News

Green Day started the star-studded show on a poignant opening note, performing “Last Night On Earth” as a slideshow of devastating and apocalyptic-like photos of the wildfires played behind them. The song hit even harder thanks to a special appearance from Billie Eilish – who was scheduled to perform later in the evening at Intuit. After she and frontman Billie Joe Armstrong harmonized and traded verses, he told the crowd: “Los Angeles, we are still alive. This is California and we are in this together.” The band then tore into the more lively “Still Breathing” and fan favorite “When I Come Around,” kicking the show into high gear.

In addition to bringing her powerful vocals and perfect sequined “I Love LA” shirt to the Forum, Alanis Morissette also had just the right words for the night, like in “Thank U” when she sings “How ’bout unabashedly bawling your eyes out?” just as everyone in the crowd does just that without hesitation. Or in “Hand in My Pocket,” when she reassures: “And what it all comes down to/ Is that everything’s gonna be fine, fine, fine.”

Despite performing alongside the legendary Sheila E., .Paak saved an even bigger surprise for last: Dr Dre. “It’s all about love tonight,” the veteran rapper and producer said before he and Paak enthusiastically performed an especially vibrant and heartfelt version of “California Love.”

Seeing Joni Mitchell perform on Thursday night was a marvel for many reasons, not least of which is that the legendary singer/songwriter suffered a brain aneurysm back in 2015 that caused her to lose her ability to speak, let alone sing, and since made a remarkable recovery and returned to live performing. And thank God that she could bring her 1966 classic “Both Sides Now” to FireAid, given its message of how a change in perspective can change everything.

Two members of Dawes – brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith – lost their homes to the wildfires. And yet, the band has put on a brave face to help bring people together through music. Fittingly, the band opened with “Time Spent In Los Angeles,” which recalls the city’s “tragic set of charms.” Stephen Stills and Mike Campbell later joined for Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” before the grand finale — and addition of Graham Nash — for “Teach Your Children.” As Nash said: “Whenever L.A. gets into trouble, the musicians are right there — and I’m proud to be one of them.”

After starting with two quiet acoustic songs, P!nk nearly tore the roof off the Forum with a wailing (and very plugged-in) cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You.” Two sets later, The Black Crowes also turned to Zep, enlisting Guns N’ Roses’ Slash for a dueling-guitars cover of the fitting “Going to California.”

Performing solo and acoustically, John Mayer delivered two of his own hits before ending with a special rendition of a Tom Petty classic he started covering nearly 20 years ago: “Free Fallin’.” For many musicians, Mayer told the crowd, “This [song] was our first insight into the dream of living in California – and it is a dream. And for those whose dreams have broken… we will get together tonight and many other nights to make sure those dreams are repaired.”

Stevie Nicks went off script (as only she does best) to tell the story of her 1930s-built home in the Palisades being miraculously saved from the fires, professing that if the wooden house had gone up in flames, it could have taken out the full neighborhood around it. She went on to dedicate Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” to those firefighters, from the Santa Rosa Fire Department. “She’s strong like her mama,” Nicks said of the historic home.

“You can’t have a concert for SoCal without this band,” Mayer said while introducing the Anaheim, California-born and bred No Doubt. And judging by the ear-numbing applause, he was right. The band opened with “Just a Girl,” with Stefani adding her own spin, declaring: “I’m just a girl in L.A.,” with the “a” dragging out over several notes. “Where my L.A. girls at?” she asked. “I want my ears to bleed.”

The Red Hot Chili Peppers might have been the only band on the bill who had to narrow down their California-themed songs for a four-track set, fittingly playing “Dani California,” “Californication” and the Los Angeles love letter “Under the Bridge.” (Their one non-Cali pick: “Black Summer,” from 2022’s Unlimited Love.)

For the biggest surprise set of the night, literally no introduction was needed – nor was there one. Instead, a collision of guitar chords and drum beats reverberated throughout the Forum, signaling that an epic rock show was about to take place. And it did. With Dave Grohl on drums, Krist Novoselic on bass and Pat Smear (who toured with the band) on guitar, the role of vocalist was given to a revolving door of rock and roll icons, including St. Vincent, Kim Gordon and Joan Jett. Plus, Grohl’s daughter Violet joined in for the closer of “All Apologies.” But with a lineup this stacked, there’s nothing to be sorry for.