Music fans are buzzing as Ben Folds prepares to grace the stage for a special benefit concert aimed at aiding the communities devastated by Hurricane Helene. Set to unfold on October 29, 2024, at the picturesque Greenfield Lake Amphitheater in Wilmington, North Carolina, this event isn't just about musicāit's about coming together for a cause that truly matters.
Orchestrated by the City of Wilmington, with collaboration from Live Nation, the Wilmington Arts Council, and the North Carolina Music Office, this event, aptly named 'From Wilmington, With Love', promises not only to entertain but also to extend a helping hand to those in need. All proceeds are directed towards the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, a vital resource managed by United Way of North Carolina. This fund is dedicated to providing emergency food, housing, and much-needed home repairs to the affected regions.
The Spirit of Solidarity
In a heartwarming statement, Ben Folds highlighted the importance of unity and long-term support in times of crisis. His sentiments were echoed by Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo, who stressed the significance of standing in solidarity with the communities of Western North Carolina still reeling from the hurricane's impact. It's this sense of community and shared purpose that infuses the event with a unique spiritāa gathering of people bound by a common goal.
While the main draw is, undoubtedly, Ben Folds, the concert will also feature talented musicians hailing from the stricken areas of Western North Carolina, bringing a blend of local flair to the stage. Although the specific lineup remains somewhat under wraps, the promise of diverse performances adds an extra layer of excitement.
Tickets and Community Support
When tickets went on sale at $40 each, the response was enthusiastic, to say the least. In a flurry of support, all tickets quickly sold outāa true testament to the community's eagerness to rally around their own. But fear not, for those who missed out, there remains a channel to contribute. Donation options are still available, allowing even those who can't attend the chance to be part of the healing process.
As the date approaches, anticipation is building. Concert-goers will not only experience a night of unforgettable music but also embrace the opportunity to be part of something bigger. This concert symbolizes hope and resilienceāa reminder that, together, we can rebuild and uplift our communities, one note and one act of kindness at a time.
Comments
Sneha N
What a profoundly moving initiative. š The alignment of art and humanitarian aid in this manner is not merely commendable-it is transcendent. Ben Foldsā decision to lend his voice to such a cause reflects a rare moral clarity in todayās fragmented cultural landscape. š
I hope this model is replicated globally. Music, when wielded with intention, becomes a vessel for collective healing. The amphitheaterās location, too, feels symbolic-nature, art, and resilience intertwined.
May the fund reach every family in need, and may the memory of this night echo in the hearts of survivors for decades to come.
Manjunath Nayak BP
Okay but letās be real-this whole thing is just a PR stunt by Live Nation to get tax write-offs while pretending they care about people. You think theyāre not already selling merch with āFrom Wilmington, With Loveā on it? Of course they are. And whoās really getting the money? The same corporate overlords who let the levees fail in ā05 and still havenāt fixed the grid in Appalachia.
Ben Folds? Cool guy, sure. But heās not fixing the infrastructure. Heās just playing piano while the whole damn system burns. And donāt get me started on the ālocal musiciansā-probably just some guy who plays ukulele at the coffee shop. This is performative charity, folks. Wake up.
Tulika Singh
There is value in quiet solidarity.
naresh g
Wait-so the concert is on October 29, 2024, at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, which is in Wilmington, North Carolina-and all proceeds go to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, managed by United Way of North Carolina? And tickets were $40, sold out immediately? And donations are still open? And local musicians from Western North Carolina are performing? And the mayor and Ben Folds both emphasized community and long-term support? Is that accurate? Or is there a hidden clause? I need to verify the official website. The URL? Let me check. Is it www.wilmingtonnc.gov/helene-relief? Or is it unitedwaync.org/helene? I need to know before I donate. I donāt want my money going to some shell organization. Iāve been burned before.
Brajesh Yadav
THIS IS THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS RIGHT NOW. š¹š
Ben Folds didnāt have to do this. He couldāve been on tour in Tokyo making millions. But no-he showed up. For strangers. For people who lost everything. For kids who canāt go back to school. For grandparents whose homes are gone.
And you know what? People like me-we donāt talk about this enough. We scroll. We post. We rage. But we donāt SHOW UP.
So if you missed the tickets? Donate. If you canāt afford to donate? Share this. If youāre too busy? Stop being selfish. This isnāt about music. Itās about humanity. And if you donāt get that? Then youāre part of the problem. šš„
Govind Gupta
Thereās something quietly beautiful about how this event unfolds-not with fanfare, but with dignity. A piano, a stage, a crowd that didnāt come to see a star but to stand beside their neighbors. The local musicians, unnamed for now, are the real heartbeat of this night. Theyāve lost roofs, not just instruments. And yet-theyāll play. Not for applause, but because the music still lives in them.
Itās the kind of night that doesnāt make headlines. But it changes lives. Slowly. Softly. Like rain after a drought.
tushar singh
This is the kind of thing that reminds me why I still believe in people. š±
Even when the world feels heavy, there are moments like this-where music, community, and compassion justā¦ align. You donāt need to be a celebrity to make a difference. You just need to show up. And so many of you already have.
If youāre reading this and thinking āI wish I could helpā-you already are. Just by caring. Keep going.
Nikhil nilkhan
Itās funny how the loudest voices online are often the ones who never show up. Meanwhile, the quiet ones-the ones who donate $10, share the link, or just sit with someone whoās grieving-theyāre the ones holding the world together.
Ben Folds is just a guy with a piano. But tonight, heās holding space for a whole region to breathe again. And thatās more than most of us ever do.
Damini Nichinnamettlu
North Carolina deserves better. The federal response has been disgraceful. This concert is a band-aid on a hemorrhage. But Iāll take it. Because when the government fails, the people must rise. And they are. Let no one say Indians donāt care about global suffering-we donate, we share, we remember. This is how civilizations survive.
Vinod Pillai
This is a scam. The North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund is a front for political lobbying. You think the United Way isnāt funneling money to NGOs with ties to the DNC? Wake up. The real victims are being ignored while celebrities take selfies. This concert is a distraction. The real work? Rebuilding infrastructure. Not playing piano.
Avantika Dandapani
I cried when I read this. Not because Iām emotional-Iām not. But because Iāve seen this before. The silence after the storm. The way people stop talking about it after the news cycle moves on.
But not this time. Not here. Not now.
Ben Folds didnāt just show up-he stayed. And thatās the difference. I hope every child who hears that piano tonight remembers this moment. Not as a concert. But as the night the world didnāt forget them.
Ayushi Dongre
The aesthetic of communal grief, when channeled through art, becomes a ritual of renewal. The amphitheater, a secular cathedral; the piano, a sacred instrument; the crowd, a congregation without doctrine.
This is not charity. It is liturgy. And in a time of spiritual erosion, such rituals are not merely meaningful-they are necessary.
The funds will be spent. The concert will end. But the symbolism endures. And sometimes, symbolism is the only thing that keeps us human.
rakesh meena
Do it. Donate. Share. Show up. Thatās it.
sandeep singh
Ben Folds? A washed-up 90s relic. This concert is just nostalgia marketing. Real heroes are the first responders who worked 72 hours straight. Not some guy who wrote āRock This Bitchā and thinks heās saving the world with a grand piano.
And donāt get me started on the ālocal musicians.ā Probably just a bunch of college kids with a TikTok following. This is all performative. The real disaster is how weāve let culture replace action.
Sumit Garg
Let us not forget: the Greenfield Lake Amphitheater was built on land once inhabited by the Tuscarora. The very ground on which this āhealing concertā takes place is steeped in colonial erasure. And now, a white indie-rock musician is being canonized as a savior while indigenous communities remain invisible in the relief narrative.
This is not solidarity. It is cultural appropriation dressed in virtue signaling. The fund may help-but the narrative? Itās a myth. And myths, like hurricanes, leave behind ruin.
Stuart Sandman
Letās be honest-this concert is being funded by the same multinational corporations that profit from climate change. You think they care about North Carolina? They care about their PR. This is a calculated move to soften their image while they keep drilling. Ben Folds? Heās just the face of a well-oiled machine.
And donāt believe the ālocal musiciansā story. Theyāre probably paid $50 and told to smile. The real power? Itās still in the boardrooms. This is theater. Beautiful theater. But theater nonetheless.