Pink Reunites With Dallas Green for Starry Crowd (Including Brad Pitt, Courteney Cox) at Rock4EB!
Something special happened in Malibu on Saturday.
Global superstar Pink took a break from her record-setting Summer Carnival tour to hit the stage at a far more intimate venue than the arenas she’s been selling out in recent months by performing at Rock4EB! alongside singer-songwriter Dallas Green. The pair headlined the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation’s annual fundraiser by performing as you + me, their onetime side project. The event, held at the hilltop home of Brillstein-Entertainment Partners leader Marc Gurvitz, was a star-packed affair set against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean, hosted once again by Judd Apatow and featuring a (savage) stand-up set by Jim Jefferies.
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Special because of the elements. The guest list included Brad Pitt, Courteney Cox, Kaley Cuoco, Tom Pelphrey, Elizabeth Olsen, Charlie Hunnam, Damien Chazelle, Ed O’Neill, Jackson Browne, Kim Basinger, Mason Thames, Mckenna Grace, AJ Michalka, Aly Michalka and Catherine Bell, among others. The menu featured a hotlist of L.A. favorites offered across Gurvitz’s expansive lawn overlooking the water, including Nobu, Factor’s Deli, Prince Street Pizza, Pink’s, Lucky’s, Broad Street Oyster Co., Tramonto Bistro, Shappy Pretzel Co., Drx Cupcake, Jennifer Naylor and libations from Hall Napa Valley, El Cristiano 1761 Tequilla, Zen WTR, Blue Ice Vodka and Coffee Been & Tea Leaf.
Special because of the cause, too. EBMRF is billed as the only all-volunteer nonprofit funder of research for the rare and life-threatening condition known as epidermolysis bullosa. EB is a rare genetic disorder that affects the skin, causing it to tear, blister and/or shear, which causes severe pain, disfigurement and wounds that sometimes never heal. Brillstein Entertainment Partners’ power manager Andrea Pett-Joseph spearheads the event with husband Paul and their son Brandon, who lives with the condition. They invite out many of those afflicted with the condition as well as their loved ones, who are seen mixing and mingling on the joyous afternoon that turns into evening despite the challenges that they face on a daily basis.
Cuoco said the event means the world to her. “I look forward to it every year. Whenever we get the chance to put more eyes and ears on this disease, I’m here for it. I still think it’s so unknown,” explained the actress and producer who is among the dedicated supporters of the cause and the Joseph family. “I brought [fiancé Tom Pelphrey] into this a couple of years ago, and he’d never heard of it. He said [after attending] that you want to be a part of it and do whatever you can to help. That’s just human nature with this thing.”
Beyond the worthy cause of helping those affected by the condition and their loved ones, Cuoco detailed the accoutrements that make the party such a must-attend. “The house always looks phenomenal. Look at that view! The vendors are amazing. Everyone wants to give their time, and so many people show up, which is incredible. We’ve got celebrities, musicians and kids here. A lot of the kids who have EB are here and I see the same ones every year so it’s a great time to catch up, see how they’re doing and see how much they’ve grown. Then you get to have a great night with amazing music. There’s nothing more special.”
There’s that word again, and it’s an apt description of what went down on stage, too. Pink and Green have only performed live together a small handful of times, and she seemed to be loving every second of their time onstage together. Pink’s set kicked off with the superstar sitting on a stool at center stage joined by her longtime guitarist Justin Derrico. She rolled through some of her early hits including “Who Knew,” “Don’t Let Me Get Me” and “What About Us.” She then welcomed to the stage “two of my best friends,” Green and musician Matt Kelly.
She shouted out’s Green’s credentials as the lone member of the critically acclaimed City and Colour and another of his bands, Alexisonfire. “He, to me, is the greatest living voice and I get to sing with him and that’s an honor that I could never describe in any kind of words. We started a band about 12 years ago because I wanted to sing upright. I wanted to have the chance to be around someone who is better than me,” said the singer.
She noted how the night was a special one for them, too, as it marked only the second time that they had ever done a gig together in front of an audience with the other time happening just the night before at a fundraiser in Santa Barbara. (They also once took the stage at the 63rd BMI Pop Awards in Beverly Hills on May 12, 2015.) They then performed as You+Me by rolling through some tracks off their debut album, which was released nearly 10 years to the day, on Oct. 14, 2014. Their set included “You and Me,” “Unbeliever,” “Love Gone Wrong,” City and Colour’s “What Makes a Man” and “The Girl,” and Pink’s “Try.”
They also revisited the lone cover from their album, Sade’s “No Ordinary Love,” and Pink offered a brief disclaimer. “The last album we decided to do one cover and it’s a big task — not many people have done it,” she explained of the single from the singer’s 1922 album. “I don’t think I should be singing on this. I think it’s a perfect experience with just Dallas.” The audience had no objections and it went over like a perfect experience. To close their set, Pink welcomed her daughter, Willow Sage Hart, to join them in the lights. The 13-year-old — fresh from appearing alongside her mother during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to perform “What About Us” — received cheers for performing their 2021 duet “Cover Me in Sunshine.”
Rock4EB! has a special secret weapon in its ranks: Cox. “I don’t know how I got this job but I’m responsible for the musical acts and so it’s my contribution to find someone to come out,” the Friends star, producer and entrepreneur told THR of booking such acts as Sting (with Chris Cornell), Eddie Vedder, Brandi Carlile, Ed Sheeran and others. This year was no different as she personally reached out to Pink. “It’s so incredible that Pink is doing this because she’s on the road right now but she said yes to me. She’s usually up on a trapeze hundreds of feet in the air. What an incredible soul. I’m just so thankful she’s here.”
How’d she land her in Malibu for the night? “My partner [Johnny McDaid] has written a few songs with her, and she’s actually stayed at the house before. I think they wrote ‘Trustfall’ in Malibu where we live. She’s so much fun. We played pool once and just had a good time.” She’s close with Carlile, Sting and Sheeran, too, as well as Rock4EB! hosts. “Marc Gurvitz and Julianne [Phillips] are the most generous people in the world,” she praised. “I have been to three events here in the last two months. I just can’t believe what they do for people. They gave their home for my birthday. I went to another surprise party here for a musician who’s also done EB events, Eddie Vedder. Then here tonight. They’re generous and you couldn’t find a better spot for a party. I mean, look at this view of the water. It’s great.”
There might be another word, though, to toss in the mix: Savage. Before the night’s headliners, and following a live auction hosted by Apatow and foodie guru Billy Harris, Jefferies took the stage to deliver a raunchy stand-up set. Even he seemed surprised to be invited to a family friendly fundraiser with his history of R-rated material but that didn’t stop him from launching into a set that covered getting caught masturbating and watching porn by his wife, a harsh take-down of actors (and particularly Austin Butler failing to lose his Elvis Presley accent after filming Baz Luhrmann’s biopic), premature ejaculation, gay conversion therapy, asexual individuals, and the challenges of marriage and compromise.
“It was worrying to me that Judd was getting upset about being too offensive. I’m one of the most offensive comics in the world,” he said in opening his set. “I don’t know how I got this fucking booking. Like, how the fuck am I opening up for Pink? Right, you should never put dirty before pink, you’ll all go home with a [urinary tract infection]. You all fucking know it. There isn’t enough cranberry juice in the world at that bar to sort you cunts out.”
On a far more heartfelt note, Pett-Joseph was tasked with offering gratitude to the event’s partners and supporters. “As most of you know, we only had a few short months to throw this together but we’re really excited that we’re all here. You know we’re not a multimillion dollar charity with fancy offices, we’re grassroots, down-and-dirty,” Pett-Joseph explained before shouting out Cox for her music director duties. “You’re always willing to call on your friends to come over and jam with us. You’ve supported this event every year and we’re so grateful to you both.”
Pett-Joseph also took a moment to mention the big news regarding EB. After noting the pain and hardship those in the EB community face with each loss or setback (including each new surgery her son Brandon faces), Joseph said, “Tonight we are here to enjoy this moment and to celebrate our progress. When we stepped into this 20 years ago, there weren’t dozens of clinical trials and so much more groundbreaking research being done across many areas. But thanks to seed funding from EBMRF and the dedicated doctors and researchers, some of whom are here tonight, and our friends at Krystal Biotech, we have the first FDA-approved topical treatment for at-home wound therapy.”
She continued: “We believe in their work. We are hopeful about their work, and most importantly, thanks to your generosity, we will continue to fund their work.” Action that will get a boost thanks to the $1 million raised from Saturday night’s event, and that is pretty special indeed.
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