Since the devastating wildfires swept across Los Angeles in January, there have been a number of great music benefits to help raise funds for the communities of those affected and the local fire departments; with one particularly special event standing out. The City of Angeles Wildfires Benefit, hosted by The Middle Aged Dad Band, took place at the Lodge Room in Highland Park, CA on February 18th. The band consisted of Ken Marino, David Wain, Jon Spurney, Frank Barrera, Jordan Katz, Sweet Teddy P., Craig Wedren, Henry Wain, Jessica McKenna, Kestrin Pantera, Allie Stamler, and Nadia Quinn. Their YouTube channel features a collection of impressive covers and special guest appearances, many of which were drawn from for their setlist. The guests for the benefit included actors, singers, and comedians such as Jackie Tohn, Jeff Ross, Joe Lo Truglio, Lisa Gilroy, Malin Akerman, Michaela Watkins, Moshe Kasher, Nick Thune, Rachel Bloom, Randall Park, Taran Killam, Thomas Lennon, Weird Al Yankovic, and Will Forte.
The setlist featured covers of iconic artists Blondie, Barry Manilow, Abba, Billy Joel, The Doors, and more. Oftentimes for benefit shows to accommodate so many guests, performances are limited to a few songs—for this show, guests performed one song or a short comedy performance. Several songs were performed solely by The Band, who did an incredible job throughout the night faithfully capturing the essence of each original track. The finale was The Band’s “The Weight” along with Weird Al, Forte, Killam, and Thune, which transitioned into The Band playing The Box Top’s “The Letter.” The Middle Age Dad Band served as the backing band for all the guests so there was no extra time needed for changeovers. The show was live streamed that evening.
Partial setlist:
Blondie- One Way or Another
Barry Manilow- Copacobana
J. Geils Band-Centerfold
Abba- S.O.S.
Billy Joel- Vienna
James Taylor- How Sweet It Is
The Doors- Touch Me w/ Will Forte
Doobie Brothers -Long Train Running
The Cars- Bye Bye Love
Tommy Tutone - 8675309 (Jenny) w/ Weird Al
Britney Spears- Hit Me Baby One More Time w/ Lisa Gilroy
Tom Petty - Stop Draggin My Heart Around
4 Non Blondes- What's up? Taran Killam and Nick Thune
The Band- The Weight w/ Forte, Weird Al, Killam, Ross, Gilroy, and Thune
Box Tops - The Letter (last song)
