Last month, the Recording Academy pledged that the 2025 Grammy Awards held Sunday (Feb. 2) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles would pivot to help raise money and awareness for the historic wildfires that raged across the greater Los Angeles area in January. And with the evening’s opening number, rock band Dawes made sure to follow through on that promise.
Joined on stage by a veritable who’s who of Grammys favorites — John Legend, Sheryl Crowe, Brad Paisley, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent — Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith delivered a stunning performance of Randy Newman’s novelty classic “I Love L.A.” in tribute to those who lost their homes in the fires. The Goldsmith Brothers provided vocals and drums, while Howard and Paisley rocked out on guitars, Crowe slapped the bass, Annie Clark played keys and Legend tickled the ivories for a rousing opener.
The performance was especially meaningful considering that Griffin lost his home in the fires, while Taylor lost his home studio, including much of the band’s recording equipment. In an emotional post on his Instagram, Griffin informed fans of the fire that burned down his home, telling followers that they had “lost everything” in the blaze. “8 years of memories made in our house. 20 years of gear,” he wrote Jan. 12. “My wife … was applying the finishing touches to the nursery for our baby boy who’s due in a few weeks. She had, throughout the years, poured her heart and soul into making the property a literal piece of paradise.”
Dawes was far from the only act performing at Sunday night’s ceremony. Stars including Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter, Shaboozey and more were slated to perform throughout the evening. Meanwhile, Beyoncé leads the evening’s nominees with 11 nods at the ceremony, with Charli XCX, Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone are just behind her with seven nominations each.
