Father, son, holy ghost… or maybe Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe.
You decide who’s who.
I’ve always been fascinated by trinities in all their variations -from biblical stories to ancient symbols to any number of torrid love triangles, there’s something about the concept -and even look -of “three” that endears itself to me.
This concert, held Saturday in Arkansas, featured Patti Smith, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Johnny Depp, among others, and was in aid of the West Memphis Three, a terrible kind of trinity that’s long sought justice, peace, and freedom. Depp appeared on a special edition of 48 Hours a while back discussing the case, which is heart-breaking and awful on so many levels.
While I’m sad it took this kind of event to bring this calibre of artistry together, I hope it has the intended effect. I’m also hoping for more awesome trinities. I wasn’t as nuts about Patti paired with some-or-other two gents at last fall’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame celebrations at Madison Square Gardens:
Then again, re-watching this clip after a long while, it strikes me that each performer has such a deep, personal connection with this (admittedly gorgeous) song, and really, it doesn’t work to have it sung a la Muppets, in a big huge lump. Sometimes three really is a crowd.
And sometimes, as proven this past Saturday in Arkansas, it absolutely isn’t. Bravo Eddie, Johnny, and Patti. More, please.