Love Rocks NYC
Love Rocks NYC is an annual benefit concert, first held in 2017, that benefits non-profit God's Love We Deliver. The concert is held at the Beacon Theatre in New York City and was founded by menswear designer John Varvatos, Nicole Rechter and Greg Williamson.
| Love Rocks NYC | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Rock and Roll |
| Dates | Annually, in March |
| Location(s) | Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY United States |
| Years active | 2017-Present |
| Founded by | John Varvatos, Nicole Rechter and Greg Williamson |
| Website | www |
History
The annual concert was started in 2017 by Varvatos, Rechter and Williamson, who came up with the idea after speaking together at a fundraising dinner for God's Love We Deliver, of which Williamson is a board member.[1] The concert raises money for the charity, which provides meals for those too sick to make, purchase or prepare meals themselves.[2][3]
The concert features different Musicians and presenters every year. The house band, led by Will Lee with members Paul Shaffer, Eric Krasno, Larry Campbell, Steve Gadd and Shawn Pelton, plays every year.[4]
The inaugural event was held at the Beacon Theatre on March 9, 2017.[1][5]
As of June 2020, the event has raised $9 million in proceeds and has funded one million meals.[6]
2017
The inaugural lineup included the following artists and presenters:
- Jackson Browne[7]
- Joe Walsh[7]
- Bruce Willis[8]
- Sam Moore[8]
- Anthony Hamilton[8]
- Aaron Neville[8]
- Mavis Staples[7]
- Michael McDonald[8]
- Bill Murray[7]
- Susan Tedeschi[7]
- Derek Trucks[7]
- Warren Haynes[7]
- CeCe Winans[8]
- Gary Clark, Jr.[8]
The 2017 festival raised $1.5 million.[7]
2018
The second show took place on March 15, 2018, and was hosted by Whoopi Goldberg.[9][3]
Performers and presenters included:
- Bill Murray[3]
- Norah Jones[3]
- Emmylou Harris[3]
- Ziggy Marley[10]
- Patty Smyth[11]
- Lucinda Williams[3]
- Mavis Staples[3]
- Marc Cohn[3]
- Billy Gibbons[10]
- Gary Clark Jr[3]
- Donald Fagen[10]
- Keith Richards[3]
The 2018 festival raised $2 million.[12]
2019
The 2019 show took place on March 7, 2019, which coincided with the 34th anniversary of the founding of God's Love We Deliver. It was hosted by Bill Murray and Martin Short.[2] Goldberg was also scheduled to host, but pulled out due to health reasons.[13]
The show featured presenters and artists like:
- Hozier[2]
- Sheryl Crow[2]
- Robert Plant[2]
- Lukas Nelson[2]
- Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart[14][15]
- Buddy Guy[13]
- Bernie Williams[16]
The 2019 festival raised $2.3 million.[17]
2020
The 4th annual Love Rocks NYC took place on March 12, 2020, as a restricted attendance-only event and all performances were live-streamed. The evening's emcees were Paul Shaffer and Tamara Tunie and late-night television host David Letterman made a surprise appearance.[18][19]
The lineup included:
- Dave Matthews[20]
- Chris and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes[20]
- Cyndi Lauper[20]
- Jackson Browne[20]
- Leon Bridges[17]
- Warren Haynes[17]
- Joss Stone[19]
- Marcus King[4]
- Susan Tedeschi[19]
- Derek Trucks[19]
The event raised $3 million, all of which went to God's Love We Deliver, as expenses were underwritten by The Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation.[18][19]
References
- Roberts, M. B. (2017-03-08). "Love Rocks NYC! All-Star Concert Benefits New York's Leading Meal Provider". Parade. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
- Zemler, Emily (2019-01-14). "Robert Plant, Sheryl Crow, Hozier, Buddy Guy to Headline Third Annual 'Love Rocks NYC'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
- Schwartz, Zachary. "Whoopi Goldberg, Keith Richards, and More Rock Out at the God's Love We Deliver Love Rocks NYC! Concert". Vogue. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
- Shackleford, Tom (2020-01-21). "Love Rocks NYC Announces Lineup For 2020 Benefit Concert: Dave Matthews, Warren Haynes, Marcus King, More". L4LM. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
- Leight, Elias (2017-01-25). "Mavis Staples, Cyndi Lauper Top God's Love We Deliver Benefit Concert". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
- Mims, Taylor (2020-01-21). "Dave Matthews, Leon Bridges, Cyndi Lauper and More Announced for Love Rocks NYC 2020". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
- Kreps, Daniel (2017-03-11). "See Bill Murray, Joe Walsh Sing Beatles Classic at All-Star Benefit Show". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
- Scheck, Frank (2017-03-10). "'Love Rocks NYC!' Benefit Concert: Recap". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
- "Keith Richards, Whoopi Goldberg, Donald Fagen and More To Play for God's Love We Deliver". Billboard. 2018-03-08. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
- Andrew Sacher. "Keith Richards added to Love Rocks NYC! benefit concert". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
- Crespo, Everynight Charley. "Manhattan Beat – Love Rocks NYC Recap | The Aquarian". www.theaquarian.com. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
- Magnotta, Andrew. "Third Annual Love Rocks NYC Raised $2 Million for the Hungry". Q104.3. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
- Crabtree, Eric (2019-03-08). "Whoopi Goldberg's Absence From NYC Event Unexplained Amid Pneumonia". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
- Flick, Larry (2019-03-05). "Larry Flick, Veteran Activist & SiriusXM Host, On the Toll AIDS Took on a Generation (Guest Column)". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
- Arnold, Chuck (2019-02-27). "Heart rockers Ann and Nancy Wilson are no longer estranged". New York Post. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
- Bernstein, Scott (2019-03-08). "Love Rocks NYC Features Heart, Robert Plant, Lukas Nelson & More: Videos, Recap & Setlist". JamBase. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
- Magnotta, Andrew. "Love Rock NYC Benefit To Restrict Attendance, Live Stream For Ticketholders". Q104.3. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
- LeDonne, Rob (2020-03-13). "Love Rocks NYC's Last-Minute Pivot Due to Coronavirus". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
- Teicholz, Tom. "Love Rocks NYC 2020: A Pandemic Of Caring". Forbes.
- Kreps, Daniel (2020-01-21). "Dave Matthews, Jackson Browne, Black Crowes' Robinsons Lead 'Love Rocks' NYC Gig". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
- "Love Rocks NYC 2021". God's Love We Deliver. Retrieved 2021-04-21.