Three weeks after thousands were evacuated from Malibu and the surrounding areas by the devastating Woolsey Fire, some of the biggest names in music and entertainment came together to fundraise for victims in the form of a music festival.
One Love Malibu festival, hosted by One Love Ranch and held at the King Gillette Ranch in Malibu on Sunday, was headlined by Katy Perry, Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette and Joe Walsh, with additional performances by Rita Ora, Macy Gray, Robin Thicke, Natasha Bedingfield, Chad Smith and Rita Wilson and a number of A-list speakers. Profits from tickets sold to the festival went to the Malibu Foundation to support those who lost homes and belongings in the fire, and money was also raised by both a live and silent auction. Singer-songwriter Linda Perry organized One Love Malibu, and included many artists she had previously collaborated with.
“Hi neighbors,” Katy Perry said when she took the stage, comparing the event to a community barbecue. She said she participated in the benefit concert because one of her band members lost his house in the Woolsey fire. “This guy is my friend and we’ve been on tour for the last couple of years and he lost his house in the fires,” the star told the crowd. “He’s got the greatest attitude and perspective in life and he’s the coolest guy, so I’m really here for him and everyone else who has been affected by this horribleness. But we have an opportunity to grow together now.”
During his set, Thicke shared that his home burned down in the fire and thanked attendees for “lending your hearts and lending your wallets and your time to support the people who did lose things. God bless you all.” Walsh said two musicians in his band also lost their homes, and Morissette dedicated the line “the fire trucks are coming up around the bend” in her song “You Learn” to firefighters.
Whitney Cummings, who took on an emcee role at the show, reflected on the chaos of the last few weeks and how it had brought the city together. “The last three weeks have been incredibly challenging, it’s been heartbreaking, but never in my life have I seen a community come together as strong and as beautiful as Malibu did in the last month,” Cummings said. “I don’t know a lot of things, one thing I do know is that Malibu is strong, and we’re going to keep fighting to make sure these relief efforts stay strong.”
Demi Moore made a surprise appearance on stage to introduce Stefani, and called for the audience — most of them Malibu locals — to celebrate themselves for supporting each other and those who lost everything in the fire.
“This is what love can do, this is what community can do,” Moore said. “While we’re all here having an amazing time and get to see amazing artists, like Katy [Perry] said it’s like we’re having a barbecue, we’re also getting to put together something to help these people who have been devastated, and that’s incredible.”
Dick Van Dyke gave a brief speech during the show. “Bless you for coming and God bless the people who put this on. If you’re worried about our country, this is who we are, right here,” before joking, “I’m going to go home now.”
After her performance earlier in the day, Katy Perry returned to the stage during the live auction to offer up a motorcycle ride and lunch with her boyfriend Orlando Bloom, saying, “This man that I am dating and totally love and respect, he is literally a Malibu OG.”
To entice bidders, she said, “That also means that when you are on the motorcycle with him you are holding him in a way that I am not excited about. You’re holding his pecs and his six-pack and it’s so glorious… you get to stare into his brown eyes, it’s gorgeous.” The bidding reached $20,000, when suddenly the superstar turned the tables and announced, “I’m sorry, I’m buying it for $50,000,” and then dropped the microphone and left the stage to loud cheers.
Donations to the Malibu Foundation can also be made online at malibufoundation.gvng.org.
