Held at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, celebrities including actors/actresses Ed Asner, JK Simmons, Anthony John Denison, Cooper Harris, Mark Paul Gosselaar, Sarah Ramos, Mae Whitman, Matt Dallas, Max Burkholder, Melissa "MoJo" Hunter, Sinbad and Holly Robinson Peete arrived early to walk the "Blue" carpet.
Musicians/singers Gary Wright, Eric Burdon of the Animals, Jack Matranga & Brooke White (aka Jack and White), Tamar Kaprelian, Lucy Schwartz, Diane Burch and Sarah McLachlan also got their shoes blue.
(Jack Matranga & Brooke White)
(Sarah Ramos & Mae Whitman)
(Rodney Peete & Holly Robinson Peete)
Attendees were treated with roving platters of delectables and a full open bar to lubricate their minds before performances by Jack and White, Tamar Kaprelian, Lucy Schwartz, Diane Burch and Sarah McLachlan, all of whom were backed by an incredible house band directed by bassist Nathan East.
Throughout the evening, Sinbad kept the belly rolls rollin' (including an ongoing riff about having bought 500 dogs after seeing McLachlan's TV commercial for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and did a credible job of shilling for charitable donations as the fast-talking MC presiding over a live auction for items such as a custom Eddie Van Halen guitar, VIP tickets to Lollapalooza 2012, an autographed Sheryl Crow guitar, a collection of autographed Carrie Underwood items, a Rob Shanahan photo shoot and a deluxe Las Vegas Elton John Red Piano getaway.
For many, the highlight of the evening was the opportunity to see the inimitable Sarah McLachlan (pictured above; photo by Rob Shanahan) in an intimate setting.
Singer Toni Braxton welcomed the Vancouver native to the stage and Sarah delighted the crowd to five of her biggest hits including "Angel," the aforementioned SPCA theme. She was then getting ready to bid adieu when someone from the audience said he would donate $1000 to Autism Speaks if she would sing Cyndi Lauper's classic Time After Time (McLachlan contributed backing vocals to a stripped down acoustic version Lauper released in 2005).
Sarah obliged and soon requests (with sizable donations to match) came fast and furious with the crowd being treated to the Toy Story 2 gem "When She Loved Me' (co-penned Randy Newman) and the Holiday favorite "Wintersong'. The band then took the evening out with a rousing rendition of Earth Wind & Fire's "September".
Hearing September in December capped a fantastic evening for a tremendous cause and I'm happy to report that no animals (including Eric Burdon) were harmed or treated unethically during the evening's festivities.
HOUSE OF BLUES SUNSET
12/1/11 SET LIST:
1. Building A Mystery
2. Loving You Is Easy
3. Adia
4. Forgiveness
5. Angel
6. Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper cover)
7. When She Loved Me
8. Wintersong
Encore
9. September (Earth Wind & Fire cover)
With a foreword by Ringo Starr, VOLUME 1 is a 224-page hardcover book of never-before-seen photographs that take you on stage, backstage, in-the-studio and behind-the-scenes with some of the world's biggest music icons; Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Eddie Van Halen, Elton John, Jeff Lynne, Dave Grohl, Dave Matthews, Dave Stewart, Sting, Stewart Copeland, Joe Walsh, Quincy Jones, Terry Bozzio, Josh Groban, Sheila E, Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx, Mötley Crüe, Iron Maiden, Godsmack, George Lynch, Lee Sklar, Dave Navarro, Sarah McLachlan, Avril Lavigne & Christina Aguilera.
Autism Speaks is the world’s largest autism science and advocacy organization. The organization is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.
(Special thanks: Rob Shanahan, Nikki Pesusich @Coterie Media, James Zahn @Kik Axe Music & photog Andrew Phares)
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