Beasties Take Tibet Concert Global
Get ready for some international flavor for the fourth annual Tibetan Freedom Concerts. Plans are in the works to hold four simultaneous concerts around the world during two days in June. Possible cities include Tokyo, Chicago, Sydney and Amsterdam. Beastie Boy Adam Yauch – whose activist group, the Milarepa Fund, organizes the concerts – would not confirm the cities but says that Milarepa wants to put a more global focus on the plight of Tibet. “It’s the fiftieth anniversary of the Chinese occupation of Tibet,” he says. “It’s important for the whole world to keep up the pressure on the Chinese government.”
“We want to show that this isn’t just an American-based concern,” adds Milarepa’s co-director Erin Potts. “There’s huge support for Tibet in Europe, Asia and all over the world.” The past three concerts have raised $2.5 million for the Free Tibet movement. As of yet, no artists have been confirmed for this summer’s shows, but Yauch and Potts promise a mix of “old and new faces.” Past performers likely to appear this year include Rage Against the Machine, Radiohead and, of course, the Beastie Boys.
This story is from the February 18th, 1999 issue of Rolling Stone.