A Moment to Party Amid the Grief

Glenn Gamboa | DROPS

October 21, 2001

Macy Gray sings, "With a Little Help From My Friends," at the "Concert for New York." (AP Photo / October 20, 2001)

FOR A BRIEF moment, the ongoing nightmare of the Sept. 11 attacks and their aftermath was replaced by a shiny rock and roll dream of unity, as Paul McCartney and his megastar friends told us all that there will be an answer. For Let It Be, McCartney, dressed in a blue FDNY T-shirt, played the piano, with Eric Clapton on guitar, Billy Joel on keyboards and everyone from James Taylor, The Whos Roger Daltrey, Jon Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow and Melissa Etheridge on backing vocals.

We did it! said McCartney, the son of a World War II firefighter, his fists in the air as a challenge. New York City!

McCartneys creation was The Concert for New York City, a far-flung six hours of music that was part celebration, part remembrance, part telethon and part pep rally, filled with an unprecedented collection of star power that ranged from Meg Ryan to Bill Clinton to Reggie Jackson and Joe Torre. It ran the confusing gamut of emotions we are all still trying to sort out after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. At the evenings core, though, were the 6,000 or so firefighters, police officers and rescue workers who filled Madison Square Gardens prime seats. They served as a mosh pit for Jim Carrey, an opposition to Richard Geres plea for understanding and a symbol of what was lost in the attacks, as well as the promise that remains. I hope they saw this tonight, former President Clinton said of the attackers. They thought America was about money and power, and that if they took down the World Trade Center we would collapse. But we are not about mountains of money and towers of steel. We are about mountains of courage and hearts of steel.

Billy Joel was an early highlight, rolling out a rocking version of Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) as he explained, I wrote that song 25 years ago. I thought it was going to be a science fiction song. I never thought it would happen. But unlike the end of that song, we aint going anywhere.

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He then broke into a stirring version of New York State of Mind, which turned into a sing-along. The Who reunion was another showstopper, as Pete Townshends windmill moves and guitar throttling invigorated the bands classics Who Are You, Baba ORiley, Behind Blue Eyes and Wont Get Fooled Again, which also featured lovely shots of the World Trade Center.

The songs were cranky and defiant, which set them apart from the early evenings mostly sentimental numbers. The Who launched a different mood, which continued after Mick Jagger arrived with surprise guest Keith on guitar. The Glimmer Twins combined for a growling Salt of the Earth and a groove-filled Miss You. Macy Gray did her part with a lovely reggae version of With a Little Help From My Friends, as did Five for Fighting with its anthem Superman.

However, it was the veterans, like James Taylor with his gorgeous Fire and Rain and uplifting Up on the Roof, and Elton John with his excellent Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters and sweet Your Song duet with Joel, who were the nights standouts, along with David Bowies opening set, featuring Simon and Garfunkels America and his own Heroes. The Concert for New York City showed that heroes will always stand up and be counted and not just for one day.