BY JAY LUSTIG
Star-Ledger Staff
You can count on an eclectic lineup and some wild collaborations at a Tibet House benefit concert.
Avant-garde composer Philip Glass once played piano for alt- rock pioneers R.E.M. Phish frontman Trey Anastasio jammed with Tibetan flautist Nawang Khechog and Gambian kora player Foday Musa Suso. Dance-pop king Moby backed his idol David Bowie on guitar for one of Bowie’s signature songs, “Heroes.”
Bright Eyes leader Conor Oberst — who will perform at the 14th annual benefit, taking place at Carnegie Hall on Wednesday — says he doesn’t yet know what songs he will perform, or if he’ll share the stage with anyone. All he knows is he has a two-song slot, and the details for the show (also featuring Ray Davies of The Kinks, David Byrne, Angélique Kidjo and others) will be worked out at a Tuesday afternoon rehearsal.
“It’s an honor just to play with those guys, in the same show, but I’m open to any collaborations,” he says.
Other performers will include Khechog, Hoboken-based rock group Yo La Tengo, bluesman Keb’ Mo’, and the Tashi Lhunpo Monks, who perform traditional Buddhist chants and dances. Glass will serve as artistic director (his usual role), and will also perform.
One of the most intriguing potential pairings is Davies with Yo La Tengo. The three Yo La Tengo members backed the eccentric Kinks singer-songwriter at a series of New York shows in 2000 and also teamed with him for some studio recordings that were never released. Yo La Tengo has also covered Kinks songs like “Oklahoma, U.S.A.” (on their 1990 album, “Fakebook”) and “Fancy” (on the 2002 Davies tribute album, “This Is Where I Belong”).
This will be the 14th annual Tibet House benefit. The series began at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and moved to Town Hall in Manhattan before taking up permanent residence at Carnegie Hall in 1993. Shows are timed to coincide with the start of the Tibetan calendar year.
Tibet House is a New York- based organization established in 1987 to preserve Tibetan culture in the face of China’s decades-long occupation of the country. More information at www.tibethouse.org.
