Love Rocks NYC at the Beacon Theatre

The last concert at the Beacon Theatre before the coronavirus outbreak paralyzed the live music industry was the fourth annual Love Rocks NYC on March 12, 2020. As the pandemic was just hitting and rapidly escalating, the majority of the ticketholders learned that afternoon that they would not be admitted, although they could watch the concert at home via live stream. The live audience was reduced to a few hundred guests, mostly essential personnel, guests of the performers, and credentialed press. Despite this caution, the concert became a super-spreader event, as Jackson Browne, Paul Shaffer, Ivan Neville, Larry Campbell and other participating musicians reported COVID-19 symptoms in subsequent weeks. They, along with the general public, knew little at that stage about the potential dangers of sharing microphones, handshakes and hugs.

Sixteen months later, the fifth annual Love Rocks NYC concert reopened the Beacon Theatre, also with a limited invitation-only live audience, on June 3, 2021. All guests showed proof of vaccination as a requirement for admission. Mask-less strangers sat next to each other in the seats and shared space in lobbies, concession lines and bathrooms.

Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Jeff Garlin, Michael Imperioli and Bernie Williams served as hosts. Sara Bareilles, Jon Bon Jovi, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Clark Jr., Billy F Gibbons, Warren Haynes, Ayron Jones, Emily King, Ledisi, Pedrito Martinez, Tash Neal, Fantastic Negrito, Ivan Neville, Grace Potter, Robert Randolph, Nathaniel Rateliff, Jimmy Vivino and Yola performed. Bassist Will Lee served as the musical director and leader of the house band, which included guitarists Larry Campbell and Eric Krasno, keyboardists Ricky Peterson and Jeff Young, and drummers Steve Gadd and Shawn Pelton. God’s Love Horns (Evan Barker, Ron Blake, Joe Fielder, Aaron Heick, Jim Hynes and Andy Snitzer) and We Deliver Singers (Elaine Caswell, Dennis Collins, Neal Coomer, Chrissi Poland, Nicki Richards and Mark Rivers) supplemented the music. The musicians rehearsed for eight days before the concert.

This year's concert raised $3 million for God's Love We Deliver, the New York-based organizations that delivers free freshly-prepared and medically-tailored meals to the homebound needy. The largely volunteer-based God's Love We Deliver will distribute 2.5 million meals in 2021. Since 2017, Love Rocks NYC has raised $13 million, funding more than 1.3 million meals for the organization.

This year’s Love Rocks NYC concert also honored the city’s many frontline workers for their sacrifices throughout the pandemic. God’s Love We Deliver President and CEO Karen Pearl also paid tribute to Ganga Stone, the organization’s co-founder, who passed away on June 2.

Like last year, the Love Rocks NYC was live streamed for free. The suggested donation was $20, which covers two meals for the needy.

The sixth annual Love Rocks NYC will return to the Beacon Theatre on March 10, 2022. The performers are yet to be announced.

The opening skit, with Pedrito Martinez and Bill Murray

Grace Potter sang Tom Petty's "American Girl"

Comedian Jeff Garlin

Ivan Neville and Jimmy Vivino covered Allen Toussaint's "Yes We Can Can"

Yola sang "Hold On" and "Stand for Myself"

Ayron Jones performed "Supercharged"

Emily King sang the Beatles' "Help"

Michael Imperioli

Billy F. Gibbons and harmonica player Danny Clinch (not shown) performed ZZ Top's "Cheap Sunglasses"

Billy F. Gibbons, Robert Randolph, and Bernie Williams covered the Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Foxy Lady"

Jon Bon Jovi sang "American Reckoning"

Grace Potter and Jon Bon Jovi sang Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name"

Robert Randolph, Warren Haynes, and Bernie Williams covered the Marshall Tucker Band's "Can't You See"

Warren Haynes performed a solo acoustic "Old Friend"

Grace Potter, Warren Haynes, and Pedrito Martinez (not shown) covered Leon Russell's "Delta Lady"

Tash Neal and Jimmy Vivino covered Neil Young with Crazy Horse's "Down by the River"

Tina Fey

Sara Bareilles sang "Brave"

Sara Bareilles and Emily King sang "If I Can’t Have You"

Sara Bareilles and Yola sang Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"

Fantastic Negrito, Bernie Williams, and Pedrito Martinez (not shown) performed Bill Withers' "Ain’t No Sunshine"

Fantastic Negrito sang "How Long?"

Nathaniel Rateliff performed "Time Stands" and Van Morrison's "Caravan"

Gary Clark Jr. performed "When I’m Gone" and "Feed the Babies"

Ledisi sang "Knockin’" and Buddy Miles' "Them Changes"

Joe Bonamassa performed "Breaking Up Somebody’s Home"

Robert Randolph, Joe Bonamassa, Warren Haynes, and Jimmy Vivino covered Freddie King's "Going Down"

For the finale, most of the performers came on stage for a cover of the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music developments as they happen. All photographs are by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise. For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music." For a listing of upcoming concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's June 2021 calendar.