andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

With stories about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina still flooding the newswires, several more prominent musicians have stepped up to help in the relief efforts.

Pearl Jam have added an extra date to their North American tour in the fall that will benefit victims of Katrina. The rare club show at Chicago?s House of Blues Oct. 5 will sell for $1,000 per ticket and go on sale this Saturday.

All net proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross and the Jazz Foundation of America.

It is not yet known if the show will feature additional acts or be available for download on Pearl Jam?s recently launched digital bootleg store, a spokesperson told Billboard.

For their part, The Roots have called upon Jill Scott, TV On The Radio and Deerhoof for a Friday show at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center. The musicians will be donating their performance fees to the NAACP’s hurricane relief program.

The TBC Brass Band, whose members were evacuated to Dallas, Atlanta, Houston and Sacramento, Calif., in the wake of Katrina, will also play at the show.

In additional concert news, a Katrina benefit at the Los Angeles Wiltern Theatre Sept. 22 will feature Tenacious D, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme with Jesse “The Devil” Hughes, Fiona Apple and comedians David Cross and Sarah Silverman.

Tickets for that show go on sale Friday via Ticketmaster.

Meanwhile, a digital EP from Coldplay went on sale at Apple’s iTunes Music Store Wednesday, with all proceeds benefiting the American Red Cross and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences’ MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund.

The EP includes the band’s new single “Fix You,” as well as “The World Turned Upside Down” (left over from sessions for the group’s latest Capitol album “X&Y” and also featured on the new War Child record ?Help: A Day In The Life?), a live take on the non-album track “Pour Me” and a live version of “Fix You” from a summer show in Arnhem, Holland.

How is someone, who has been through unimaginable hell during hurricane Katrina?s reign, supposed to react when they open the door and see Sean Penn on a boat offering them a ride?

So what the hell does this have to do with fashion? Well I didn?t think cancer research was haute couture either but those little yellow bands were bigger than flip flops and polos this year.

I wonder what must-have ?I?m cool, I gave less than $10 to charity? accessory will stem from this? American Eagle is already selling charm necklaces and donating all of the money to relief efforts. Not a bad thing of course, but I?m just saying that you should not expect jewelry when donating.

Anyways, I?m giving kudos to Mr. Penn (whose new movie, ?All the King?s Men? is to premiere in December?) for rescuing a bunch of people but nevertheless the cynic in me is setting off my inner celebrity-exploiting-charitable-causes trend alarm.

The best example? Oprah, the big ?O? herself. She rounded up Julia Roberts, Matthew McConaughey, Chris Rock, John Travolta, Jamie Foxx, Faith Hill and Lisa Marie Presley to report on the aftermath in New Orleans and Mississippi (I guess Geraldo Rivera was unavailable).

And since this was a two-part special she had to invite Oprah fan favourites: her best friend/token single friend Gayle King and hunky interior designer Nate Berkus. On a side note, Nate lost his boyfriend in the tsunami last year so although his reason to visit New Orleans is most likely sincere I can?t help but feel that Oprah was somehow involved in making him go.

The show itself was eye opening, especially when Oprah demanded to go into the Superdome where thousands have previously lived. The National Guard and the New Orleans Mayor, Ray Nagin, refused to let her in because of extremely unsanitary conditions. But they eventually allowed her to enter after she agreed to wave any liability if anything happens. Garbage was everywhere, they were walking in floodwater, feces and urine and the stadium was in complete darkness, save for the few beams of sunlight penetrating the roof.

Disturbing? Yes, especially when I was constantly bombarded with promos of Oprah?s 20th season premiere during commercial breaks. It?s apparently so big that they had to take out a wall (whatever that means).

It?s also disheartening to realize that people would only pay attention to this crisis if celebrities are involved and we get to see how THEY (not the victims) react to the situation. Hey, celebrities may be brightening the survivors? spirits but I have a feeling that they would rather have food than to see that dude from ?The Wedding Planner? ask them how crappy their life is now while a camera is shoved in their face.

Oprah spawn, Dr. Phil, also jumped on to the bandwagon and aired a special yesterday showing victims hug Dr. Phil after he magically consoled families in a matter of minutes. After that hour of crisis, everything is restored to normal when tomorrow?s all-new show will feature another screwed up family complete with divorces, revenge, money and a follow-up on a formerly drug-addicted teen who was saved by Dr. Phil one year ago.

Even right now at 2:30 a.m. I?m watching a special edition of ?Entertainment Tonight? where Richard Simmons (you heard me) is in New Orleans visiting his childhood home on Canal St. and wiping tears off bewildered victims (?Uh, so are going to help us or what??).

While I do appreciate certain celebrities like Oprah (whose Angel Network donated $1 Million to Second Harvest) for making a difference, I can?t get past the fact that practically every other talk show host is bringing their camera crew in to milk the whole situation into some ratings bonanza. It?s a one-hour televised version of the LIVESTRONG bracelet. I guess the whole ?You can?t get something for nothing? saying is true after all.

How you can help (and get nothing but the satisfaction of knowing that you helped another person in return):

Canadian Red Cross
1-800-418-1111
http://www.redcross.ca

Salvation Army Canada
1-800-SAL-ARMY
http://www.salvationarmy.ca

Habitat for Humanity
https://www.habitat.org/

ShareLife Canada
1-800-263-2595
http://www.sharelife.org/

World Vision
1-800-268-5528
https://www1.worldvision.ca/CampaignsSecDM2.nsf/US-Katrina?OpenForm&id=03174844

World Society for the Protection of Animals
http://www.wspa.ca/disaster_relief/Katrina/update0905.html

Partial funds the annual Jerry Lewis telethon went to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, in addition to raising over $50 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Lewis, 79, is sharing the donations with victims of Katrina. The annual telethon raises money for children with muscular dystrophy disease.

“I’m overjoyed we were able to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina and at the same time continue our 40-year tradition of helping my kids,” said Lewis.

As well, he will donate half the money he makes from the telethon to the Salvation Army in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

The program airs every Labour Day in the States.

Much like the aftermath of Sept. 11 just four years ago, celebrities, musicians, and actors are banning together to raise money for victims of another U.S. disaster. This time, the cause is Katrina, the Category 5 hurricane that has left the Mississippi gulf and the city of New Orleans in ruins.

?A Concert for Hurricane Relief,? to be broadcast on NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC this Friday at 8 p.m. EST, will include performances by Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., and Tim McGraw. Celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio are also scheduled to participate in the hour-long special, which will be hosted by Matt Lauer in New York. Viewers will be encouraged to donate to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

But the special which will likely draw the biggest crowd is a three-city MTV extravaganza that will feature performances by Usher, Green Day, Ludacris, and Alicia Keys. It will air live on Sept. 10 on MTV, VH1, and CMT from New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville.

“In the face of a tragedy of this scope, we simply have to do everything in our power to offer support, comfort and hope to all the people directly impacted by the hurricane,” said Judy McGrath, chair and CEO of MTV Networks, who announced the concerts yesterday. “Our goal is to join forces on every medium to get involved, to volunteer, to contribute in any way we can.”

Other artists currently on board for the event are Gretchen Wilson, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews Band, Rob Thomas, Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington, and David Banner. Additional performers are expected to be added to the line-up as the show draws closer. All proceeds will go to the American Red Cross.

President George W. Bush has called Katrina ?one of the worst national disasters? in U.S. history as hundreds are feared dead in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.