Look To The Stars News: Pearl Jam

The Nature Conservancy Names The Greenest Bands Ever

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000

In honor of the 10th Anniversary of the legendary Austin City Limits Festival, a new list recognizes bands that are making great music while fighting to save the planet

If there’s anything Austin knows, it’s live music. But as important as entertainment is, The Nature Conservancy understands the impact all those tour buses and visitors can have on our environment. That’s why The Nature Conservancy loves bands that not only talk the talk, but walk the walk – the green walk, that is. Check out some of the organization’s favorite eco-friendly acts, all of whom have graced a stage at the Austin City Limits Festival during its 10-year run.

“A recent nationwide poll by The Nature Conservancy found that musicians are among the top three most powerful influencers on environmental issues for America’s youth,” said Laura Huffman, executive director of The Nature Conservancy in Texas. “Music really does have the power to change the world. This is why these artists and events like ACL, which has incorporated a green message into just about every aspect of the festival, are massively important for educating and inspiring our next generation of environmental leaders.”

Stars Rejoice Over West Memphis Three Release

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:30:00 +0000

Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder were in Arkansas in the weekend to support family and friends of the West Memphis Three, who were freed from prison after 18 years.

The pair have been vocal supporters of the West Memphis Three – Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley Jr., three men charged with the murder of three 8-year-old boys in 1993 – for a number of years. A host of celebrities have been behind the release of the men, including Peter Jackson, Johnny Depp, Jack Black, Ben Harper and Patti Smith.

“Beautiful things went down in Arkansas today,” tweeted Maines. “Beautiful beautiful things… I’m sitting in a holding room at the courthouse about to see three men walk free!”

Eddie Vedder Features On New Charity Album

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder is one of the stars who has contributed to a massive new charity album being released this month.

Live From Nowhere Near You, Volume II is a 3-CD compilation raising money for Oregon-based homeless charity Outside In. Also appearing on the album will be Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme and The Stroke’s Julian Casablancas and Fab Moretti, who have teamed up with Eddie Vedder for a version of Marvin Gaye’s Mercy Mercy Me.

Hayley Westenra To Perform At Celebrity Charity Gala Dinner In New Zealand

Wed, 04 May 2011 12:00:00 +0000

One of the biggest nights on the New Zealand music calendar, the Raukatauri Gala Dinner, is proud to announce another streak of star power to its stellar 2011 line-up.

As part of her long awaited return home, classical star and Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust patron Hayley Westenra will perform at this year’s event. And Kenny Rogers has donated a signed guitar to the evening’s auction.

In one of his first public performances since his recent cycling accident, Don McGlashan’s performance will also be a must-see. Don and Hayley will take the stage alongside some of New Zealand’s finest artists including Tim Finn, Anika Moa, Opshop’s Jason Kerrison, Lawrence Arabia and Nesian Mystik.

Neil Young Gathers Rock Legends For Benefit Concert

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:20:00 +0000

Neil Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit saw the likes of Pearl Jam, Billy Idol and Elvis Costello come out to perform over the weekend.

The Bridge School Benefit is an annual non-profit charity concert held in Mountain View, California every October at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. The concerts are all organized by musician Neil Young and his wife, Pegi, and benefit The Bridge School, an innovative organization educating children with severe speech and physical impairments.

Saturday’s lineup included Buffalo Springfield, Pearl Jam, Elvis Costello, Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson, Lucinda Williams, Steve Stevens, Billy Idol, Jackson Browne and David Lindley, Modest Mouse, Emmylou Harris and Grizzly Bear.

Johnny Depp And Friends Stand Up For West Memphis Three

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Johnny Depp, Ben Harper, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, the Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines and punk legend Patti Smith were in Little Rock, Arkansas, in the weekend to take part in a rally that called on authorities to free the West Memphis Three.

The West Memphis Three are Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley Jr., three men charged with the murder of three 8-year-old boys in 1993. New evidence suggests the three men are innocent, and the stars are demanding a retrial.

“Three innocent people are losing years of their life on a wrongful conviction on a crime they didn’t commit,” said Maines. “It makes me scared. It could happen to any of us.”

Pearl Jam Gets Amongst The Waves For Charity

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Pearl Jam has released the third single from their new album Backspacer – Amongst The Waves – with download proceeds of the video to go to Conservation International.

“There is only one Ocean for everyone and everything,” the group says on a special website it has launched to help promote the single. “It is a finite, precious resource under tremendous economic and environmental pressure. Look after it.”

The site features the new video, as well as eleven things you can do to look after the ocean for present and future generations, including supporting the Gulf Restoration Network, encouraging renewable energy and becoming an ocean activist. There are also links to ocean conservation organizations such as Oceana, Greenpeace and the Surfrider Foundation.

Pearl Jam Offsets Carbon Footprint With Tree Donation

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Pearl Jam – the band featuring lead vocalist Eddie Vedder – has launched a new initiative to offset the carbon footprint of their 2009 US tour.

The band has donated $210,000 to be used to plant trees in Washington, which band members hope will soak up the estimated 7,000 tons of carbon dioxide created by the 32-date tour.

“Pearl Jam is a band but we are also a business,” said guitarist Stone Gossard, who wants to create urban similar forests in Seattle, Kent, Kirkland and Redmond. “We’re seeing ourselves as a Washington business, a regional business that is acknowledging its carbon footprint and hoping to inspire other businesses.”

Oxfam Auction For Haiti Raises Celebrity Charity Cash

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0000

The recent Oxfam auction to help survivors of the Haitian earthquake has raised US$190,000 for the charity.

“I’d like to thank everyone involved,” said Emily Eavis, organizer of the auction and of the Glastonbury music festival. “Everyone’s been so generous, it’s fantastic to see how much people care. When we first had the idea of an auction for Haiti I never imagined we would raise so much. This should really help to rebuild some of what was lost.”

The auction featured a massive range of items donated by stars such as Radiohead, Coldplay, Chris Martin, Annie Lennox, Rolf Harris, Pearl Jam, the Arctic Monkeys, Bryan Ferry and many more.

Gandalf And Pearl Jam Raise Cash For Charity

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Lord of the Rings star Ian McKellen conjured up a little bit of magic for Haiti this week when he collected donations for earthquake victims.

The actor – who played the wizard Gandalf in the films – is currently starring in the stage play Waiting For Godot on the West End in London, and took the time to collect donations from the audience during a recent performance.

Also this week, Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder released a version of Bruce Springsteen’s My City Of Ruins as a digital download to benefit earthquake relief. Proceeds from the release – available through iTunes and the band’s official internet store – will go to Artists for Peace and Justice

Oxfam Launches Celebrity Charity Auction For Haiti

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:20:00 +0000

Oxfam UK has launched a massive celebrity charity auction to raise much-needed funds for their work in Haiti.

Coldplay and Chris Martin are leading the charge by donating a Viva La Vida tour jacket, with Dido, Status Quo and PJ Harvey also donating used clothes. Annie Lennox has donated one of her favorite paintings, while Rolf Harris has donated a painting he created himself. The Arctic Monkeys have donated a guitar, and there are items from the Pet Shop Boys, Pearl Jam, Placebo, Bryan Ferry, Mika and many more.

You can also pick up items from Radiohead, who played a special gig in Los Angeles during the weekend to raise cash for the charity. Held at the Music Box Theatre At The Fonda, the gig included the debut of a new song – Lotus Flower – previously only performed at Thom Yorke’s solo shows.

Jack Johnson Donates Tour And Album To Charity

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Jack Johnson’s latest release, En Concert, is on sale now – and all proceeds are going to charity.

En Concert chronicles the “special visual and musical moments from Jack Johnson’s 2008 Sleep Through The Static world tour” and features Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder. 100% of the 2008 tour profits and the proceeds from the live album will go to the Kokua Hawaii Foundation – which supports environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawaii – and the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation, which matches fans’ donations to the local charities featured in the Village Green area at each of his shows (up to $2500 per concert).

To celebrate the release of the album, Johnson played an intimate acoustic set in front of a hugely enthusiastic audience at the Hawaii Theatre in Honolulu last week, with proceeds going to the Kokua Hawaii Foundation.

Top Rockers Protest Against Music Torture At Guantanamo

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

A coalition of US and international musicians, including Trent Reznor, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Jackson Browne, Rise Against, Rosanne Cash, Billy Bragg and The Roots have announced they are joining the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo—a campaign led by retired Generals Robert Gard, John Johns, former member of Congress, Tom Andrews, and Vote Vets Chairman and Iraq War veteran, Jon Soltz.

The musicians have also launched a formal protest of the use of music used in conjunction with torture that took place at the prison and other facilities and announced they were supporting an effort seeking the declassification of all secret government records pertaining to how music was utilized as an interrogation device.

Pearl Jam And Incubus To Be Honored At Charity Gala

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

In celebration of the organization’s 25th Anniversary, the Surfrider Foundation will host a star-studded gala on Friday, October 9, 2009 at the California Science Center’s Wallis Annenberg Building in Downtown Los Angeles.

The event will be highlighted by the presentation of the Surfrider Foundation’s Keeper of the Coast Award. The award, which is only given out once every five years, is presented to celebrities who have made significant contributions towards helping the Surfrider Foundation fulfill its mission. This year, musical acts Incubus and Pearl Jam, along with Baywatch actor David Chokachi will join previous winners including Jack Johnson, Perry Farrell and Bruce Johnston and Mike Love of the Beach Boys.

The event will feature a performance by the legendary CAMP FREDDY, featuring members from Jane’s Addiction, The Cult and Guns n’ Roses.

Remaining Beatles Reunite At Benefit Concert

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr reunited for a special benefit concert in New York on Saturday, April 4.

The pair came together on stage to perform With A Little Help From My Friends, playing together for the first time since George Harrison’s tribute show in 2002. They played three songs together in total on Saturday, Including I Saw Her Standing There.

“At this point we would like to introduce somebody to you who you know, you’ve heard his name,” Sir Paul said as he introduced his former bandmate. “He’s going to come out here and play you a little song this joyful night. Ladies and gentlemen: Billy Shears!!”

Surviving Beatles Reunite For Charity Concert

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:00:00 +0000

As reported by Look To The Stars back in January, Paul McCartney is to headline a charity concert to benefit filmmaker David Lynch’s meditation charity. We can now announce the music icon will be joined by his former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr.

After initially not confirming that the two stars would share the stage together, a UK spokesperson has now announced that the pair will definitely perform at least one song together – making it a reunion of the surviving members of The Beatles. They last performed together in public at a tribute show for George Harrison in 2002.

Proceeds from the show will go to the David Lynch Foundation, set up by the filmmaker to provide funds for in-school “Quiet Time” programs utilizing the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique. In the past year, the Foundation has provided millions of dollars for thousands of students, teachers, and parents to learn to meditate. The Foundation also provides funds for independent research institutions to assess the effects of the program on creativity, intelligence, brain functioning, academic performance, ADHD and other learning disorders, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. The filmmaker attributes much of his creativity to the practice.

Paul McCartney To Join Pearl Jam For Meditation Concert

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Sir Paul McCartney is set to share the stage with Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder to benefit filmmaker David Lynch’s meditation charity.

The concert – also slated to include Sheryl Crow and Moby – will take place at the Radio City Music Hall in New York on April 4, with proceeds going to the David Lynch Foundation.

Lynch set up the charity to provide funds for in-school “Quiet Time” programs utilizing the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique. In the past year, the Foundation has provided millions of dollars for thousands of students, teachers, and parents to learn to meditate. The Foundation also provides funds for independent research institutions to assess the effects of the program on creativity, intelligence, brain functioning, academic performance, ADHD and other learning disorders, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. The filmmaker attributes much of his creativity to the practice.

The Grateful Dead Sign Guitar For Charity Auction

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Deadheads – otherwise known as fans of The Grateful Dead – will want to get their hands on a signed guitar up for auction at the moment.

The reunited remaining members of the band – now known simply as The Dead – have signed the guitar to benefit HeadCount, an organization that encourages young people to vote. Established in 2004 by a group of artists, music industry professionals and fans – all determined to make sure the live music community is well-represented at the polls – the organization has registered over 200,000 new voters. Over 12,000 of these were registered at concerts performed by the Dave Matthews Band in 2004. The organization currently fields street teams in nearly 50 cities, and has ties to a diverse group of artists including Pearl Jam, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Nine Inch Nails, My Morning Jacket, Maroon 5, Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, The Indigo Girls, Gov’t Mule and the Disco Biscuits.

Joining The Dead – Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Warren Haynes, and Mickey Hart – in signing the guitar are Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, President Barack Obama’s transition team Co-Chair (and former White House Chief of Staff) John Podesta, and FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adlestein.

SurfAid CD Helps Tsunami Victims

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:30:00 +0000

A new CD raising money for some of the areas of Indonesia still recovering from the Boxing Day Tsunami tragedy went on sale exclusively in New Zealand last week.

SurfAid – The Music has been produced by SurfAid International, an organization that aims to improve the health and self-reliance of communities in remote geographical locations regularly visited by traveling surfers.

The new CD features songs specially donated by acts such as John Butler, Bob Marley, Liam Finn, Neil Finn, The Black Seeds, and a special duet between Crowded House and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder.

Cream Of The Christmas Celebrity Charity Auctions

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:00:00 +0000

It’s that time of year again when most of us are looking for the perfect gift for those we love, and Look To The Stars wants to make the choice a little easier for you by highlighting some of the great celebrity items up for grabs in the name of charity.

Born-to-run fans of Bruce Springsteen will be revving their engines to get hold of the rocker’s very own Harley Davidson this Christmas. The customized Fatboy motorcycle is up for grabs to benefit the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, the charity founded in 1994 by former professional tennis player Andre Agassi and dedicated to transforming U.S. public education for underserved youth.

“This is my Harley Davidson Fatboy FXFSTF,” said Springsteen. "I bought this bike from a friend in 1993. I did some light customizing and put 9,000 happy miles on it on the backroads of New Jersey. It’s got straight pipes, a McConey carburator, HD saddlebags, custom handle bars, forward controls and foot pegs. It’s extremely reliable and a great cruiser. So, if you’re “Born to Run,” this bike’s for you!"

Be A Rock Star For A Day With New Charity Auction

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:30:00 +0000

Do you dream about rock ‘n’ roll stardom? How about playing the guitar of your favorite rock icons? Guitar Center Music Foundation is proud to present the Rockstar Experience Online Charity Auction at www.auctionwire.com and running until Saturday, December 13. The auction will feature hot ticket items such as signed guitars from famous musicians, celebrity meet and greets with rock legends, and The Rockstar Experience — a unique package that will make anyone rock ‘n’ roll!

The Rockstar Experience package will be one lucky winner’s shot at fame; the winner of this item will be featured on a huge “Poster of Fame,” photographed by world-renowned rock photographer Robert Knight. The 80-square-foot poster will be displayed prominently at the entrance of the landmark Guitar Center Hollywood store on Sunset Boulevard alongside famous artists such as John Mayer and Slash.

There is more. The lucky winner will get real publicity for being featured on this Guitar Center storefront. The Rockstar Experience winner will be featured in a story in an upcoming issue of Skinnie Entertainment Magazine (www.SkinnieMagazine.com) – a leading free publication for music, sports, fashion and lifestyle, reaching the young adults of Southern California and Las Vegas for over seven years. Top this off with an appearance of the winner in the popular Flash section of SPIN – the leading music lifestyle magazine with the popular online site www.SPIN.com – and you have the ultimate rock star exposure package.

Neil Finn's New Album Gets Crowded For Oxfam

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:15:00 +0000

Crowded House frontman Neil Finn has invited a host of well known musicians to join him in recording a new album for charity.

Finn has invited the core band – and a few special guests – from his 2001 Seven Worlds Collide series of live shows and accompanying live album to create a new album at Roundhead Studios in Auckland, New Zealand, with proceeds going to support Oxfam.

Guests confirmed so far are Radiohead’s Phil Selway and Ed O’Brien, The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, Soul Coughing’s Sebastian Steinberg, multi-instrumentalist Lisa Germano, Wilco members Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Glenn Kotche and Pat Sansone, and New Zealand musicians Liam Finn, Don McGlashan and Bic Runga.

Pearl Jam Raises Millions For Robin Hood

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Rockers Pearl Jam have raised $3 million for charity after a gig in New York City on Monday night.

The band played an impressive 26-song set during a private show at the Big Apple’s 2,800-capacity Beacon Theater and raised the cash for the Robin Hood Foundation’s poverty fighting initiatives, bringing the Seattle-based band’s current tour to a successful and charitable close.

The show – to which some fans forked out $2,250 for a ticket – followed the band’s announcement last week that they are to back a campaign to raise money for patients fighting health insurance companies for payouts. A pre-concert fundraising party was held before the band’s concert in Connecticut on Friday, organized by Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness leader Jennifer Jaff.

Pearl Jam To Play Charity Gig

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:36:00 +0000

Rockers Pearl Jam are to play a one-off charity gig next month.

The band, formed in Seattle in 1990, will play New York’s Beacon Theatre on July 1 to raise money for the Robin Hood Foundation, an organization that targets poverty in the city.

The band is well known for their social campaigning at gigs, with singer Eddie Vedder often changing lyrics of his songs to attack political issues.

Flea's Musical Dream

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:55:10 +0000

When costs are cut in the educational system, the arty subjects always suffer the most – and so do the pupils. Literature is an important foundation to creating dreams, mathematics allows people to put all the dreams together in logical and strikingly illogical forms, and music creates the melody and spin for the dreams.

To help make the dreams come true, Red Hot Chili Peppers bass player Flea joined Keith “Tree” Barry to establish the Silverlake Conservatory of Music in 2001. Situated on Sunset Boulevard, the non-profit institution offers private lessons in most instruments to children and adults at reasonable prices, and also provides funding for those who cannot afford it.

There is a “20-Peace Orchestra”, where Duke Ellingtons-in-training can get a taste of classical, pops, big band, and Brazilian sounds. The Funk All-Stars Workshop lets students channel their inner James Browns with grooving jam sessions, and the Youth Chorale gives pint-sized singers the chance to learn harmonization and different styles of singing. The conservatory boasts eight air-conditioned studios so students can work up a cramp-free sweat while they jam, and there is also a recital area for clinics and performances – just in case that inner performance diva needs to break free.