LOS ANGELES – 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.
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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 The Associated Press exactly what it takes to make a show like this happen.
How FireAid came together
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.
A lineup of incredible talent
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.”
How FireAid will work
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.
When the live performances end at the Forum, those attendees can stick around and watch the final sets broadcast from the Dome. This way “there’s never a dull moment,” Gallen says. “There’s no, ‘Let’s stop and watch them change the stage for 10 minutes.’”
Rehearsals begin Tuesday and will run through Thursday during the day, just ahead of the show.
The program beyond performances
Between the performances, there will be celebrity and non-celebrity speakers.
“Our speakers will be people that lost their homes in the fires. People from Altadena,people from Palisades, people from neighboring areas,” says Gallen.
“We’re going to have packages, which is about both the people that lost their homes and also the firefighters and the first responders,” Gallen adds. One of the speakers will be a firefighter, and firefighters will be in attendance at the concerts.
“There are at least 2,000 seats going to first responders, firemen, policemen and people that have lost their homes,” says Irving Azoff. He says some corporate sponsors are providing seats to those who lost their homes as well.
There are contingency plans if there were to be renewed fire danger, Gallen assures, but, “right now, we don’t feel like the show is in jeopardy. We don’t think any fire danger is anywhere close to the venues where we’re doing the show.”
Donations start now
Those who cannot attend the concerts or watch the live feed can contribute donations now, via FireAidLA.org. The link will also be up on the screen for the duration of the broadcast, throughout the performances, speakers and packages. “100% of all proceeds are going to help rebuild,” says Gallen.
“It's text to donate,” says Irving Azoff.
Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie will match all donations made during the live broadcast, doubling the proceeds.
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.
They have been reviewing the relief funds that currently exist and are “further researching the many effective nonprofits responding now,” says Zucker. “They have also contacted representatives from past recovery efforts in places like Maui and Sandy Hook to understand the longer-term needs and issues related to the devastation.”
Irving Azoff says Zucker called Wallis Annenberg, president and chairwoman of the board of The Annenberg Foundation, who immediately agreed to help. They consulted with a number of people, including billionaire developer Rick Caruso.
“It was very important for us to find people that were familiar with the right organizations. So that we could place the money in the right place,” Shelli Azoff adds. “I think that all of us are really committed to getting the money to the people that have been very affected. And personally, it means a lot to me to get it to people that haven’t been thought about. And those are the people that don’t have jobs anymore due to the businesses being down as well.”
“One thing at a time,” says Irving Azoff. “First, we've got to execute the show and collect the money. But the outpouring from the community and the corporate support we’ve gotten for the event, I will tell you already, we’re north of $50 million.”