Dave Matthews, Graham Nash & More Hold Standing Rock Benefit Show
Neko Case, Ledisi join music benefit in Washington, D.C.
On Sunday night, as Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Water Protectors continued to stand their ground in opposition to the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL) on Standing Rock Indian Preservation, a group of musicians hosted a benefit concert to raise funds for the resistance effort.
Headliner and host Dave Matthews organized the “Stand With Standing Rock” event at DAR Constitution Hall, just a couple blocks from the White House. In addition to the evening’s famous performers, Matthews invited many members of tribe to perform and speak, including 23-year-old Kendrick Eagle, who shared his experiences meeting President Obama on a few occasions. “He told us he had our backs as long as he’s in office. And now we need him more than ever, and that’s why I’m here.”
One of the many highlights of the night came when Matthews told a story about his experience visiting the protestors’ camp at Standing Rock: “The whole experience at the camp exploded my brain and I don’t know what to do about it” said the singer/guitarist. He then debuted a new song about that experience entitled “Song For Billijo”. You can watch the moment below:
(Courtesy YouTube user dmb4041)
You can also watch a full video of the evening, streaming here for a limited time:
