Jackson Browne And Oceana Raise Over 1.4 Million Dollars For Oceans

Oceana has become one of the most popular and admired environmental organizations for musicians to support. In recent years Sting, Jeff Bridges, Nile Rodgers And CHIC, Don Henley, Sheryl Crow, Jeff Goldblum and The Dead with John Mayer have performed private benefit concerts for the group dedicated to saving the oceans.

Last night, Jackson Browne returned for a third time, after playing benefits previously in the Hamptons and Hollywood Hills, to play a backyard concert at a gorgeous Laguna Beach mansion overlooking the ocean for Oceana's annual SeaChange benefit, raising over $1.4 million for the cause.

It was a match made in philanthropic heaven -- one of music's greatest activists and environmentalists returning to Orange County, which he pointed out multiple times had been a big part of his upbringing, to play in a magnificent setting for the oceans.

This was one of those times where the reality matched the expectations. Taking the stage just after nine PM after being introduced by Ted Danson, who said he was proud to call Browne his friend, the Rock And Roll And Songwriters Hall Of Fame member delivered a magnificent nine-song set.

Opening with the appropriate "Rock Me On The Water," Browne and his stripped-down band for the setting, which included Greg Leisz and longtime vocalists Alethea Mills and Chavonne Stewart, performed a greatest hits set.

But Browne, staying true to the independent-minded artist he has always been, made sure to also stay relevant to the setting and the cause. Following the gorgeous "Rock Me On The Water," he performed "If I Could Be Anywhere," a song he explained was written about the oceans for a Ted Talk.

"I don't know if you ever tried to write a song about plastic," Browne said laughing, "But it's not easy." Writing a song about plastics might not be easy for most mere mortals, but for Browne the song was smart and completely relevant to the theme of the night, which was focused on defeating single-used plastics that are destroying the oceans and sea life.

As Oceana CEO Andrew Sharpless explained he is not opposed to plastics, but the videos and stats they shared of well-documented heartbreaking viral stories of whales and other sea life dying with huge amounts of plastics in their systems made it very clear that single-use plastics need to be eliminated urgently.

"If I Could Be Anywhere," which Browne added is about being here in the now, fighting for the environment against climate change, was Browne's biggest concession to the cause. The rest of the set was made up of timeless classics, all as magical as fans remember.

Highlights included an absolutely sublime "The Long Way Around," which Browne explained was inspired in part by the guitar part of "These Days"; a joyful "Running On Empty" and "Somebody's Baby"; the brilliant "The Pretender" and a rollicking "Take It Easy," which Browne said he didn't play for many years, and then said he learned to sing it, "As you did, in the car."

An absolutely dazzling version, it got Danson and many of the attendees who had been seated following the sit-down dinner up and dancing on the picturesque grass lawn for maybe the greatest garden party you will ever witness.

Following the splendid and euphoric song Browne closed the set with a cover of Little Steven's "I Am A Patriot." In introducing the song, Browne joked pointedly about how he had been asked not to include too much of his "Inflammatory political rhetoric." Anyone who's followed Browne's career knows the odds of that are as good as Democrats and Republicans joining together in 2019 for a feel-good sing along of "Happy Together."

In the song, Browne amended the words a bit to sing, "I ain't no Republican, obviously/I ain't no climate denier/I ain't no white supremacist/I ain't no misogynist," making a very clear political statement.

The key to a successful benefit, which both Oceana and Browne understand, is delivering the message in a way that is entertaining and not heavy handed. To no one's surprise two masters of the benefit teaming up delivered had the perfect mix for a memorable night.

Credit: Steve Baltin for Forbes.com

Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart Among Headliners For 13th Stand Up For Heroes Benefit

The 13th annual Stand Up For Heroes celebration has landed a major headliner for its Nov. 4 date at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

The event honoring the nation's veterans and their families will once again welcome Bruce Springsteen to the stage alongside comedians Ronny Chieng, Hasan Minhaj, Jon Stewart and John Oliver.

The event, presented by the Bob Woodward Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival, along with Veterans on Wall Street and supported by founding sponsor GFI Group Inc. and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, will also feature a number of other soon-to-be-named surprise guests in what a release promises will be a "unique evening of comedy and music to raise funds and awareness in support of the Bob Woodruff Foundation."

The special event coincides with the nation's largest comedy festival (Nov. 4-10), with more than 200 comedians performing at 100 shows across New York. “Even after 13 years of Stand Up for Heroes, the event continues to inspire our audience and our nation,” said Woodruff, ABC News correspondent and co-founder of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “We can’t forget that these brave individuals stand up to serve in our military, and we need to show our support by standing up for them in return.”

Over the past 12 years, SUFH has featured sets by everyone from Stephen Colbert, Jim Gaffigan, Whoopi Goldberg and Trevor Noah to Tony Bennett, Eric Church, John Mayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more.

“The New York Comedy Festival is extremely proud to continue to partner with the Bob Woodruff Foundation to present Stand Up for Heroes,” said Caroline Hirsch, founder of the New York Comedy Festival and Caroline’s on Broadway, and Woodruff Foundation board member. “This special event continues to bring joy and laughter to the extraordinary veterans who have risked their lives for our country. It is a humbling feeling to provide support for veterans and their families.”

CREDITS: Billboard / Gil Kaufman

LIVE PAY-PER-VIEW OF ERIC CLAPTON'S CROSSROADS GUITAR FESTIVAL

Eric Clapton's Sold Out Crossroads Guitar Festival To Be Simulcast Live on Pay-Per-View September 20 and 21!

Known amongst his peers as a great collaborator, Eric Clapton will perform the fifth installment of his Crossroads Guitar Festival, on Friday, September 20, and Saturday, September 21 from the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas. It promises two nights of live music performances and impromptu collaborations from the world's most legendary guitar players. It will be available at 8 p.m. ET on Friday September 20th and 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 21st for simulcast on Pay-Per-View across North America.

The festival will have a different line up each night that includes Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Jeff Beck, Joe Walsh, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Peter Frampton, Robert Cray, Vince Gill, Jimmie Vaughan and the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Other confirmed artists are Alan Darby, Albert Lee, Andy Fairweather Low, Billy Gibbons, Bradley Walker, Buddy Guy, Daniel Santiago, Doyle Bramhall II, Gustavo Santaolalla, James Bay, Jerry Douglas, Jonny Lang, Keb Mo, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Los Lobos, Pedro Martins, Robert Randolph, Sonny Landreth and Tom Misch.

Both nights are expected to be at least a four-hour performance. Of course, Eric will perform each evening. All profits from the Festival will benefit The Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a treatment and education facility founded by Eric for chemically dependent persons.

Pay-Per-View makes this highly anticipated Crossroads Guitar Festival a must-see event. Broadcasting in HD, Pay-Per-View provides front-row home access for family and friends to experience many of the world’s top musicians for two fantastic nights of live music. The Pay-Per-View will be available via Cable, Satellite, Telco and Digital outlets at just $39.99 per night. Contact local Pay-Per-View providers for more information and to order.

The festival will also be simulcast at music venues, bars, restaurants and performing arts centers across North America. To find a participating bar or restaurant showing Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival closer to the event date, visit www.joehandpromotions.com/venue-search.

The Crossroads Centre, Antigua

Founded in 1998, Crossroads Centre, Antigua was created to provide treatment and education to chemically and alcohol dependent persons, their families and their significant others. Treatment is provided through residential care, family and aftercare programs. The pathway to recovery is founded on the 12 steps and a change in lifestyle. Crossroads Centre, Antigua also operates a 16-bed halfway house in Antigua called the Bevon House and facilitates various ongoing recovery initiatives on the island of Antigua and the Caribbean.

www.crossroadsantigua.org CREDITS: https://www.whereseric.com/

The Top 40 Greatest Guitar Solos Ever

After thousands of votes were cast by Planet Rock listeners over recent weeks, we can now reveal The Top 40 Greatest Guitar Solos of all time – as voted for by you!

Picking up a massive 15% of the total votes, Pink Floyd’s timeless 1979 anthem ‘Comfortably Numb’ comfortably came in at Number 1 thanks to that David Gilmour solo.

‘Comfortably Numb’ was previously voted the fifth Greatest Rock Song Ever by Planet Rock listeners, and there’s little denying that Gilmour’s iconic guitar solo is one of the defining musical moments in rock history.

In fact, such is its magnificence, Gilmour’s fabled Black Strat he played on the ‘Comfortably Numb’ solo amongst many other Pink Floyd classics recently set the world record for the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction fetching $3,975,000.

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 1973 masterpiece ‘Free Bird’ is Number 2. Allen Collins and Gary Rossington's guitar solos that form the unforgettable second half of the track are, like ‘Comfortably Numb’, truly entrenched in rock history.

Taking us to more recent times, Alter Bridge’s 2007 tour-de-force ‘Blackbird’ is in third spot. Centering on Mark Tremonti and Myles Kennedy’s rousing solos, the track is arguably the band’s signature tune and life-affirmingly brilliant in the live arena.

Michael Schenker’s phenomenal solo on UFO’s ‘Rock Bottom’ earns the track fourth spot, and, perfectly showcasing Slash’s mercurial talents, Guns N’ Roses’ epic power ballad ‘November Rain’ is at No.5.

Completing the Top 10 are Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway To Heaven’ (6), Eagles’ ‘Hotel California’ (7), Van Halen’s ‘Eruption’ (8), Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ (9) and Queen’s ‘Brighton Rock’ (10).

Songs from the 1970s dominated the guitar solos poll with seven of the Top 10 and a massive 21 tracks from the entire Top 40 being released in the decade.

The 1980s and 1990s are both represented by six guitar solos, while there are three from the 2000s, and two apiece from the 1960s and 2010s.

Slash has a total of four guitar solos on the list - Guns N’ Roses' ‘November Rain’ (5) ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ (9) and ‘Estranged’ (35) plus Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators’ ‘Anastasia’ (33).

Elsewhere, Ritchie Blackmore’s searing solos appear three times on the countdown - Rainbow’s magnum opus ‘Stargazer’ is at 21, with Deep Purple’s ‘Child In Time’ and ‘Highway Star’ at 11 and 14 respectively.

The late-great Gary Moore has also fared extremely well with solo songs ‘Parisienne Walkways’ and ‘Still Got The Blues’ at 17 and 25, and Thin Lizzy’s ‘Still in Love with You’ at 27.

The Top 40 Greatest Guitar Solos, as voted for by Planet Rock listeners, are as follows:

40. Jimi Hendrix - ‘All Along the Watchtower’ (1968)
39. AC/DC – ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ (1977)
38. Y&T – ‘I Believe In You’ (1981)
37. Metallica - ‘Fade To Black’ (1984)
36. Wishbone Ash - ‘Everybody Needs A Friend’ (1973)
35. Guns N’ Roses - ‘Estranged’ (1991)
34. Judas Priest - ‘Beyond The Realms of Death’ (1978)
33. Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators - ‘Anastasia’ (2012)
32. Thin Lizzy - ‘The Rocker’ (1973)
31. Dire Straits – ‘Telegraph Road’ (1982)
30. Dire Straits – ‘Sultans of Swing’ (1978)
29. Alice Cooper – ‘I Am Made Of You’ (2011)
28. Cream - ‘Crossroads’ (1968)
27. Thin Lizzy - ‘Still In Love With You’ (1974)
26. Marillion – ‘Easter’ (1989)
25. Gary Moore – ‘Still Got The Blues’ (1990)
24. Pink Floyd – ‘Time’ (1973)
23. Joe Bonamassa – ‘India/Mountain Time’ (2002/2007)
22. Extreme – ‘Get The Funk Out’ (1990)
21. Rainbow – ‘Stargazer’ (1976)
20. Jethro Tull – ‘Aqualung’ (1971)
19. Megadeth – ‘Tornado of Souls’ (1990)
18. Rush – ‘La Villa Strangiato’ (1978)
17. Gary Moore - ‘Parisienne Walkways’ (1978)
16. Peter Frampton - ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ (2003)
15. Led Zeppelin – ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ (1970)
14. Deep Purple - ‘Highway Star’ (1972)
13. Ozzy Osbourne - ‘Mr Crowley’ (1980)
12. Bon Jovi – ‘Dry County’ (1992)
11. Deep Purple - ‘Child In Time’ (1970)
10. Queen – ‘Brighton Rock’ (1974)
9. Guns N’ Roses – ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ (1987)
8. Van Halen – ‘Eruption’ (1978)
7. Eagles - ‘Hotel California’ (1976)
6. Led Zeppelin - ‘Stairway To Heaven’ (1971)
5. Guns N’ Roses – ‘November Rain’ (1991)
4. UFO – ‘Rock Bottom’ (1974)
3. Alter Bridge - ‘Blackbird’ (2007)
2. Lynyrd Skynyrd - ‘Free Bird’ (1973)
1. Pink Floyd – ‘Comfortably Numb’ (1979)

CREDITS: Scott Colothan for PlanetRock.com