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Name: BarryNet Briefs Date/Time: 5/25/2020 12:18 PM Subject: Hollywood Bowl Opens for One Night to Host Richard Weitz’s Zoom Concert
The Hollywood Reporter, 24 May 2020 The pandemic concert series, a Hollywood hit, pushed past a new milestone over the weekend by raising north of $3 million, with Saturday's funds directed toward Youth Orchestra Los Angeles and No Kid Hungry. Minutes after 4 p.m. Saturday, Richard and Demi Weitz sat next to each other facing the same computer screen as they readied, for a 10th time, to co-host "Quarantunes," their pandemic Zoom concert series. The series started two months ago as a way to celebrate Demi’s 17th birthday with a little music and some industry friends but Richard, a partner at WME, soon realized his Rolodex could serve a new purpose during unprecedented times. He asked performers -- singers, songwriters, musicians, Broadway stars and so on -- to join the events from wherever they were in the world and do a song or three for an invite-only audience. Over the course of nine shows, $2.6 million has been raised for a roster of nonprofits in need during the COVID-19 crisis, caused by the novel coronavirus. More than 100 artists said yes to joining the series, including John Legend, Sting, Barry Manilow and John Mayer, while a long list of Hollywood stars, studio chiefs, insiders and creatives looked on from their respective homes. Richard promised Saturday’s show would be something special for Memorial Day weekend, but details were scant as they never reveal a lineup in advance ... Demi switched backdrops to reveal they were broadcasting live from the empty 17,500-seat amphitheater in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, opened exclusively for the fundraising initiative. Richard unmuted the Zoom audience which, by that point, had grown to its maximum capacity of 1000 viewers, a first for "Quarantunes" -- for good cause ... The spirit in the Zoom chat box exploded when Richard announced another special guest -- music superstar ... “Billie Eilish has always been ahead of her time, and she is so friggin smart,” says Mayor Garcetti in surprise appearance during Richard Weitz’s Hollywood Bowl show. Richard could barely contain his excitement to introduce the next performer who was the only act to perform on site: Kenny Loggins. "Now I can say I played the Hollywood Bowl," Loggins commented after his performance, which included the Caddyshack theme "I'm Alright," "Danger Zone," "Conviction of the Heart" and "Footloose." Saturday proved to be yet another four-hour marathon concert. Beck performed "Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime" and a cover of Prince’s "Raspberry Beret"; Bryan Adams turned out "Cuts Like a Knife"; Elvis Costello contributed "Alison" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding"; The Killers showed up in a sleek black-and-white video with "Caution" and a Tom Petty cover of "The Waiting"; Styx star Dennis DeYoung, a return guest in a USC sweatshirt, performed "Lady," "Come Sail Away" and "Babe"; Gloria Gaynor sang "I Will Survive"; Carlos Santana and wife Cindy performed "Black Magic Woman" and "Europa" from Hawaii; Rob Thomas followed them with a string of hits including his Santana collab “Smooth”; and Seal took time out of a house party to perform a never-heard-before original song followed by "Crazy" and "Kiss From a Rose." Manilow, who called the Bowl one of his favorite venues in the world, returned to "Quarantunes" to perform once again from his home, this time with "When the Good Times Come Again" (a resurgent hit during the pandemic) and the Richard-requested "Weekend in New England." Super fan Amy Adams hit the chat to say, "Crying. Thank you." There were appearances by Hollywood Bowl creative chair for jazz Herbie Hancock and Clive Davis, who has been a co-host of sorts throughout the series by helping book his roster of legendary artists or regaling the audience with legendary tales about his relationships and the stories behind the songs. Gavin DeGraw is one such artist who returned the favor and told a story about how he met and signed a record deal with Davis. DeGraw drew raves for his performances of "Not Over You." DeGraw then made way for the night’s next-to-last performer, Andy Grammer, who performed "Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)." And the closing act? New Order and the Pet Shop Boys.  
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