Late this September, three hot bands will combine their efforts at one of the most popular concerts of the year- the Global Festival 2012.
Tickets for the event, which will feature The Black Keys, Foo Fighters and Neil Young with Crazy Horse, cannot be bought in advance, however. Instead, fans must take part in an effort to fight extreme poverty though the event’s website or app, thus earning entry to the Central Park performance. Participation involves simple activities such as posting info on social media networks, signing petitions and small donations.
The Black Keys’ drummer Patrick Carney explained:
“The scale of things that they’re trying to do just felt really cool, and we’re trying to get the ball rolling. Especially with everything that’s been going on for the last three years, I supposed, after the stock market crashed. There’s attention on the amount of people living below the poverty line and the disparity between the rich and the poor and everything that’s going on now… It just felt like the right time to do something.”
Efforts against worldwide poverty have increased as the UN meetings in NY proceed. Hugh Evans, organizer of Global Poverty Project, has called the concert a “crescendo” to the outstanding effort.
“I think what’s exciting is all the world leaders are going to be in town that week for the United Nations meeting. And this concert and the associated campaign will give us the opportunity to ask these world leaders to make practical and tangible monetary commitments to the world’s poor and to the achievement of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.”