Dubbed “Women Rock, Music Heals!” Monday’s Music Heals International benefit concert at Sweetwater Music Hall featured a number of female artists including Joan Osborne, Holly Bowling, and Elliot Peck, but the highlight of the night was a tribute to late Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh.
Music Heals International was founded by Sara Wasserman after Haiti’s devastating earthquake in 2010 as a way to help the youth cope and find joy through music education while their communities began to rebuild. More than a decade later, the organization continues to foster achievement, resilience, and creativity for children in a country where more than 25% of the population lives in extreme poverty.
Monday night kicked off with a solo performance by Haitian musician Paul Beaubrun, who played a pair of Creole songs before being joined by a band comprised of guitarist Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz, keyboardist Holly Bowling, bassist Angeline Saris, and drummer Daria “Shani” Johnson for “Voodoo Child” and “Get Up Stand Up”.
That opening segment was followed by Jerry Garcia Band organist Melvin Seals and Dead & Company drummer Jay Lane performing “Tore Up Over You”. Guitarist Bella Rayne then joined in for a Lebo original, “Try”, and pedal steel guitarist Barry Sless and vocalist Elliott Peck followed suit on “Twilight”. The first set finished with Jerry Garcia Band staple “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” led by Seals.
Following remarks from Wasserman, Joan Osborne was joined by Lebo, Saris, Bowling, and Johnson for seven songs including her original tunes “I Should Have Danced More”, “One Of Us”, and “Lifeline”, plus a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue”.
The evening culminated with the tribute to Phil Lesh featuring guitarist and vocalist David Nelson, Barry Sless, Jay Lane, keyboardist Mookie Siegel, and bassist Pete Sears, who opened with Lesh’s signature composition, “Box Of Rain”. Elliott Peck joined the group for “Friend Of The Devil”, followed by “Pride Of Cucamonga”, which featured Lebo.
After an emotional “Ripple”, Joan Osborne honored Lesh’s legacy by speaking on the importance of organ donation as Lesh so often did in his famous “donor rap.” She then sang “Stella Blue” with Holly Bowling and Siegel on keys.
As the night wound down, Lebo led the way through “Truckin’” and Peck sang lead on “It Must Have Been The Roses”. The band concluded the set with an all-hands-on-deck “Not Fade Away” before capping the event with a “Brokedown Palace” encore.
Watch the Phil Lesh tribute from Monday’s Music Heals International benefit at Sweetwater Music Hall below and click here to learn more about Music Heals International.
Music Heals International Benefit Phil Lesh Tribute Part 1 – 12/9/24
[Video: Ted Silverman AKA TedToob]
Music Heals International Benefit Phil Lesh Tribute Part 2 – 12/9/24
[Video: Ted Silverman AKA TedToob]