Look To The Stars News: Beastie Boys

Country Stars Unite For New Charity Album

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:30:00 -0000

A group of country music’s biggest names feature on a new album to raise funds for a farm that hosts children affected by cancer.

Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Dwight Yoakam, Big & Rich, Patty Loveless, Randy Travis, Levon Helm, John Hiatt, and Lucinda Williams are just some of the stars who have donated songs to the Imus Ranch Record, which will be released on September 16.

Imus Ranch is a working cattle ranch in New Mexico, founded in 1999 by long-time radio personality Don Imus as a charitable organization that seeks to ensure the continuity of the lives of children who are afflicted with cancer. The charity’s goal is to provide children with an experience of living life on a functioning cattle ranch and build up their self-confidence and sense of accomplishment, in the company of similar children facing serious illness. It has also recently opened its doors to siblings of SIDS victims.

The 13 tracks on the album boast no less than 8 Grammy winning artists, each singing a cover of a song that means something special to them. One of the most beautiful songs is Patty Loveless’ version of Stevie Nicks’ Silver Springs, and Lucinda Williams’ cover of Mama Don’t Let Your Babies grow Up To Be Cowboys is also an instant classic. However, it is Big & Rich’s rollicking version of the Beastie Boys’ You’ve Got to Fight For Your Right to Party that makes the album a collector’s piece.

The album will be available on iTunes and wherever good music is sold.

Celebrity Auctions Kick Off The New Year

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:24:10 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The new year has kicked off with a flurry of celebrity charity auctions, with items for sale to benefit a plethora of worthwhile causes and issues.

The American Civil Liberties Union is a national organization that advocates individual rights by litigating, legislating, and educating the public on a broad range of issues, including free speech, AIDS, human rights, racism, and more. The Southern California branch of ACLU has launched an auction on www.charityfolks.com to raise much-needed funds.

Items up for auction until January 3 include lunch with Jake Gyllenhaal on the set of his new film, a framed and autographed art print by Viggo Mortensen, the chance to dine with Harry Belafonte or Mike Farrell, a signed T shirt and photo from Danny Glover, and original artwork from singer Maria McKee, and an autographed copy of Corinne Bailey Rae’s single, “I’d Like To”.

Also up for auction on the Charity Folks website are 12 twelve very special packages to see Hilary Duff in concert. VIP tickets and the chance to go backstage to meet the young diva are included, and the concerts are being held across the US, Mexico, and Australia.

Proceeds from the auction will go to Blessings in a Backpack, a program run by USA Harvest to generate public awareness of child hunger. The organization will use the money to assist in providing weekend meals to needy children and ensure that their nutritional requirements are met. The auction runs until January 25.

Virgin Unite has put several items up for auction, including a leather jacket designed and signed by Jon Bon Jovi, a guitar autographed by Jewel, and a cymbal signed by members of the Beastie Boys.

Virgin Unite is the non-profit entrepreneurial foundation of the Virgin Group, established by Richard Branson as a catalyst for business based solutions to social and environmental problems. The auction ends on January 3.

Artists for a New South Africa is a non-profit organization founded in 1979 to advance human rights in Africa, and now encompasses a whole raft of issues, including the fight against AIDS, assisting children orphaned by AIDS, and educating and empowering youth. They are offering some incredible items for auction until January 18, including original Star Wars comics signed by Samuel L. Jackson, a signed photo of ex-X Files star Gillian Anderson, and signed CDs from Mandy Moore.

And finally, the Friends and Helpers Foundation, a non-profit organization that assists victims of domestic violence, is auctioning items such as a Red Hot Chili Peppers poster signed by bass player Flea, a signed photo of Donald Trump, a flag autographed by Smashing Pumpkins singer Billy Corgan, and a guitar signed by LeAnn Rimes.

2008 looks set to be the year of celebrity giving.

Coldplay and Beastie Boys Give, Listen, Help.

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 18:59:47 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

The Beastie Boys and Coldplay are among the musicians who are supporting the joint efforts of Urban Outfitters and Filter Magazine in raising money for charity.

The fourth installment of the “Give. Listen. Help.” compilation is raising funds for The Art of Elysium, with $12.88 of every $14 CD purchase going to help hospitalized children through art. Past beneficiaries include Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Red Cross’s hurricane relief efforts.

The two CD set is as follows:

DISC ONE:

Beastie Boys – The Mix-Up (b-side)
Coldplay – Pour Me (live at the Hollywood Bowl)
Band of Horses – The End’s Not Near
Rilo Kiley – Big Break
Hot Hot Heat – Money & Reputation
The Stooges – Claustrophobia
Kaiser Chiefs – Out Of My Depth
Travis – Up the Junction
The Go! Team – Bull in the Heather
The Decemberists – Shankill Butchers
Menomena – Gay A
Cold War Kids – A Change Is Gonna Come (Live)
The A-Sides – Diamonds (Live @ WOXY.com)
Annie Stela – White June
Mew – White Lips Kissed (Live in Japan)
Two Sheds – Psycho Killer
Patti Smith – Perfect Day

DISC TWO:

Silversun Pickups – Lazy Eye (Brian LeBarton Remix)
Blonde Redhead – Signs Along the Path (Maps Remix)
Interpol – The Heinrich Maneuver (The Scientist Dub Mix)
Air – Mer du Japon (Remix by the Teenagers)
Peter Bjorn & John – Young Folks (Punks Jump Up remix)
The Wolfmen – Jackie Says (Alan Moulder mix)
The Pipettes – We Are The Pipettes (Live from The Cherrytree House)
Carina Round – January Heart (Buffalo Bill Remix)
Low – Hatchet (Optimimi Version)
Mando Diao – Good Morning Herr Horst (RAC remix)
Magnet – Hold On (Metronomy mix)
The View – Face For The Radio (Live at Caird Hall)
The Maccabees – XRay (filthy dukes remix)
Ladytron – Soft Power (Vicarious Bliss Gutter mix)
Datarock – Fa Fa Fa (Riton New School Remix)
Fields – Song for the Fields (Eliot James Remix)

The Art of Elysium encourages working actors, artists and musicians to dedicate their time and talent to children battling serious medical conditions.

“Give. Listen. Help.” is available at Urban Outfitter locations around the world.

Richard Branson Attends Virgin Festival in Baltimore

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:55:09 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Soaring temperatures of over 100°F did not stop 80,000 music lovers from attending a massive two-day charity concert held at the Pimlico Raceway in Baltimore on August 4 and 5. The Baltimore Virgin Festival was part of a series of concerts being held this year, partly organized by Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin brand.

Concert goers were treated to performances by 40 groups and artists, including Sting and The Police, Ben Harper, The Beastie Boys, Iggy Pop, and The Smashing Pumpkins. $1.50 from every ticket sold was donated directly to Virgin Unite, the charitable arm of the Virgin Group, dedicated to “tackling some of the tougher social challenges by uniting people and Virgin’s global resources.”

The concert also featured a huge tent village which housed a mall of philanthropy booths, where concert attendees could find out more about non-profit organizations such as Oxfam, The Living Classrooms Foundation (which uses maritime settings to train at-risk youth), StandUp For Kids (which helps homeless children), and Youth Noise (a website where teens can talk about significant issues and raise money for their chosen causes).

Branson joined actress Daryl Hannah at the event, and stated that the festivities were extremely eco-friendly, with 99% of the fuels used to power the concert being the cleanest biofuel available.

The Virgin Festival in Baltimore followed a similar concert held in Vancouver in May, and the next event will be in Toronto in September.

Also rocking out on August 4 and 5 was another huge concert, the Lollapalooza Festival, an annual event founded in 1991. 165,000 people crammed Grant Park in Chicago to see 140 acts, including Pearl Jam, Ben Harper, and Snow Patrol. A portion of every ticket sale went to the Parkways Foundation, a non-profit organization working with the Chicago Park District.

Live Earth Rocks the Planet

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 13:16:25 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

They came, they rocked, they conquered. 07/07/07 saw the Live Earth concerts take place on 7 continents, and the event will go down in history and in people’s hearts as one of the greatest spectacles ever staged.

The nine concerts held around the globe attracted hundreds of thousands of music lovers, and another 9 million internet streams – a world record internet audience. Many more are expected to watch replays over the next few weeks. Concert-goers partied for a total of 22 hours at the events organized by Al Gore to raise awareness of climate change and environmental issues.

“You are Live Earth,” Gore told the crowd in New Jersey, on a stage made from recycled tires. “Today 2 billion of us have come together in over 130 countries… Times like these demand action.”

Despite the rain and low temperatures, 30,000 fans in Hamburg enjoyed stunning and energetic performances by Yusuf – formerly known as Cat Stevens – Shakira, Snoop Dogg, Enrique Iglesias, and former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell. German comedian Elton joked about the inclement conditions with the comment “We’re here to fight against global warming in such c—p weather.”

It was also a cold affair in Antarctica, where a previously unknown band Nunatak – made up of polar researchers – played for 17 fellow scientists, allowing Gore to keep his promise to hold concerts in all seven continents.

45,000 people turned out in warmer circumstances in Sydney, where they were treated to performances by Jack Johnson, Toni Collette’s band The Finish, and a newly reformed Crowded House. Sydney was the first of the concerts to open, and was followed by Japan, where thousands rocked to performances by Linkin Park, Rihanna, and a host of local acts.

Johannesburg, experiencing its first snow in ten years, swayed to the rhythms of some of their best known local acts, as well as an intense performance by Joss Stone.

It was a smaller and quieter affair in Washington, where a subdued crowd was entertained by a few lesser known blues and hip hop acts.

The most popular concerts were held in London and New York. The newly refurbished Wembley Stadium was rocking under the weight of 70,000 concert-goers, all enthralled by stellar performances from the Beastie Boys, Kasabian, Metallica, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. 1980’s comedy rock act Spinal Tap reformed for the event to perform their new single, “Warmer Than Hell”, and there was also a touching performance by singer/songwriter Terra Naomi. Naomi wrote the track “Say It’s Possible” after seeing An Inconvenient Truth, and was asked personally by Al Gore to perform it at Live Earth.

The finale of the Wembley show was a set by Madonna, which included “Hey You”, the song she wrote especially for Live Earth. She also thanked Gore “for giving the world the wake-up call it so badly needs, and for starting the avalanche of awareness that we are running out of time.”

Over 50,000 people crammed Giants Stadium in New Jersey to join Al Gore, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, and Kevin Bacon for a night to remember. Cool rhythms from Alicia Keys and the Dave Matthews Band gave way to rockier beats later in the evening from Kelly Clarkson, Melissa Etheridge, and Jon Bon Jovi. The show ended with Sting and The Police performing a duet of their hit, “Message In A Bottle”, with rapper Kanye West . The free show in Rio De Janeiro, almost cancelled over security concerns, drew a crowd of 600,000 to listen to sun-drenched performances by Lenny Kravitz and Macy Gray, and the show in Shanghai was also a success.

The Chinese crowd were made aware of the International Energy Agency warning that China could become the top emitter of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, by later this year.

The Live Earth concerts were a great day’s entertainment for those who witnessed them, and only time will tell if they achieved their goals.

“Thank you for coming to Live Earth,” said Al Gore as the concerts ended. “Harness the energy in your hearts and help us solve the climate crisis.”

Sundance Photos On Ebay

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 11:17:05 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Autographed photos of Justin Timberlake, the Beastie Boys, and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte are being auctioned on Ebay to raise money for Habitat For Humanity.

Also participating are Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Smith and Terrence Howard.

Look To The Stars News: Beastie Boys

Country Stars Unite For New Charity Album

Related past articles

Celebrity Auctions Kick Off The New Year

Related past articles

Coldplay and Beastie Boys Give, Listen, Help.

Related past articles

Richard Branson Attends Virgin Festival in Baltimore

Related past articles

Live Earth Rocks the Planet

Related past articles

Sundance Photos On Ebay

Related past articles