By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, Jan. 16: Noted performers Eddie Vedder, Phoebe Bridgers, Brittany Howard, Valerie June, and many others are set to perform at the 34th annual Tibet House US Benefit Concert virtual edition on 17th Feb. Grammy nominees Laurie Anderson and Tenzin Choegyal along with Anglique Kidjo and Rubin Kodheli will also be performing in the line-up curated by composer Philip Glass.
The organizers for the long-running musical fundraiser announced on Thursday that live and pre-recorded segments will be broadcasted via a Livestream platform called Mandolin. The annual event otherwise held at New York’s Carnegie Hall will be strictly online. His Holiness the Dalai Lama will begin the event with a recorded video message, sources said.
Tibet House is a non-profit educational institution and cultural embassy founded in 1987 at the request of the Dalai Lama to ensure the survival of the unique Tibetan culture. All the proceeds support the work of Tibet House US as the tickets this year range from $25 to $250, along with sponsor level cyber-tables starting at $5,000.
The annual US Benefit concert has had hundreds of artists including Alabama Shakes, Patti Smith, Carly Simon, David Bowie, Stephen Colbert, Lou Reed, Sharon Jones, FKA twigs, The Roots, Jim James, The Flaming Lips, Vampire Weekend, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Blood Orange, Sigur Ros, R.E.M, Emmylou Harris, Jon Batiste, Nathaniel Rateliff, Jason Isbell, and many others in its history of concerts.
The fundraising event also usually showcases unique collaborations as with the 2020 edition featuring Iggy Pop and Anderson performing “We Are the People,” and Patti Smith closing the show with her 1988 anthem, “People Have the Power.”
