Last night in New York City, the 7th annual Love Rocks NYC benefit concert occurred at the famed Upper West Side venue, the Beacon Theatre. The charitable event, which raised proceeds for God’s Love We Deliver, brought an impressive lineup to the stage for a memorable night of entertainment. After the star-studded list of players ran through choice numbers, the event culminated with one final song as the roster of musicians paid tribute to Jeff Beck, who passed away in January of 2023.
The four-hour presentation boasted memorable on-stage moments, beginning with a pairing of tunes courtesy of My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James, who opened up the night with “State of The Art (AEIOU).” Then, after a take on Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” James left the front of the room, creating space for event staff to share words and a video presentation to remind the audience about the evening’s mission and the reason behind Love Rock’s annual occurrence.
Then, the music picked up with “Hey Pocky Way,” featuring Ivan Neville. Before, the New Orleans institution traded seats with War and Treaty, who played two choice numbers. Next, Warren Haynes arrived and paid tribute to the late-David Crosby by covering “Almost Cut My Hair,” a tune that initially appeared on Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s seminal 1970 LP, Déjà Vu.
The good times cascaded with Allison Russell, who ran through “You’re Not Alone” and “Don’t Stop” prior to the next act’s arrival. In time, Rufus Wainwright made his way on stage for his performance, which included a cover of The Beatles’ “Across the Universe.” Then, after an introduction, it was Mavis Staples’ turn to sing. The queen of rhythm and blues started with “Respect Yourself” before Wainwright’s arrival and assistance on the ensuing “Friendship.”
The packed night of entertainment continued with Gary Clark Jr., who performed his originals “Our Love” and “The Healing.” Sheryl Crow then appeared and delivered fan favorite, “If It Makes You Happy,” followed by “Live With Me” and “Real Gone,” which saw a collaborative moment with the arrival of St. Vincent, who assisted on the 2006 cut. After Crow left, St. Vincent played two numbers prior to the next act’s advent.
Ledisi played before James Taylor, whose time on stage saw a run-through of “Up On The Roof,” followed by the iconic “Country Road.” A sweet moment followed with the celebrated musician’s cover of “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” Crow and Taylor united on the latter’s “You’ve Got A Friend.” Love Rocks NYC brought out Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo for a take on “Love Is A Battlefield.”
John Mayer Trio turned up next, their appearance marked the first time they had performed since 2016 (with the exception of interludes during the guitarist’s 2019 tour). Of note, the Mayer Trio was the only group to take the stage without the Will Lee-directed House Band, comprised of Eric Krasno, Larry Campbell, Paul Shaffer, Michael Bearden, Shawn Pelton, Steve Gadd and Pedrito Martinez. The aforementioned collective tribute to Beck arrived as the players performed the Curtis Mayfield-penned “People Get Ready,” a tune that The Impressions recorded and was later released by Beck on his 1985 LP, Flash.
Watch the final collaborative moment from last night’s benefit concert below. For those interested in learning more about the charitable endeavors, consider visiting the event’s beneficiary’s website here.
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