Live 8, Philadelphia 2005

From MemoryArchive

Who: Shaun Conway
What: Live 8
When: July 2005
Where: Philadelphia, PA

Though I was working in D.C. that summer, I went home for the Live 8 concert just before the 4th of July.

They ran special trains that day, making sure people could get downtown. My friends and I got down there around 9 a.m. so that we could be as close to the Art Museum steps as possible. Luckily we managed to get a spot shaded by trees at the top of the parkway; that day was unbearably hot.

The crowds filled in behind and around us as the morning wore on and the concert approached. There was a sea of people; some were there for the cause, some for the music, some for both.

The concert started out with the Black Eyed Peas. Acts throughout the day included Philly's own Will Smith. Others included Bon Jovi, Destiny's Child, Dave Matthews and many more. Periodically they would play an entire set from another location elsewhere in the world. We saw Green Day in Germany and Cold Play in London.

Each performer reiterated the message: Be aware of AIDS. People are suffering. Ask our leaders to make a difference, to take a stand.

The images were touching and I have the hope that perhaps even those people there just for the music stopped to think about the disaster of AIDS.