July 2, 2005 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Live 8 was a worldwide series of benefit concerts held on July 2, 2005, across G8 nations and South Africa, organized by Bob Geldof to raise awareness of global poverty and pressure world leaders to act. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid, the concerts featured over 1,000 musicians and were broadcast globally to an estimated 1.5 billion viewers.
The events successfully preceded the G8 summit, where leaders pledged to double aid to poor nations.
Alicia Keys, Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Def Leppard, Destiny's Child, Jars Of Clay, Will Smith, Jay-Z, Josh Groban, Kaiser Chiefs, Kanye West, Keith Urban, Linkin Park, Maroon 5, P Diddy, Rob Thomas, Sarah McLachlan, Toby Keith, and Stevie Wonder.
Would there be any surprises with the lineup at Live 8? There was no surprise of the heart. Somewhere between hundreds of thousands and a million and a half people — all with a good thought in mind and an open heart — came together in Philadelphia for a giant free concert. The result: it felt good.
That’s what I went to see. That’s what I got.
I was pleasantly surprised by some bands I had never respected. For various reasons, several artists had lived on my “I hate those posers” list. But the crowd was open-hearted, so I decided to be open-minded.
Toby Keith — Country? Whatever it was, it sounded good. His cover of Phil Collins’ Another Day in Paradise hit the spot.
Def Leppard — Rocked. Though their popularity had dipped, it didn’t slow them down. Hit after hit kept the crowd moving.
Rob Thomas stayed at a hotel on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Multiple sources noted how gracious he was to fans, hanging out for extended periods on the sidewalk.
Maroon 5 kicked serious ass on a cover of Keep On Rockin’ in the Free World. Songs that sounded bland on record became aggressive and alive on stage.
Linkin Park was my favorite surprise. They blew the crowd away. When they hit the opening note of Numb, the energy level doubled instantly. You could have powered Philadelphia for a week on the crowd alone.
There was no surprise with Stevie Wonder. He was everything you imagine — timeless, powerful, and transcendent. Higher Ground lifted the crowd into something universal.