Calgary’s Tate McRae part of FireAid lineup to support Los Angeles-area wildfire relief

Calgariy pop star Tate McRae is part of the lineup for FireAid, a Jan. 30 benefit to aid wildfire victims in Los Angeles. (Photo: X@tatemcrae)

There’s going to be a little Calgary content from two different generations at a pair of superstar-studded concerts to support the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.

The Jan.30 FireAid Concert will actually be two concerts, taking place simultaneously, at two venues in LA, the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum, in Inglewood.

Calgary’s Tate McCrae – and a once-upon-a-long-time-ago Calgarian Joni Mitchell will be part of a lineup that includes Billie Eilish and Finneas, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Earth Wind & Fire, Gracie Abrams, Green Day, Gwen Stefani, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Baby, Pink, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rod Stewart, Stephen Stills, Stevie Nicks and Sting.

More artists will be added at a later date.

McRae attended Western Canada High School in Calgary and recorded her first video “You Broke Me First” in downtown Calgary during the pandemic.

Mitchell attended the Alberta University for the Arts (before it was called that) and was booked as the opening act at the Depression Coffee House at 1207a 1st St. S.W. by owner John Uren, according to a 2014 Calgary Sun column by Michael Platt.

Mitchell was such a big hit with Calgarians that Uren sold the coffee house six months later, becoming a music promoter whose star attraction was Mitchell.

A ballet inspired by Mitchell’s music, The Fiddler and the Drum, was co-created by former Alberta Ballet artistic director Jean Grand-Maitre and Mitchell in 2007, drawing worldwide media attention to the Alberta dance company.

Mitchell has lived in Los Angeles for many decades.

FireAid will be broadcast and streamed live on Apple Music, Apple TV, Max, iHeartRadio, KTLA+, Netflix/Tudum, Paramount+, Prime Video, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, SiriusXM, Spotify, SoundCloud, Veeps and YouTube.

According to a press release, contributions to FireAid will “be distributed under the advisement of the Annenberg Foundation, for short-term relief efforts and long-term initiatives to prevent future fire disasters ... All proceeds from the FireAid benefit concert at Intuit Dome and Kia Forum will go directly to the event’s designated beneficiaries.”

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, Jan. 22, at noon PDT on Ticketmaster.

Since the wildfires started, celebrities and entertainment organizations have pledged millions to help those who have been displaced or lost their homes, including a US$2.5-million contribution from Beyoncé to a newly launched LA Fire Relief Fund created by her charitable foundation, BeyGOOD.

Last week, the Recording Academy and MusiCares launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort with a $1-million donation. Thanks to additional contributions, they’ve already distributed $2 million in emergency aid.

The 67th annual Grammy Awards will still take place Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles — though the Recording Academy has refocused its aim to support relief efforts following the devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires.

With files from The Associated Press