George Harrison to be Honored at Star-Studded George Fest
UPDATE: Due to popular demand, George Fest has been moved from the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles to The Fonda Theatre. More tickets are set to go on sale on Wednesday, September 17th at 10 AM PT here.
The estate of George Harrison will remember the Beatle this fall with a star-studded, one-night tribute called George Fest: A Night to Celebrate the Music of George Harrison. The event will take place at Los Angeles’ El Rey Theatre on September 28th and feature appearances by a number of notable rockers including Brian Wilson, Norah Jones, the Killers‘ Brandon Flowers and Mark Stoermer, the Flaming Lips‘ Wayne Coyne and Steven Drozd, Heart‘s Ann Wilson, Spoon‘s Britt Daniel and even “Weird Al” Yankovic.
The lineup also includes Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Cold War Kids and members of the Strokes, the Cult, Weezer, Velvet Revolver, Guster and others. Harrison’s son, Dhani, is set to perform, and the event organizers are promising surprise guests.
The event will serve as a fundraiser for Sweet Relief, which benefits career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet, and 100 percent of ticket sales will go to the organization. Tickets go on sale September 5th.
George Fest will take place less than a week after the release of a new, six-disc Harrison box set, The Apple Years 1968-75, which comes out on September 25th and collects Harrison’s first six solo records, as well as a selection of previously unreleased songs and photos. Among the rarities on the set, which Dhani oversaw, is a tune called “This Guitar (Can’t Keep From Crying),” which features guest appearances by Eurythmics member Dave Stewart, Dhani, Kara DioGuardi and, on drums, Ringo Starr.