In just under two weeks, the third “ABOVE GROUND” benefit concert founded by guitarists Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction) and Billy Morrison (Billy Idol) will take place on December 20 at The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, CA. Newly added special guests Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads), Jason Aalon Butler (Fever333), OTEP, Mickey Avalon, Josh Freese (The Offspring, A Perfect Circle, Danny Elfman), Chris Chaney (Jane’s Addiction, Miley Cyrus), Piggy D (Rob Zombie), Dave Kushner (Velvet Revolver, Sons of Anarchy) and Donovan Leitch join an all-star bill that includes Billy Idol, Perry Farrell, Etty Lau Farrell, Corey Taylor, Taylor Hawkins, Mark McGrath, Steve Stevens, and Franky Perez. Look for the event to also feature host Dr. Drew Pinsky and an art installation by Risk Rock. Tickets are available now HERE.
Following previous successful events in 2018 and 2019, while sitting out in 2020 due to Covid, the evening will celebrate the vinyl album as an art form, with the performance of two seminal albums in their entirety, while at the same time raising awareness and funds for the treatment of mental health. Throughout the event there will be an art installation from multi-talented fine artist, sculptor and graffiti pioneer RISK ROCK.
Proceeds from the event will be donated to MusiCares®, the leading music charity that acts as a safety net for the music community. “MusiCares has literally saved more than a few of our friends from dying,” share NAVARRO and MORRISON. “Their role cannot be overstated, and we have precious few organizations that actively step in to help people on the brink. On the frontline, finding and paying for beds in treatment, arranging therapy and counseling, and actually speaking up on a public level about the importance of mental health are all reasons why we continue to do what we can to draw attention to this subject.”
Navarro and Morrison, with an array of special guests, will perform two musically/culturally seismic albums: Lou Reed’s Transformer (1972) and Sex Pistol’s Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols (1977). As in previous years, they have kept trend of featuring one American artist and one British artist with former installations featuring Kings Of The Wild Frontier by Adam And The Ants and The Velvet Underground & Nico (2018) and David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and the Stooges’ self-titled debut album, on which the world was introduced to Iggy Pop (2019). Read a Q&A with Navarro and Morrison about the event, and why they chose these albums to perform, here.