John Heilemann talks with Bob Crawford, bassist for The Avett Brothers and creator of Concerts of Change: The Soundtrack of Human Rights, a new audio docu-series on SiriusXM where he explores the surge in humanitarian and political activism by musicians in the seventies and eighties. Heilemann and Crawford discuss the rise of star-studded benefit shows, culminating in the 1985 transcontinental concert, Live Aid. Crawford breaks down the enduring cultural and musical legacy of Live Aid, and why, more than 30 years later, the performances by Queen and U2 remain iconic. Tune in to the full episode to hear about the genesis and behind-the-scenes stories of the chart-topping charity singles “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and “We Are The World”; the role played by Steven Van Zandt’s “Sun City” in ending apartheid in South Africa; and how Bono institutionalized his activist impulses to help combat poverty and AIDS in Africa.
