BY MELISSA RUGGIERI
LOS ANGELES – The days leading up to Sunday’s Grammy Awards are always stuffed with special concerts, benefits and chances to debut a new product and attach a random celebrity’s name to it.
Thursday night brought the trifecta of the Essence Black Women in Music event at Avalon Hollywood with Jill Scott, Chaka Khan, Brandy and many others, while at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, Childish Gambino and The Weekend were the musical guests at the Google Play/Rolling Stone event.
I wasn’t invited to either of those.
But that’s totally cool, because I was invited to the 17th Annual Grammy Foundation Legacy Concert at the charming Wilshire Ebell Theatre.
With a lineup spanning Aloe Blacc to Melissa Etheridge to Willie Nelson to John Mellencamp to Walk the Moon to Robin Thicke, the concert was a feel-good soiree with a message.
This “Celebration of Music and Philanthropy” focused on the theme of the collaborative power and paid tribute, in a way, to some of the most effective charity concerts in music history, from George Harrison’s groundbreaking “Concert for Bangladesh” to now 30 years of “Farm Aid” to the continent-spanning “Live Aid.”
Singer Rozzi Crane led the opening number designed to set the tone – “Ooh Child” and The Youngbloods’ “Get Together.” The powerful singer is opening for Maroon 5 on their tour that comes to Philips Arena on Feb. 19. A suggestion: Get thee to the venue in time to catch her set.
Aloe Blacc was smoothness personified on “We Shall Overcome,” and later sang “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” as Melissa Etheridge burned up her guitar strings with a solo that was every bit as potent as Eric Clapton’s original.
To recognize the 30th anniversary of “Farm Aid,” a video about its inception played. Prominently featured in the clip was Atlanta-based entertainment lawyer Joel Katz, who recalled Willie Nelson giving him a call – Nelson’s pet name for Katz was “little buddy” – because he wanted to know how “Farm Aid” could be financed. Katz worked his magic on a deal initially sketched out on a napkin, and the rest really is history.
While Neil Young, a major member of the “Farm Aid” team wasn’t there, Mellencamp and Nelson took the stage separately. In a black suit, Mellencamp performed with his acoustic guitar the pensive ballad “Longest Days,” from his 2008 album, “Life, Death, Love and Freedom.”
Mellencamp and Nelson, also clad in black, including a cowboy hat, embraced as they crossed each other on the stage before Nelson and some members of his band – along with the house band for the show – romped through “We Don’t Run” and “On the Road Again.”
While Cyndi Lauper was initially billed as one of the guests, an “unforeseen family emergency” prevented her from attending and talking about her work with her True Colors Foundation.
The Plain White T’s gamely filled in and presented a fist-pumping version of “True Colors,” which was memorable for its unique approach.
The surprising highlight of the show, though, was the emerging Ohio pop-rock quartet Walk the Moon. They’re currently garnering attention for the insanely catchy “Shut Up and Dance with Me,” but on this night, the band opted for a robust cover of The Killers’ “All These Things I’ve Done” – an apt choice given there is more than a hint of the Killers’ sound in Walk’s retro-pop.
The band also churned out a respectable cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes,” but was especially impressive with their faithful rendition of The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” Of course, they had a major assist from guitar legend Waddy Wachtel and R&B songstress Deborah Cox, who filled in a few more lines than Merry Clayton. But Walk the Moon singer Nicholas Petricca ably handled Mick Jagger’s slithering lyrics.
Toward the end of the concert, Kristen Madsen, senior vice president of the Grammy Foundation and MusiCares, reminded the audience of the impact of both – for music in general and the musicians who create it.
Friday night brings the annual MusiCares concert . This year’s honoree is Bob Dylan, who will be feted by Bruce Springsteen, Derek Trucks, Alanis Morissette, Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt and Mellencamp, among many others.
Stay tuned.
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