Justin Bieber, Drake to appear at Stevie Wonder's toys benefit

Stevie Wonder will be getting assists from Justin Bieber, Drake, Michael McDonald, Faith Evans, Little Anthony & the Imperials, gospel singer Hezekiah Walker and additional guests for his 16th annual House Full of Toys benefit concert Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Nokia Theatre in L.A.

Wonder's holiday shows are typically generous affairs, with him performing throughout the evening, alternating with and sometimes joining the guest performers. Concertgoers are asked to “bring an unwrapped toy or unwrapped gift of joy” to the show, which will be collected for distribution to Los Angeles area children, people with disabilities and families in need.

Other performers slated for this year’s lineup include Charlie Wilson, Noel Gourdin, Gerald Clayton, Nuttin’ But Stringz, Shelea Frazier, Treasure Davis and Savannah Robinson. “American Idol” musical director Rickey Minor will be producer and music director. Tickets are $39.50 to $149.50.

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Photo of Stevie Wonder at the House Full of Toys benefit in 2004. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times.

Amnesty International 'Chimes of Freedom' salutes Bob Dylan's music

Bob Dylan gets a broad-spectrum musical salute with the  new four-CD, 75-song multi-artist tribute album “Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan: Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International,” being released as part of anniversary efforts for the human rights organization.

Participating arists include Adele, Elvis Costello, Pete Townshend, Patti Smith, Miley Cyrus, Ke$ha, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, My Chemical Romance, Queens of the Stone Age, Sting, Sugarland, Airborne Toxic Event and the Dave Matthews Band.

Dylan was selected as the focus of Amnesty International’s latest project because 2012 also will be the 50th anniversary of the release of his debut album, “Bob Dylan.” The “Chimes of Freedom” album seeks to raise funds for and awareness of the organization that lobbies on behalf of political prisoners and victims of human rights abuses throughout the world.

Sarah McLachlan to do autism fundraiser Thursday at House of Blues

Sarah McLachlan and rock photographer Rob Shanahan will be the featured guests Thursday at the inaugural Blue Tie-Blue Jean Ball fundraiser hosted by the autism advocacy group Autism Speaks at the House of Blues in West Hollywood.

McLachlan will perform during the event aimed at increasing public awareness of autism. Other musicians are also expected to perform at the event, which also will honor Shanahan on the publication of the first book of his photos, featuring shots of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, McLachlan, Keith Richards, Elton John, Sting, Jeff Beck, Dave Matthews, Avril Lavigne, Barry Manilow, Quincy Jones, Jeff Lynne, Christina Aguilera and dozens of other rock and pop musicians.

“The work that Autism Speaks is doing to advance research and advocacy truly makes a difference in the lives of so many families affected by autism,” Shanahan said in a statement. “We are grateful for the support of the music community to help us raise funds for this vital cause.”

Shanahan has been the personal photographer in recent years for Starr, who wrote in the forward of “Volume 1: Through the Lens of Photographer Rob Shanahan”: “He has the knack of being present but not obtrusive — capturing the moment without interrupting the proceedings.”

Individual tickets for Thursday's event are $200.

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Photo: Sarah McLachlan performs in Irvine in 2010 on the Lilith Fair tour. Credit: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times

Section Quartet plans benefit to replace instruments lost in tsunami

The Section Quartet, the L.A.-based group known for its string quartet arrangements of full albums by Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Tool and other rock acts, will host a benefit concert featuring many of the group’s musical collaborators Sunday at Largo at the Coronet to raise money to replace musical instruments lost in the Japanese tsunami earlier this year.

Sam Phillips, Van Dyke Parks, Linda Perry, Mike Watt, Lisa Germano and former Prince associates Wendy & Lisa are among the guests as the Section Quartet serves as house band for the evening. Matt Sharp, Jenny O., Grey DeLisle and others still to be announced also will participate. Comedian Margaret Cho and singer-songwriter Grant-Lee Phillips will host. In addition, journalist Xeni Jardin will be on hand to discuss her findings from a recent visit to the affected areas for a report on PBS’ NewsHour.

Section leader Eric Gorfain has spearheaded the benefit because he has made regular visits to Japan to perform for more than two decades. “While human life was lost in incomprehensible numbers, lives are being put back together, and music plays a large role in mending the mind, as well as the body,” Gorfain said in a statement. “I wanted to help the children of the region get back to ‘normal’ life with their music studies as quickly as possible.”

He chose School Music Revival, a program started by Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto to replace instrumnets damanged or destroyed during the tsunami, as beneficiary of Sunday’s concert. He plans to return to Japan a week after the concert and deliver 100% of the proceeds to the School Music Revival foundation. Tickets are $40. More information: (310) 855-0350.

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Photo of the Section Quartet, from left, Daphne Chen, Eric Gorfain, Lauren Chipman and Richard Dodd. Credit: Ana Monroe.

Black Ball benefit concert raises $3 million for HIV/AIDS aid in Africa

The annual Black Ball benefit concert in New York raised more than $3 million for children and families in Africa and India who are affected by HIV/AIDS.

The eighth Keep a Child Alive event included performances by Black Ball co-founder Alicia Keys and guests Usher, Norah Jones, will.i.am and others singing songs by former Beatle George Harrison, who was saluted on the 40th anniversary of the Concert for Bangladesh, the first rock music superstar benefit concert.

“I am overwhelmed by the kindness I saw last night,” Keys said in a statement issued Friday.

Keep a Child Alive started in 2003 and has generated more than $17 million and served more than 250,000 people through 11 clinical and orphan centers in South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and India.

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Photo: Alicia Keys and her producer-husband Swizz Beats at the Keep A Child Alive Black Ball on Thursday in New York. Credit: Peter Kramer / Associated Press

KCRW-FM's December benefit concert plans scaled back to one night

Public radio station KCRW-FM (89.9) is scaling back its plans for holiday fundraising concerts in December, dropping to a single night on Dec. 3 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

The "Are Friends Eclectic?" shows were slated on Dec. 2 with reggae star Jimmy Cliff as the headliner along with Brett Dennen, Fool’s Gold, White Denim and Mia Doi Todd, and on Dec. 3 with Iron & Wine topping a bill that would also have included Belle Brigade, Anna Calvi, Zee Avi and the Secret Sisters.

“Early ticket sales for the first night were slow, so we decided to make it one blockbuster night of KCRW music that will blow your mind,” KCRW music director Jason Bentley said in a statement issued Friday.

Tom Petty & Heartbreakers add second show for KCSN-FM benefit* (Updated)

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers will play a second small-scale show this weekend at a 500-seat theater in Northridge as a benefit for public radio station KCSN-FM (88.5).

“The reaction has been insane,” KCSN program director Sky Daniels told Pop & Hiss over the weekend, referring to the initial Oct. 29 show Petty and the band announced last week as a fundraiser during the station’s fall pledge drive. Pairs of tickets were being offered to callers who pledged $150 or more during random “cue to call” announcements on the air. “30 callers for every pair [from] all over the globe," Daniels wrote in an e-mail. "People are pledging from Norway, Canada, Boston, Orlando, etc. -- all willing to fly here to see Tom in this small setting.”

Update Oct. 25 at 12:37 p.m: An earlier version of this post gave the date of the first Tom Petty show as Oct. 28. It is Saturday, Oct. 29.

The second show will take place Oct. 30 in the 500-seat Performance Theater at Cal State Northridge. Tickets for the second show were largely distributed over the weekend during additional “cue to call” announcements, but orchestra pit tickets will continue to be available via an auction  running through 5 p.m. Tuesday on the station’s website.

“For them to selflessly want to perform this show speaks volumes for their love of music, and their willingness to support KCSN's effort to build a radio station devoted to breaking new artists, supporting local artists and respecting great legacy artists,” Daniels said in a statement. “Tom and the Heartbreakers recognized the overwhelming demand and wanted to give more fans a chance to see them in this intimate hall, as well as help KCSN and public radio."

In addition to the Petty concerts, KCSN's pledge drive is auctioning off autographed guitars signed by superstar acts including U2, Mick Jagger, Coldplay, Bob Seger, Sheryl Crow and Melissa Etheridge.

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Photo of Tom Petty during a 2008 performance with the Heartbreakers at the Hollywood Bowl. Credit: Los Angeles Times. 

KCRW holiday concerts slated for Dec. 2, 3 at the Orpheum

 
KCRW-FM (89.9) has enlisted a cadre of acts that have been championed on its airwaves for a pair of holiday shows Dec. 2 and 3 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles to help support the station’s programming costs.

The Dec. 2 lineup is topped by reggae star Jimmy Cliff, and also includes pop singer Brett Dennen, world music group Fool’s Gold, psychedelic-funk band White Denim, Oklahoma chamber pop group Other Lives and L.A. singer-songwriter Mia Doi Todd.

The following night’s show will feature headliner Iron & Wine, L.A. indie pop band the Belle Brigade, English rock-noir singer-songwriter-guitarist Anna Calvi, Malaysian pop singer Zee Avi and retro country-folk duo the Secret Sisters.

“When envisioning a holiday concert to celebrate KCRW, I wanted to bring it back to basics and create an event that resonated with the spirit of the season,” station music director and “Morning Becomes Eclectic” host Jason Bentley said in a statement.

Tickets will be $55 to $200 and go on sale Tuesday to KCRW subscribers at www.kcrw.com, and a week later to the general public.

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Photo of Sam Beam, lead singer of Iron & Wine, during a concert in January at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theatre. Credit: Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times

Green Day to play secret benefit show Thursday at Costa Mesa's Tiki Bar

Orange County is getting a huge helping of pop-punk star power in a very tiny place this week, thanks to Green Day. On Wednesday, the chart-topping three piece announced that it would be playing a "secret" (not anymore) show at the Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa on Thursday. According to a midday press release, the venue will open at 8 p.m., and tickets will be available at the door for $20, cash only.

The release states that there will be no presales and a strict no-camera and no-cellphone policy. All proceeds will go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to controlling and curing the disease and improving the quality of life for those with CF.

Green Day performs Thursday at the Tiki Bar, 1700 Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa. (949) 270-6262, www.tikibaroc.com. $20 at the door. 21+

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Photo: Green Day, from left, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool, at the 52nd annual Grammy  Awards in 2010 at Staples Center. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times.

Michael Jackson family to announce 'thriller' of concert tribute

 
Members of Michael Jackson’s family have called a press conference for Monday in Beverly Hills to announce a concert tribute to the late pop star that will benefit charities in the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

Jackson’s mother, Katherine, will be joined at the Beverly Hills Hotel by his siblings Marlon, Tito, Jackie and LaToya  to reveal details of the tribute, with strong hints in the press release that it will focus on Jackson’s “Thriller” album. The press release issued Thursday referred to the concert as a "thriller of an event," which is being coordinated by the family members and promoter Global Live Events, not Jackson's estate.

A spokeswoman for the event said no other information is available until Monday’s press conference. Pop & Hiss will carry more details after the announcement.

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Photo: An image from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video. Credit: MJJ Productions.