The City of Angels was serenaded by over two dozen artists Thursday during a star-studded benefit that raised money for those affected by the devastating L.A.-area fires.
The FireAid concert, which spanned over five hours, was held at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome, which are adjacent to each other in the Inglewood area. Lady Gaga closed the show by performing numbers from the 2018 film “A Star Is Born,” as well as an original song she wrote for the benefit.
Other performers included: the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Katy Perry, No Doubt, Earth Wind & Fire, Dr. Dre, Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morissette, Stevie Nicks, Anderson .Paak, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Mike Campbell and Olivia Rodrigo. Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, the surviving members of the band Nirvana, also made a surprise appearance, performing some of the band’s songs with St. Vincent, Kim Gordon, Joan Jett and Grohl’s daughter, Violet.
The wildfires, fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, erupted the second week of January, killing at least 29 people and destroying entire neighborhoods and blocks. Many who took the stage paid homage to L.A., thanking first responders and highlighting the city’s resilience in the aftermath of the fires.
“I think that this is just such a beautiful reflection of what music does, is bring people together in this way,” said performer Gracie Abrams, who grew up in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, which was among the areas that were hit hardest by the natural disasters. “And I’m just inspired by all of you in this community, and I love Los Angeles very much.”
Music mogul Irving Azoff and his wife, Shelli, pulled together FireAid in the days after the fires broke out, working in conjunction with Live Nation and the Los Angeles Clippers, according to the FireAid website. Azoff, the former CEO of Ticketmaster and a giant in the music industry, told The Wrap that he and fellow organizers managed to wrangle 25 streaming partners for the concert, which made it easy for those not in L.A. to follow along from home.
One hundred percent of the proceeds from the concert will go toward fire relief efforts, organizers said. Steve Ballmer, who owns the Clippers, and his wife, Connie, pledged to match every donation made.
“This has been a horrible scary time,” said Lady Gaga, who closed the benefit concert. “But during these times, I feel like people come together and we see how much we need each other. And I want to always remember us just like this.”
In addition to the lineup of artists, the event brought to the stage a mix of speakers, including firefighters and people who lost their homes in the fires. Among them was 10-year-old Grayson Roberts, from Altadena, whose family lost everything.
“When life gives you lemons or burnt houses, you make lemonade,” Grayson told a cheering crowd with a smile on his face.
