Review by Junkman
Photos by Ron Lyon
What a fabulous evening it was in Hollywood for Adopt the Arts benefit concert for LAUSD Elementary Schools, featuring an all-star line-up, auction, and a tribute to ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons and Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks for their contributions to Adopt the Arts, a Los Angeles-based charity co-founded by musician Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver) and activist Abby Berman that works to preserve arts programs in U.S. public schools.
To raise awareness, Adopt The Arts honors individuals who’ve had a long lasting impact on music culture and inspire young musicians to follow in their footsteps. Actress Jane Lynch was the first celebrity to sign onto Adopt The Arts and is on the Board of Directors; the advisory board also includes: Slash, John Stamos, Billy Bob Thornton, Steve Stevens, Juliette Lewis, Danny Masterson, Shepard Fairey, Adrian Young and Gina Gershon.
According to Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), 50% of elementary school children in the district are not receiving arts education of any kind. As in many school districts around the country, LAUSD has been slowly eroding its commitment to arts education, reducing the budget incrementally. The LAUSD district also estimates that 80% of its student body is living at or below the poverty line, which means the vast majority of these elementary school children will not have access to the arts outside of school.
“Adopt the Arts was born out of the frustration for my own children losing education in the arts,” explained Adopt the Arts co-founder Abby Berman. “When the system is failing, we have to take action. With influential people like my co-founder Matt Sorum adopting schools, we can preserve this valuable component to childhood development, which is also known to boost test scores. Because Federal and State funding is falling short, the responsibility is upon us as concerned parents and citizens to ensure we’re raising a new generation of healthy and well-rounded individuals.”
Adopt the Arts co-executive director and co-founder Matt Sorum added, “We’re starting in our own backyard here in Los Angeles, and we’ll continue to adopt schools across the nation. We believe that art is a universal and necessary language that unites us all, regardless of our backgrounds.”
Sorum got the evening started and immediately brought out Billy Gibbons, who, joined by the terrific backing band the Disreputable Few, charged through a set of ZZ Top songs that changed guest members each song. And what crew of guests they were! Cult guitarist Billy Duffy and Big Elf keyboardist Damon Fox got it started with “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers.” Steve Lukather, Edgar Winter, Jimmy Vivino from Conan O’Brien’s band, and singer Frankie Perez revved up the classic “Tush.” Winter played sax and sang lead vocals on “Cheap Sunglasses.”
The team of Richie Sambora and Orianthi came out and did an acoustic/electric bluesy version of “Rough Boy” that also featured Matt Sorum on percussion. Bassist Duff McKagan then joined the tribe for “Waitin’ For The Bus” and during the segue into “Jesus Just Left Chicago,” out came guitarist Slash, who traded big, fat, Gibson guitar riffs with Billy Gibbons, and really brought the sold-out house down.
The best was saved for last as final song of the set featured Edgar Winter on organ, Mckagen on bass, Sorum on drums, and Gibbons, Lukather, Sambora, and Slash on guitars in an incredible version of the ZZ Top classic “La Grange” that featured so many different guitar solos and lick trading between the guitarists that played them, that you thought you had died and gone to guitar heaven. Naturally, it really blew the roof off the Roxy, and the smiles of the musicians onstage were just as wide and bright as the ones in the audience with everyone truly having a great time.
A break was taken and an auctioneer hit the stage and did quite well auctioning off a variety of items, including vacations to Mexico and lots of signed guitars and photos. All proceeds, of course, were donated to the Adopt the Arts program, and believe me, they made a chunk of change this evening. After all was said and done, it was time for more music.
Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks was introduced and he took a seat behind the drum kit as the band kicked into the ABB classic “Trouble No More,” with vocals and lead guitar by Jimmy Vivino, looking stylish in his tilted fedora. Frankie Perez took lead vocals on “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’,” and did a bang-up job at it. Sambora and Orianthi (are they attached at the hip or what?) did a sweet version of “Midnight Rider,” trading guitar and vocal licks. They were followed with a killer version of “Stormy Monday” that featured Edgar Winter on vocals and saxophone, as well as terrific guitar work from Vivino and Slash.
Steve Lukather and Vivino then brought the crowd to its feet with a stirring “One Way Out” that had Trucks doubling up with the house band’s drummer during the middle solo, smiles on everyone’s faces throughout. Billy Gibbons came back onstage and led an absolutely awesome version of “Statesboro Blues” that also featured Richie Sambora. To close it all out for the evening, Gregg Allman’s daughter Layla Brooklyn Allman, joined the entire cast on vocals for a stunning version of “Whipping Post” that had every musician onstage playing their hearts out and everyone in the audience on their feet. an incredible way to wrap up an incredible evening.
