A Supergroup for the Ages Debuted at an Unlikely Holiday Party

Every once in a while, a collection of musical talents will converge for a short-lived project – maybe a concert, maybe a recording session. Members of R.E.M. and U2 teamed up as Automatic Baby to play Bill Clinton’s first presidential inauguration; a few years later, members of Radiohead, Mudhoney and Sonic Youth worked together to flesh out the fictional bands in the surreal glam-rock film Velvet Goldmine.

And then there’s a one-off supergroup that features the likes of Brandi Carlile, Slash and Eddie Vedder, who took to a Los Angeles stage this year for…the Eldridge Industries holiday party? If that company name doesn’t ring any bells, the name of its co-founder, Todd Boehly, might — he’s a co-owner of some of the world’s biggest teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Lakers and Chelsea F.C. (As well as Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace, for those keeping track at home.) In other words: we’re talking about a company with deep pockets and extensive connections.

As Eddie Fu reports for Consequence, the group, known as the Dirty Bats and featuring Andrew Watt alongside members of Guns N’ Roses and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, featured a series of guest vocalists. Besides the aforementioned Carlile and Vedder, Anthony Kiedis, Bruno Mars and Yungblud appeared on vocals over the course of the night. The set list included some Pearl Jam and Carlile numbers, as well as “War Pigs,” “Johnny B. Goode” and “Ace of Spades.”

Brandi Carlile Is Up to Tour With the Surviving Members of Soundgarden

She’s recorded with them before

Now, compared with some of the things the very, very wealthy have done with their money lately, billionaires hiring rock stars for private events (see also: a certain Neil Young show in 2023) seems almost wholesome at this point. It sounds like a fun night, and it’s always nice to see Carlile working with more 90s alt-rock icons.

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Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…