MANHATTAN, NY—Patti Smith, Sufjan Stevens, Iggy Pop, New Order, Ben Harper, Alabama Shakes, Laurie Anderson and other artists headlined the Tibet House US 30th Anniversary Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall on March 16, 2017. Not only was the high-profile event a fundraiser for the not-for-profit organization, but the 140-minute concert also celebrated co-founder Philip Glass’ 80th birthday.
Composer Philip Glass, actor Richard Gere, and professor Robert Thurman founded Tibet House U.S. in New York City in 1987 at the request of the 14th Dalai Lama. Annual all-star benefit concerts at Carnegie Hall have rallied attention and funds for the organization, which is dedicated to celebrating and preserving Tibetan civilization and culture.
Tibetan monks opened the evening with a chant. Thurman opened the dialogue by wishing Glass a happy birthday and reminded the audience that through this effort, the audience was supporting the Tibetan resistance against China. Several of the performers also peppered political messages throughout the evening. In addition to the monks’ chant, Tenzin Choeygal and Jesse Paris Smith introduced Tibetan culture with a composition from the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The evening’s performances featured several other collaborations, with Philip Glass playing the piano with several artists, Iggy Pop teaming with New Order, the Patti Smith band backing Sufjan Stevens for a reworded version of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and most of the performers joining Patti Smith for the finale. The show also included next generation artists; Glass’ son Zack accompanied himself on acoustic guitar for a song, Ben Harper sang with his teenage daughter Harris, and Patti Smith’s two children, Jesse and Jackson, also performed.
Setlist:
- Monks, Chant
- Laurie Anderson, “Don’t Go Back to Sea”
- Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson & the Scorchio Quartet, “Etude no.10”
- Zack Glass, “Southern Skies”
- Alabama Shakes, “Gimme All Your Love”
- Alabama Shakes & Philip Glass, “Over My Head”
- Alabama Shakes, Philip Glass & the Scorchio Quartet, “Sound & Color”
- Tenzin Choegyal, Jesse Paris Smith & the Scorchio Quartet, “Elemental Prayer”
- Tenzin Choegyal, Jesse Paris Smith & the Scorchio Quartet, “Snow Lion”
- Ben Harper, “Paris Sunrise #7 > Lifeline”
- Ben Harper & the Scorchio Quartet, “Everything”
- Iggy Pop, New Order & the Scorchio Quartet, “Stray Dog” (New Order cover)
- Iggy Pop, New Order & the Scorchio Quartet, “Shades” (Iggy Pop cover)
- Iggy Pop, New Order & the Scorchio Quartet, “She’s Lost Control” (Joy Division cover)
- Sufjan Stevens, the Patti Smith Band & the Scorchio Quartet, “The Star-Spangled Banner” (John Stafford Smith cover)
- Sufjan Stevens, “Happy Birthday Song”
- Patti Smith, “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” (Bob Dylan cover)
- Patti Smith, “Citizen Ship” (Patti Smith Group song)
- Patti Smith & ensemble, “People Have the Power”
Show date: March 16, 2017
