Love Rocks NYC, the over-the-top annual benefit concert for God’s Love We Deliver, returned to New York’s Beacon Theatre on Thursday for its ninth edition featuring performances by Cher, Beck, Trey Anastasio, Alicia Keys, Michael McDonald, Peter Frampton, Eric Burton, Mavis Staples, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jesse Malin, Kate Hudson, Grace Bowers, Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) featuring Vanessa Amorosi, Luke Spiller, and more.
This year’s concert raised $4 million for God’s Love We Deliver, the organization founded in 1985 as a response to the AIDS pandemic to deliver healthy, medically tailored meals to patients and their families and caretakers. Since launching in 2017, the annual Love Rocks NYC concerts have brought together an astonishing lineup of musical talent raised more than $50 million to date and helping to fund 5 million meals for New Yorkers living with severe illnesses. Love Rocks NYC 2025 also shared some of the spotlight with God’s Love We Deliver’s sister organization Project Angel Food, which is receiving a portion of the night’s proceeds in response to the devastating LA wildfires.
Per tradition, music director Will Lee (The CBS Orchestra) led a house band consisting of Shawn Pelton (Saturday Night Live), Larry Campbell (Levon Helm, Bob Dylan), Eric Krasno (Soulive, Phil Lesh & Friends), Ivan Neville (Dumpstaphunk), Pedrito Martinez (Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Camila Cabello), Jeff Babko (Jimmy Kimmel Live), Michael Bearden (Lady Gaga), a robust horn section (a.k.a. the God’s Love Singers), and an ensemble of background vocalists (a.k.a. the We Deliver Horns).
Over the course of four-plus hours at the Beacon Theatre, the long list of top-tier talent on the bill rotated into the spotlight—often with surprise guests in tow—locked in with this mighty band, and served up spirited performances of hits from their own catalogs and crowd-pleasing covers. On a blustery winter Thursday night, Love Rocks NYC was the hottest karaoke spot in town.
It’s always genuinely difficult to single out highlights at Love Rocks NYC—a show designed to be 100% highlights front to back—but we’ve done our best to narrow down a few of our favorite moments from the 2025 edition below. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to view a gallery of photos and a selection of videos from the night.
Alicia Keys, Casual Opening Act
Following some onstage banter by comic/actor Tracy Morgan, who alleged that Michael McDonald was his biological father, Love Rocks NYC got off to a slow, steady start with an up-and-coming singer-songwriter as the opening act. Just kidding… it was 17-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys, whose jukebox musical Hell’s Kitchen is currently running on Broadway. If you’re ever trying to set the perfect tone for a star-studded benefit concert in New York City, just have Alicia Keys come play “Empire State of Mind”. There’s nothing you can’t do.
Alicia Keys – “No One”/”Empire State of Mind”
“Red House”, Kingfish Style
26-year-old blues guitar torch-bearer Christone “Kingfish” Ingram made a splash at his first Love Rocks NYC with a searing meditation on Jimi Hendrix chestnut “Red House” with help from Danny Clinch (harmonica) and Ivan Neville (keys). The way Kingfish passed solos around to Larry Campbell, Eric Krasno, Clinch, and Neville felt like a slow-burn masters clinic. The blues are alive in ’25, to be sure.
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram w/ Ivan Neville, Danny Clinch, More – Love Rocks NYC – 3/6/25
Mavis Staples & Michael McDonald Take Us There
Comedian Amy Schumer introduced what was easily the most wholesome moment of the night: 85-year-old gospel maven Mavis Staples and Michael McDonald of The Doobie Brothers fame performing enduring Staple Singers anthem “I’ll Take You There” as a duet. From McDonald’s visible excitement about his song partner to Mavis’ ageless ebullience (the way she called for “Kraz, Kraz, Kraz” to take a solo could warm the coldest of hearts), this soul-nourishing performance was a perfect fit for a God’s Love We Deliver soiree.
Mavis Staples & Michael McDonald – “I’ll Take You There” – Love Rocks NYC – 3/6/25
Bill Murray Loves The One He’s With
It wouldn’t be Love Rocks NYC without an unexpected performance by a famous figure not necessarily associated with music. Bill Murray checked that box handily in 2025 with a performance of Stephen Stills’ “Love The One You’re With” featuring percussionist Pedrito Martinez at center stage. Is Bill the best singer ever? No. But is he the most magnetic stage presence ever? That one’s not so easy to write off.
Bill Murray w/ Pedrito Martinez – “Love The One You’re With” (Stephen Stills) – Love Rocks NYC – 3/6/25
Frampton & Friends
Grammy-winning guitar hero Peter Frampton may have stayed seated throughout his three-song appearance, but he certainly provided plenty of action on his fretboard. After winding his way through an instrumental, guitar-led version of “Georgia On My Mind” and a (guitar talkbox) sing-along on “Do You Feel Like We Do”, he welcomed Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio and 18-year-old prodigy Grace Bowers into the fold for a three-guitar instrumental take on, appropriately, The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.
The impact of this intergenerational six-string trio was particularly powerful: Fans of Anastasio’s work in Phish are likely aware that he can shred a mean “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, but both he and Frampton seemed content to let Bowers do the heavy lifting here. Judging by the looks on their faces, they were just as stunned by this young ace as we were in the audience.
Peter Frampton w/ Trey Anastasio & Grace Bowers – “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” – 3/6/25
By the way… Grace Bowers!
If there was an award for Love Rocks NYC breakout star of the year, the 2025 honors would have to go to Grace Bowers. In addition to her standout performance alongside Peter Frampton and Trey Anastasio, the young guitarist took the spotlight on her own to lead the house band through a red-hot recreation of Santana’s “Soul Sacrifice”. Keep an eye on Grace, everybody. She’s going places.
Grace Bowers – “Soul Sacrifice” (Santana) – 3/6/25
Ladies & Gentlemen… Cher
While she only played three songs, pop icon Cher managed to fit two different costume changes, a pair of choreographed interludes by a crew of dancers, and homages to various visual eras of her career into her mini-set at Love Rocks NYC 2025. Even at a star-studded event like this one, artists don’t really come more famous or influential than Cher. From her opening “Walking In Memphis” (complete with Elvis costume and wig), to a gloomy “Song For The Lonely” segment to her closing “Believe”, Cher radiated star power and rare poise on the Beacon Theatre stage.
Cher – “Believe” – Love Rocks NYC – 3/6/25
Beck Parties Like It’s 1999
Nobody should have to follow Cher. But if somebody has to, may as well make it this “Loser”. The 9-time Grammy winner kept the crowd energy up and the mood high as he worked through one song of his own (“Loser”) and one borrowed from the great American rock and roll songbook (Prince’s “1999”).
Beck – “1999” (Prince) – Love Rocks NYC – 3/6/25
Trey Anastasio Bats Cleanup
With the clock approaching midnight and the billed list of performers dwindling, Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio finally hit the stage for the final spotlight performance of the night. First, he jumped into uplifting modern Phish staple “Everything’s Right”, which the house ensemble tackled with Trey Anastasio Band-like vigor. Then, he kicked into a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times”. After singing the first verse himself, he tapped into the talent pool on hand at the Beacon and brought in practiced English rock howler Luke Spiller to handle Robert Plant’s vocals for the home stretch. This was one of the “good times.”
Trey Anastasio w/ Luke Spiller – “Good Times, Bad Times” (Led Zeppelin) – Love Rocks NYC – 3/6/25
Cher & Trey Steal The Encore
The Love Rocks NYC encore always brings together the evening’s whole cast for one final, collaborative number. But while the stage was filled with stars for this closing rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground”, we found our eyes locked on Trey Anastasio and Cher, who clearly shared a moment during the song. We get it, Trey. It’s Cher.
Love Rocks NYC 2025 Everyone Encore – “Higher Ground” (Stevie Wonder)
The ninth annual LOVE ROCKS NYC was executive produced by iconic international fashion designer John Varvatos, NYC real estate broker and prominent concert producer Greg Williamson and esteemed concert/events producer Nicole Rechter and was presented by Bloomberg Philanthropies. To donate or learn more about how to get involved with God’s Love We Deliver, head here.
Click below to check out the complete setlist from Love Rocks NYC 2025 at the Beacon Theatre below. Scroll down to view a gallery of photos from the night via Getty Images.
