Big Names Playing Concerts to Aid Japan Disaster Relief

In addition to the concerts below, this limited-edition screen print is being sold to benefit Japan relief.

In addition to the concerts below, this limited-edition screen print is being sold to benefit Japan relief. 

It's no surprise that someone decided to hold a benefit concert to aid the relief efforts after the Japan earthquake/tsunami/nuke incident. But New York will be host to not one but five benefit concerts over the next few weeks, featuring some big-name performers playing in modest-sized venues.

According to Oh My Rockness, the shows are:

• Sun., March 27th (8 p.m.): Sonic Youth, Yoko Ono, Mike Patton, Sean Lennon, Cibo Matto, Mephista, Marc Ribot, Uri Caine, Aleph Trio — Miller Theatre ($25)
  
• Tues., March 29th (10 p.m.): Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band, Patti Smith, Tony Shanahan, Cibo Matto — Le Poisson Rouge ($100)
  
• Fri., April 8th (6:30 p.m.): Thurston Moore, Matthew Shipp, Gyan Riley, Masada String Trio, Ned Rothenberg, Alhambra Trio with Rob Burger, Erik Friedlander, and more — Abrons Arts Center ($35)
• Fri., April 8th (9:30 p.m.): Norah Jones, Jesse Harris, Vinicius Cantuaria, Buke and Gass JG Thirlwell's Manorexia, Elysian Fields, Sex Mob — Abrons Arts Center ($35)
• Sat., April 9th (11 a.m.): Philip Glass, Hal Willner, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, John Zorn, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Bill Laswell — Japan Society ($5)

As often happens, these benefit concerts offer a unique chance to see a range of performers who may not normally play together on a single bill—and in small venues, to boot.