PEACE OUT, DALAI hi
65° |
lo
WEDNESDAY
42°
october 10, 2012
t h e i n de pe n de n t s t u de n t n e w spa pe r of s y r acuse , n e w yor k
ONE HARMONY Star-studded concert promotes peaceful ideas to wrap up two-day symposium Text by Erik van Rheenen ASST. FEATURE EDITOR
Photo by Andrew Renneisen
R
PHOTO EDITOR
oberta Flack started the song slow, like any proper soul singer would. “Imagine there’s no heaven. It’s easy if you try.” As the quiet John Lennon-penned melody wove its gentle lyrics through the speakers, a cavalcade of superstar acts split harmonies with the jazz singer. On the One World Concert stage on Tuesday night, Flack may have been a dreamer, but she was far from the only one. “Imagine all the people, living for today.” Slowly, the entire ensemble meandered its way across the stage. The song that started with Lennon’s subtle tapestry of guitar chords and simple lyrics struck its crescendo in a thunderous cascade of harmonies. “I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.” His Holiness the Dalai Lama, sporting a bright orange Syracuse University visor, made the tongue-incheek claim that music didn’t much interest him. But that didn’t stop him from shaking hands and exchanging bows with the star-studded roster before leaving the stage, before the artists brought a crowd of 24,000 to its feet. But perhaps Lama Tenzin Dhonden, peace emissary to the Dalai Lama, put it best when he said, “I think now it is time to rock.” Dave Matthews riffed. David Crosby jammed. Cyndi Lauper flaunted her “True Colors.” Counting Crows crooned “Round Here.” Nelly Furtado pseudo-scatted. Engelbert Humperdinck melted hearts. And that was just the tip of the musical iceberg. Armed with razor-sharp witticisms, Whoopi Goldberg exuded comedic grace as emcee, punctuating her thoughts with self-deprecating jokes and whipping the crowd into rounds of applause. Though Goldberg struggled to read the scripted teleprompter scrolling on the Carrier Dome’s Jumbotron, she had no problem cracking jokes off the cuff. “I can’t see that big Jumbotron, so I’m looking deep in myself to talk to you,” she said, deadpanning. “Also
SEE PAGE 8
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