars like a damn carnival barker was hilarious! And lucrative! Those guitars went for $25K apiece and Jack Black even threw in an extra $25K for the cause. (Bidders were mainly in the first ten or twenty rows in front of the stage, highly entertaining to watch!)
Neil played some on his own and of course Stills and Young began their set with ‘Long May You Run’.
The show was well done on every level and raised a lot of money for Autism Speaks. A truly fantastic event! Still can’t believe I got to go!
I’m Julie Devereaux. And that’s. the way. it was. Here’s a few other reviews:
There’s nothing like rocking for a good cause, and some of classic rock’s biggest names came out to take part in Stephen Stills‘ “Light Up the Blues” benefit concert for Autism Speaks.
There were many highlights of the night, but perhaps the biggest came when The Heartbreakers’ Benmont Tench, Mike Campbell and Steve Ferrone took to the stage for the first time together since the passing of Tom Petty and performed “I Won’t Back Down” with Stills on vocals.
Stills and Young also shared a memorable moment on stage playing The Stills-Young Band‘s “Long May You Run,” Buffalo Springfield‘s “For What It’s Worth” and “Mr. Soul.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzPDukLagrA
Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock blogger that loves the smell of old vinyl in the morning.
