Rock singer Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins held a profit live performance on Wednesday to lift funds for the victims of the Highland Park parade capturing.
“It is a group reeling,” Corgan mentioned in the course of the present. “I’ve lived right here for 20 years. I’ve by no means seen something like this in my life.”
Corgan announced plans for the fundraiser, titled “Together and Together Again,” earlier this month.
Corgan’s charity gig served as a second of reflection and a chance to recollect these misplaced, in addition to present a way of economic reduction for surviving victims.
“The explanation I named it ‘Collectively and Collectively Once more’ is we received’t cease. We’ll all the time come collectively,” Corgan mentioned. “We’ll all the time bond round what we care about, our group and our love for each other. Nobody can take that away from us.”
“And tonight we start to reclaim that for Highland Park, and we need to carry that message to the world.”
The three-hour present was held at Madame Zuzu’s, a plant-based tea home that Corgan owns along with his associate Chloe Mendel, positioned on the identical strip the place the mindless assault passed off.
Mendel, alongside together with her and Corgan’s kids, deliberate to attend the Fourth of July parade the assault passed off, however they have been delayed by a later flight.
Seven folks have been killed after a gunman opened hearth utilizing a “high-powered” rifle. Greater than 40 folks, ranging in age from 8 to 85, have been injured within the capturing. A grand jury indicted the accused gunman on 117 felony charges earlier on Wednesday.
Whereas the group was intimate, the present was streamed without cost on the Smashing Pumpkins YouTube web page.
Corgan raised $57,878 as of early Thursday morning. He carried out Smashing Pumpkins’ hits “1979” and his personal single “Aeronaut.”
Jane’s Habit frontman Perry Farrell joined Corgan on stage in a shock look for the ultimate music of the night, “Jane Says.”
Viewers have been inspired to donate to the Highland Park Community Foundation.
“The incident on July 4 demonstrated absolutely the worst in human nature,” mentioned Highland Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen in a pre-recorded video shared in the course of the profit.
“Though a darkish cloud has stretched throughout the whole thing of Highland Park, our hearts are heavy and there have been glimmers of hope, indicators of resilience, love, and compassion which have minimize by means of the darkness,” he added.
Corgan additionally held a non-public present Tuesday evening for first responders and victims of the capturing.
