Gogol Bordello, Jackson Browne, Laurie Anderson, Patti Smith, Michael Stipe, Orville Peck, Arooj Aftab, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Allison Russell, Tune-Yards, Angélique Kidjo, the Philip Glass Ensemble, Tenzin Choegyal, and the Scorchio Quartet were among the artists who participated in the 38th annual Tibet House US benefit concert at Carnegie Hall on March 3, 2025.
This year’s concert celebrated the year of the wood snake as well as the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Philip Glass and Laurie Anderson served as artistic directors. Tony Shanahan of Patti Smith’s band served as the music director. Uma Thurman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Arden Wohl, and Jonah Freeman served as the evening’s honorary chairs.
Tickets for the fundraiser began at a modest $49, while tickets for the gala afterwards at the Ziegfield Ballroom began at $500. All proceeds support the work of Tibet House US, a non-profit educational institution and cultural embassy founded in New York City in 1987 at the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to ensure the survival of the unique Tibetan civilization. The mission of Tibet House US is to present Tibet’s ancient traditions of art and culture, preserve and restore Tibet’s cultural and spiritual heritage, and promote Tibet’s systems of spiritual philosophy and mind sciences.
Robert Thurman and Philip Glass are among the founders of Tibet House US. Thurman serves as the president of the Board of Trustees at Tibet House US. Glass, who watched the evening’s performance from a box seat over the stage, is the vice president of Tibet House US’ Board of Trustees.
As in past years, Monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery began the program with an invocation of prayerful chants before Thurman offered a keynote address. Thurman’s message, and the message of other participants in the program, centered on the present plight of the Tibetan people and their culture under the perpetual threat of Chinese communism. Eugene Hütz of Gogol Bordello also emphasized the universality of governmental oppression, comparing the circumstances of the Tibetans to the struggle of the people in his native country, Ukraine.
Memorable moments during the concert included Orville Peck and Allison Russell singing a duet on “Chemical Sunset,” recreating the duet they recorded on his Stampede album. Beninese-French singer-songwriter, actress and activist Angélique Kidjo persuaded much of the audience to dance and sing a refrain along with her in her native language. Shortly before the closing set led by Gogol Bordello, Laurie Anderson cited her late husband Lou Reed’s three rules for getting through rough times and then engaged the audience in several martial arts movements. Most of the audience stood for the finale, in which Gogol Bordello and members of the cast performed a cover of Patti Smith’s “People Have the Power,” although Smith had already left the venue.
Over the past four decades, the annual fundraising concert has featured performances by David Bowie, Lou Reed, R.E.M, boygenius, the Alabama Shakes, Phoebe Bridgers, Carly Simon, Stephen Colbert, Sharon Jones, FKA twigs, the Roots, Jim James, Vampire Weekend, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Blood Orange, Sigur Ros, Emmylou Harris, Jon Batiste, Nathaniel Rateliff, Jason Isbell, Iggy Pop, the Flaming Lips, Keanu Reeves, Eddie Vedder, Annie Lennox, Brittany Howard, Black Pumas, Cage the Elephant, Cyndi Lauper, Trey Anastasio and many other supporters. The concerts typically raise $400,000 to $500,000, which goes toward the operation and programming of Tibet House US.
Setlists
Monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery, The Philip Glass Ensemble, Arooj Aftab: 7:55 – 8:05 p.m.
Raat Ki Rani, Mohabbat, Koyaanisqatsi
Tenzin Choegyal: 8:05 – 8:15 p.m.
Gangi Ri Rawe
Patti Smith: 8:15– 8:30 p.m.
A reading from Footnote to Howl (Allen Ginsberg cover), Peaceable Kingdom / People Have the Power
tUnE-yArDs: 8:30 – 8:40 p.m.
How Big is the Rainbow?, Limelight
Orville Peck: 8:40 – 8:55 p.m.
Dead of Night, Chelsea Hotel #2 (Leonard Cohen cover), Chemical Sunset (with Allison Russell)
Allison Russell: 8:55 – 9:05 p.m.
Superlover (Birds of Chicago song), Rag Child
Ebon Moss-Bachrach: 9:05 – 9:15 p.m.
Wales Visitation (Allen Ginsburg poem)
Laurie Anderson: 9:15 – 9:25 p.m.
Junior Dad (Lou Reed & Metallica cover)
Michael Stipe: 9:25 – 9:35 p.m.
A reading of Desiderata (Max Ehrmann cover, with Laurie Anderson)
The Man Who Sold the World (David Bowie cover)
No Time for Love Like Now (Michael Stipe & Big Red Machine cover)
Jackson Browne: 9:35 – 9:45 p.m.
Don’t You Want to Be There, Far from the Arms of Hunger
Angélique Kidjo: 9:50 – 9:55 p.m.
unknown, Afirika
Gogol Bordello: 10:05 – 10:20 p.m.
Solidarity (Angelic Upstarts cover), We Mean It Man, People Have the Power (Patti Smith cover, finale with the entire cast except Patti Smith)
Photos by Sachyn Mital – Website/Instagram
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