Pathway to Paris at Carnegie Hall

Patti Smith, Michael Stipe, Joan Baez, Flea, Cat Power, Talib Kweli, Tenzin Choegyal, Tanya Tagaq, and an array of speakers and musicians joined hands and voices as a call to action against climate change with a concert at Carnegie Hall tonight. Jesse Paris Smith and Rebecca Foon, founders of the effort they entitled Pathway to Paris, curated the event in partnership with the United Nations and 350.org in order to launch the 1000 Cities campaign, which petitions major cities to transition from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy by 2040. Speakers Bill McKibben, Dr. Vandana Shiva, Achim Steiner, and Olafur Eliasson educated about this cause.

The Pathway to Paris concert for climate action briefly illuminated Carnegie Hall with both people power and solar power. Bill McKibben paused the show to allow attendees to write letters to New York's senior senator, Charles Schumer. Olafur Eliasson asked the audience to open a box placed under its seats and turn on solar-energy lights to illuminate a darkened Carnegie Hall, then announced that these lights would be sent to Puerto Rico to help those still lacking power following Hurricane Maria.

The concert featured rare moments. Patti Smith bragged with pride over the social action trajectory taken by her daughter, Jesse Paris Smith. Michael Stipe covered the Velvet Underground's "Sunday Morning." Patti Smith covering Cat Stevens' "Where Do the Children Play." Joan Baez danced with Talib Kweli, who was backed on the bass guitar by Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Later, Patti Smith danced with Baez. For the finale, all the performers and speakers joined Patti Smith on stage for "People Have the Power."

Patti Smith

Jesse Paris Smith

Joan Baez

Michael Stipe

Flea

Cat Power

Tenzin Choegyan

Patti Smith setlist at program start

1. Nature Is What We See (Emily Dickinson cover with Jesse Paris Smith and Rebecca Foon)
2. Mother Nature's Son (The Beatles cover with Tony Shanahan and Andy York) -> Unknown poem -> Where Do the Children Play? (Cat Stevens cover) (with Tony Shanahan and Andy York)
3. Peaceable Kingdom / People Have the Power (with Lenny Kaye, Tony Shanahan, Jay Dee Daugherty, and Andy York)
4. Mother's Prayer (poem during Flea bass composition)

Patti Smith setlist at program end

1. After the Gold Rush (Neil Young cover) (with Tony Shanahan and Jesse Paris Smith)
2. People Have the Power (finale with everyone from the concert)

Joan Baez setlist

1. Another World (Antony and the Johnsons cover)
2. The President Sang Amazing Grace (Zoe Mulford cover)
3. Imagine (John Lennon cover)
4. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (Fisk Jubilee Singers cover)

Michael Stipe setlist

1. Nature Boy (Nat King Cole cover)
2. It Don't Come Easy (Ringo Starr cover)
3. Photograph (Ringo Starr cover)
4. Sunday Morning (The Velvet Underground cover)

Cat Power setlist

1. Nothing Really Matters
2. Norma/Names
3. Maybe Not

Talib Kweli setlist

1. Get By (with Flea on bass)

Tenzin Choegyal setlist

1. Elemental Prayer (with Jesse Paris Smith and Rebecca Foon)
2. Heart Strings (with Jesse Paris Smith, Rebecca Foon, and Tibetan elders)