Singer-guitarist Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes paused after kicking off A Concert for Altadena on Wednesday, Jan. 7 with Randy Newman’s “I Love LA,” taking a moment to thank the crowd inside the Pasadena Civic Auditorium for coming out on a date now forever tinged with tragedy.
Exactly one year ago, the Eaton Fire roared out of the foothills above Altadena, devastating huge swathes of the city and leaving 19 residents dead.
To honor the losses of that fire and raise funds for ongoing relief efforts, Dawes and friends such as Stephen Stills, Brandon Flowers of the Killers, and Brad Paisley came to play music to help the city heal.
“We’re here – we’re doing this thing,” said Goldsmith, whose Altadena recording studio was destroyed in the blaze, as were the homes of his brother and bandmate Griffin Goldsmith and their parents.
“It’s gonna be a beautiful night,” he added. “We’re gonna laugh a little, cry a little.”
And sure, there were tears and laughter throughout the show, hosted by actor John C. Reilly, who also lost his Altadena home to the fire. But there were smiles and hugs, warmth and love, too, in a night where beautiful music rose from the ashes of the past.
The first half of the evening unfolded slowly, with Reilly the emcee for speakers such as the Altadena Builds Back Foundation, which will receive the funds raised through the concert, the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity, the Black Freedom Fund, and Altadena Girls.
“As I was missing being in Altadena today, I went up and I visited the old place,” said Reilly, whose family home of more than two decades was destroyed in the fire. “Now, over time, I’ve gotten used to all those blank spots where places I loved once stood. But what struck me today was how much was still there.
“The places that survived, the restaurants that pulled it together to keep serving hot meals to traumatized people, the churches that are still opening their doors to offer places of peace. The spirit of the place is still there in its glorious mountains.
“Amazing green everywhere, thanks to all this rain we’ve been having,” Reilly continued. “Could have used some of their rain last year. I’m not going to lie on that.”
The audience laughed at that, which one hopes is a sign of healing.
“But here we are,” Reilly said, his voice growing thick with emotion. “And that, my friends, is the most inspiring thing of all. We are still here.
“And 2025 can kiss my ass,” he added, the auditorium erupting in cheers at that sentiment.
Los Angeles band Ozomatli kicked off the night with a quick set that included a performance by singer-rapper Taboo of Black Eyed Peas and his 10-year-old daughter Juliana, performing “Stand Strong,” a song the father and daughter wrote to honor their former home in Altadena.
Alternative rockers Everclear followed with a set of KROQ favorites, including “Santa Monica” and “Father of Mine.” Singer Art Alexakis‘s Altadena home survived the fire, but his family was forced to live elsewhere for months, he mentioned.
Reilly returned to the stage as the crew changed over the stage, introducing more special guests, including filmmaker Ondi Timoner and community organizer Heavenly Hughes, whose short documentary “All The Walls Came Down” is shortlisted for the Academy Awards.
Someone in the audience caught Reilly’s attention, shouting that they hoped to see him again one day at the beloved local institution, Altadena Hardware.
“You want to see me in Altadena Hardware again? First, we’ve got to get Altadena Hardware built back,” he replied as the audience cheered.
“It’s funny because I’ve always been very private and shy about admitting where I lived, for the safety and privacy of my family,” he continued. “But now that my kids are grown and left, and my house is burned to the ground, not quite as shy.”
Everclear’s “I Will Buy You a New Life” had struck an unexpectedly poignant note given the losses so many Altadena residents experienced, and whether by intent or coincidence, that feeling repeated at times throughout the main set played by Dawes and a host of guests.
Guitarist Eric Krasno, whose son’s Altadena school burned down, co-produced the benefit with Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman. His guitar work on Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile [Slight Return]” electrified the audience as lyrics such as “I swear the moon turned a fire red” conjured memories of the past.
Singer-guitarist Judith Hill, who grew up in Pasadena, delivered a stunning performance of her song “Cry, Cry, Cry.” Its chorus carried new meanings in the wake of the devastation. “I need you to cry, cry, cry / A little bit longer,” Hill sang. “I need you to try, try, try / To get by whatever comes your way.”
Singer Mandy Moore, who is married to Taylor Goldsmith, sang her past pop hit “Candy,” its focus on missing a loved one slightly shifted to missing a loved place. Stephen Stills’ performances of “For What It’s Worth” and “Love the One You’re With” balanced danger with love.
Love, which was felt throughout the night, on stage and off, was often the most important message in any given song.
Rufus Wainwright joined Dawes, the house band for the show, to sing the Beatles’ “Across the Universe,” with singers Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius providing harmony vocals as they did throughout most of the night on songs as varied as Dawes and Krasno’s cover of Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-V)” of Jenny Lewis’s performance of “Rise Up With Fists!!”
Brandon Flowers of the Killers was the last guest to reach the stage, drawing loud cheers as he walked out to join Dawes, which grew louder as he and the band launched into the Killers’ “When You Were Young,” which got most of the crowd singing on the choruses.
Flowers and Dawes followed that with a curveball, covering Bruce Springsteen’s “The Promised Land.” Even here, you could glimpse shadows of Altadena in Springsteen’s portrait of a tight-knit town, and see the hope needed to fight the odds in the closing chorus, “And I believe in the promised land,” sung over and over.
The night reached its end with all of the guest artists still backstage joining Dawes for the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends,” one more perfect song for the moment and the message.
Taylor Goldsmith took the first verse, followed by Rufus Wainwright, Brad Paisley, Aloe Blacc and Lucius, as 25 or so musicians filled the stage.
“Do you need anybody?” Lucius sang on the bridges. “I need somebody to love,” the others replied.
“Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends,” everyone sang on the choruses. “Oh, I’m gonna try with a little help from my friends.”
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