Robert Plant has confirmed that he will join Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, The Milk Carton Kids, and more for select dates on the Lampedusa tour. Lampedusa is an 11-stop concert tour intended to raise awareness of the unprecedented worldwide refugee crisis. Funds raised by Lampedusa will support educational programs for refugees around the world.
“This is a humanitarian issue – it is not a political issue,” says Griffin. “These are real people with real needs and it’s not going to go away and we have to deal with these issues in a realistic way, and realism has to do with compassion.”
Plant offered this statement about joining the tour.
“I’m taking a break from recording the new Sensational Space Shifters record to be a part of this very important and worthwhile cause. When I watch the news and see people from these places being displaced by hatred and ignorance, I know that these people are just like you and me. All they want is to live in peace and have their children grow up loved, fed and educated. That seems a million miles away for many people at the moment. They are living in refugee camps, in conditions that are far below sustenance levels. When I heard that some of my friends were rallying to do a series of concerts to help raise funds and awareness, to help address the basic needs of food, shelter and medical care, I wanted to help, in whatever way I could. One thing that I want to make clear: as with all the other members of this tour, I will be performing two or three songs a night and no more. I’m not making a political statement. The organization that is receiving these funds is a religious one, however this is a totally secular mission. This appeal is trying to help on the ground wherever it can. I hope that my voice, along with my friends, helps bend the arc of the universe a little more toward the loving and helps with the work of getting the basic essentials of life to those who are without.”
The complete tour dates are below. The shows featuring Plant are noted.
October 6, 2016 – Boulder Theater – Boulder, Colorado
October 8, 2016 – Helzberg Hall – Kansas City, Missouri
October 9, 2016 – Rococo Theater – Lincoln, Nebraska
October 11, 2016 – Sheldon Concert Hall – St. Louis, Missouri
October 12, 2016 – Pabst Theater – Milwaukee, Wisconsin w/Robert Plant
October 13, 2016 – Vic Theater – Chicago, Illinois w/Robert Plant
October 14, 2016 – Massey Hall – Toronto, Ontario w/Robert Plant
October 16, 2016 – Berklee Performance Center – Boston, Massachusetts w/Robert Plant
October 18, 2016 – Town Hall – New York City, New York w/Robert Plant
October 19, 2016 – Merriam Theater – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania w/Robert Plant
October 21, 2016 – Lisner Auditorium – Washington, DC w/Robert Plant
The concerts will be intimate evenings of acoustic performances benefiting Jesuit Refugee Service’s Global Education Initiative. The Lampedusa tour helps displaced people heal, learn, and thrive by providing educational opportunities for refugees living in camps and urban settings in 45 countries. “Lampedusa: Concerts for Refugees” is named for the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, where Pope Francis visited refugees during his first official trip as Pope. The Italian island off the coast of Sicily serves as a waypoint to Europe in refugees’ search for safety and security. For more information about “Lampedusa: Concerts for Refugees,” visit www.jrsusa.org/lampedusa.
