The Hurricane Sandy charity concert at Madison Square Garden clocked in at just under six hours.
This image released by Starpix shows Paul McCartney, left, performs with Dave Grohl, and Pat Smear, right, of Nirvana at the 12-12-12 The Concert for Sandy Relief at Madison Square Garden in New York on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. Proceeds from the show will be distributed through the Robin Hood Foundation. (AP Photo/Starpix, Dave Allocca)
Clocking in at a few minutes shy of six hours, the 12-12-12 Concert to assist victims of Hurricane Sandy was packed with rock 'n' roll royalty.
It had some questionable choices. Why did the Rolling Stones perform just two songs in the middle of the show, while their contemporaries did three or four times as many numbers? Also, there was too much chatter between acts as stages were being set.
But no doubt there was a wealth of fine music to be heard and an opportunity to aid a good cause. Here are five of the best musical moments from the night.
"Cut Me Some Slack" – What do Paul McCartney and Dave Grohl have in common beside living in the shadow of a sainted musical partner and dealing with sometimes difficult widows? Answer: The ability to blow the roof off Madison Square Garden. The former Beatle jammed with surviving Nirvana members Grohl, Krist Noveselic and Pat Smear and proved he is much more than the aging Cute One.
"Losing My Religion" – A fine pairing of R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe and Coldplay's Chris Martin on acoustic guitar and harmonies. The concert brought Stipe out of his recent retirement, a thrill for R.E.M. fans still dealing with end of that great act.
"Baba O'Riley" – The Who delivered a solid set. It was not as great as their 9/11 concert performance more than a decade ago at Madison Square Garden, but it erased some of the lingering memories of their painful 2010 Super Bowl set. Some bloggers complained that Daltrey, 68, was too old for an unbuttoned shirt, which is sadly more proof as to how some rock fans hate it when their heroes age.
"My City of Ruins" – Bruce Springsteen's hymn to the devastated Asbury Park was the emotional highpoint of the night. Written more than a decade ago, the song noted the decline of the Jersey Shore community and called for its rebuilding. As The Boss noted, it is difficult to see the recent storm damage done to Asbury Park so soon after it had experienced a rebirth.
"Empire State of Mind" – A wise decision to end the show with Alicia Keys celebrating New York. Mercifully, the concert did not end with another performance of "Hey Jude" or "Let It Be" – classic songs, but overplayed at events like this.
Concert lineup
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band:
Land of Hopes and Dreams
Wrecking Ball
My City of Ruins
Born to Run (with Jon Bon Jovi)
Roger Waters:
In the Flesh?
The Happiest Days of Our Lives
Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)
Money
Us and Them
Comfortably Numb (with Eddie Vedder)
Adam Sandler and Paul Shaffer:
New York vs. Hurricane Sandy song set to tune of “Hallelujah”
Bon Jovi:
It’s My Life
Wanted Dead or Alive
Who Says You Can't Go Home (with Bruce Springsteen)
Livin’ on a Prayer
Eric Clapton:
Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out (solo acoustic)
Got to Get Better in a Little While
Crossroads
The Rolling Stones:
You Got Me Rocking
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Alicia Keys:
A Brand New Me
No One
The Who:
Who Are You
Bell Boy
Pinball Wizard/We’re Not Gonna Take It
Baba O’Riley
Love Reign O’er Me
Tea and Theatre
Kanye West (medley):
Clique
Power
Jesus Walks
All of the Lights
Run This Town
Diamonds
Touch the Sky
Golddigger
Good Life
Runaway Freestyle
Stronger
Billy Joel:
Miami 2017
Movin’ Out
New York State of Mind
The River of Dreams
You May Be Right
Only the Good Die Young
Chris Martin:
Viva la Vida
Losing My Religion (with Michael Stipe)
Us Against the World
Paul McCartney:
Helter Skelter
Let Me Roll It
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
My Valentine (Diana Krall)
Cut Me Some Slack (with Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear)
I’ve Got a Feeling
Blackbird
Live and Let Die
Alicia Keys and ensemble
Empire State of Mind