Cher Does Elvis Drag, Sings ‘Walking in Memphis’ & More Knockout Moments From Love Rocks NYC

Seventeen-time Grammy winner Alicia opened the show with a tribute to Roberta Flack, who died two weeks ago at 88. Keys performed Flack’s Billboard Hot 100 topper “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” opting to go with the Fugees’ grooving arrangement of the song (including the ATCQ “Bonita Applebum” lift). She also performed her own “No One” and, naturally, “Empire State of Mind” (both of which are Hot 100 toppers, too). As comedian Tracy Morgan quipped of the concrete jungle before introducing Keys, “You can be charged with bribery and fraud and still be mayor. Dreams do come true in New York.”

Jesse Malin, who may be the most New York rocker alive, paid tribute to another NYC-born legend in his mini-set, dedicating a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)” to the recently deceased David Johansen. Malin suffered a rare spinal stroke two years ago, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down; since then, thanks to intense physical therapy and stem-cell treatments, he’s been able to regain some movement in his legs. While he used a wheelchair and walker throughout the night, he was able to stand up on his own power while singing – and rest assured, neither his voice nor style have been affected.

Ivan Neville, who joined Malin on the Stones cover, came out later in the night to help Dave Stewart deliver a knockout “Here Comes the Rain Again” with phenomenal vocalist Vanessa Amorosi, who more than did the Eurythmics classic proud.

Prior to trotting out two bouncy, beloved Doobie Brothers classics (“What a Fool Believes” and “Takin’ It to the Streets”), Michael McDonald joined unimpugnable soul legend Mavis Staples to duet on the Staple Singers’ Hot 100-topping classic “I’ll Take You There.” McDonald still sounds fantastic but watching the 85-year-old Staples growl and riff circles around him was a sight to behold.

After putting his talk box to work on “Do You Feel Like We Do” (which got an even bigger response from the Beacon Theatre than it did at Homerpalooza), Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Peter Frampton brought out a guitarist he’d always wanted to play with, Phish’s Trey Anastasio, and Grace Bowers for a take on The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” It’s a song that afforded each axe-wielder ample opportunity to rip out expressive, lengthy solos; despite being just 18 years old, Bowers’ star shone the brightest on the George Harrison classic.

Cher – who visited the God’s Love We Deliver kitchen two days prior to the benefit show – pulled out all the stops for her three-song set. She hit the stage in Elvis Presley drag to gas up the audience with a cover of Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis” – not usually a party-starting banger, but her distinct, resonant vocals gave the soft-rock smash a punch. After a costume change, she followed it with a full-throated, thematically appropriate “Song for the Lonely” and wrapped with “Believe,” which – not hard to believe – had the audience losing their minds and dancing like the Beacon Theatre was Avant Gardner.

After an introduction from Bill Murray – who belted out Stephen Stills’ “Love the One You’re With” with goofy gusto earlier in the night – Trey Anastasio took the stage for his solo spotlight. After assuaging Phisheads with “Everything’s Right,” he brought out the Struts’ dynamo frontman Luke Spiller to share vocals on a searing cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times” (with Murray on tambourine!). Huge shout-out goes to bandleader Will Lee (part of Letterman’s late-night band for decades) for seamlessly guiding the house band through an eclectic mix of talent and genres without taking a break (or seemingly breaking a sweat).

At the end of the ninth annual Love Rocks NYC benefit, an all-star coterie of the evening’s performers joined forces to sing Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground.” Black Pumas’ Eric Burton handled lead vocals, deftly steering the massive group (which included Beck dancing with comedian Alex Edelman) through the relentlessly funky song. Burton is a remarkable, dexterous singer (his version of Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” earlier in the night was an affecting highlight), and he and bandleader Lee helped bring the concert to a rousing, even hopeful, conclusion.