LOS ANGELES (AP) — Green Day kicked off the massive FireAid benefit concert Thursday night, a two-venue concert extravaganza that is raising money for Los Angeles-area wildfire relief efforts. They launched into “Last Night on Earth," and were soon joined by Billie Eilish for the first surprise of the night. The lyrics are surprisingly astute: “If I lose everything in the fire / I’m sending all my love to you.
” After their set, Green Day frontman Billy Joe Armstrong hugged Billy Crystal, who was there to welcome to the crowd. “Our goal is simple tonight, to spend more money than the Dodgers’ spent on free agents,” he joked. He told the audience U2 offered the first big donation of the night -- $1 million dollars.
Crystal said he has been affected by the fires, wearing the clothes he wore when he evacuated. He lost home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood that he lived in for 46 years. After Crystal was Alanis Morissette in a bedazzled “I heart LA” shirt, launching into “Ironic,” harmonica in hand, followed by Anderson .
Paak with surprise guest Sheila E. Behind the performers, images of firefighters and the devastation brought forth by the fires appeared on screen. And between sets, videos of survivors telling the stories of losing their homes were broadcast throughout the arena.
FireAid has taken over two Inglewood, California, venues — the Kia Forum and the Intuit Dome, starting at 7 p.m. Pacific at the Forum.
The start of the show was delayed an .
