Yesterday, Dave Matthews Band put their official hiatus on hold to host the Concert For Charlottesville, a benefit show meant to serve as a call for unity in the wake of this summer’s violent and hateful events in the band’s Virginia hometown. The free concert was held at UVA Scott Stadium, and featured performances from Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake, Chris Stapleton, Ariana Grande, The Roots, Brittany Howard, Cage The Elephant, and more.

DMB’s headlining performance–their first show as a full band since 9/4/16 at The Gorge–was one for the history books. First, the band rattled off a string of fan-favorite originals, including “Don’t Drink The Water,” “Warehouse,” “Satellite,” “Seven,” “You Might Die Trying,” and “Grey Street.” However, while the performance was a welcome return for fans of the band, the evening was not about them. The message of the event was solidified when the band welcomed a very special guest to finish their set with them: Mr. Stevie Wonder.

After taking the stage, Wonder took a moment to speak to the audience about the emotional weight of the day. “This is an emotional night for me. Because tonight I know my mother cries in heaven. Because she left me in a world where she believed some day I would be able to see. And I do, but not in the way she imagined. She wanted me to see the birds, the trees, the sky, the Earth, her face, the faces of my children…She wanted me to see all of my friends–my black friends, my white friends, my Asian friends, my friend of all colors. Well, I haven’t seen that, an I probably won’t. And I’m ok with that.

But what I have seen in this life of mine…too much of this…is breaking my heart. I’ve seen leaders talking about annihilating life, the very thing they say they love…And then they hate, and then they tell their children who watch them to be good. I’ve seen people killing people in church, mosques, schools. I’ve seen hate marching down the street disguised as a cry for equality. If I can see it, dammit, I know you can see it. But see it, not with your eyes: feel it in your spirit…

As he finished, Wonder and Matthews, arm-in-arm, kneeled down onstage–first on one knee, and then on both: “Tonight I pray to begin to build a world where fear can’t put dreams to sleep. And now I take a knee for America, and two knees in prayer for our world.” 

Hear Stevie Wonder’s speech to the crowd at the Concert For Charlottesville below, via YouTube user GenesisHealthy:

The gesture of kneeling rather than standing during the national anthem has grown from a simple action by one athlete into a highly divisive political statement. The tensions surrounding the debate reached their boiling point this past weekend when President Trump spoke out against those participating in the protest:

In response to the President’s comments, several NFL teams made official statements denouncing his rhetoric and supporting the right of their players and all other Americans to peaceful protest. Multiple teams elected not to come out on the field during the national anthem at all for yesterday’s NFL Week 3 games. Taking a knee protest has transcended the bounds of athletics, as “taking a knee” is becoming a universal act of peaceful protest against the hate and engrained bigotry that continues to exist in our country. Stevie Wonder taking a knee at the Concert For Charlottesville marked the second time in as many days that the superstar artist had participated in this protest in a highly public setting. The day before, he had made headlines by taking a knee during his performance at Global Citizen Festival in New York City.

After his speech, Wonder joined the band for the DMB debuts of a pair of appropriate numbers: an emotional rendition of John Lennon‘s classic coexistence anthem, “Imagine,” and Stevie’s own “Love’s In Need Of Love Today.” Finally, after happilycalling out to both Dave and the –“Can you imagine this? Stevie and Dave Matthews Band!”–Wonder led the band into a rendition of his beloved hit, “Superstition.” Matthews seemed, understandably, a little starstruck to be playing “Superstition” with Stevie Wonder, and needed a direct invitation from Stevie to help with lead vocals. Once he obliged, smiling and red-faced, the collaboration was clicked right away, as Matthews and Wonder traded lines with excitement.

As the song reached its final refrain, Stevie began to ad-lib, inviting the crowd to repeat after him: “I take a knee for justice; I take a knee for unity.” The chant struck a very poignant chord, echoing the sentiments for which the Concert For Charlottesville was organized while also reflecting the anger and unrest that followed the President’s comments on Saturday.

These are unsettling times for many reasons. The country is divided in more ways than one. But however you feel about athletes (or musicians, or whoever) “taking a knee,” we should all be able to appreciate people coming together and making their voices heard in the name of love and unity in the face of disillusionment and hate. Where there’s love, there’s hope. And where there’s hope, there’s a future worth working for.

 

Watch pro-shot video of Stevie Wonder and the Dave Matthews Band performing “Superstition” below at their Concert For Charlottesville benefit show below (courtesy of YouTube user Al Bert):

Listen to Dave Matthews and Pharrell Williams’s fascinating conversation about the Concert For Charlottesville with Charlie Rose ahead of the benefit below (courtesy of YouTube user Llija Djokovic):

Dave Matthews Band Setlist A Concert for Charlottesville: An Evening of Music and Unity 2017