Kokua Festival 2020 - Live from Home

Behind the scene moments from Kokua Festival 2020 - Live From Home

Photos by K. Johnson

Kōkua Festival 2020 - Live From Home this past Saturday, April 25th brought people together from all over the world in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. Jack hosted the live stream event from his home in Hawaiʻi to support the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation and Covid-19 relief efforts.

Jack was joined on the digital stage by some of his long time friends and Kōkua Festival alumni including: Eddie Vedder, Willie Nelson, Ben Harper, Ziggy Marley, G. Love, Lukas Nelson, Paula Fuga, Jake Shimabukuro, John Cruz, Kawika Kahiapo, Anuhea, Ron Artis II and Thunderstorm Artis. Viewers were also treated to at home cooking lessons from some of Hawaiʻi’s top chefs, Ed Kenney and Mark Noguchi.

The 2 hour special ended up lasting 3 hours…. with fans tuning in from all parts of the planet to watch Jack chat live with fellow musicians and perform 3 acoustic sets from 3 different home locations, including a keiki set in front of his kids treehouse and culminating with an intimate set at his piano. Highlights included collaborative songs Jack created with friends, such as “Rainbow” with G.Love, “Country Road” and “Give Voice” with Paula Fuga, “Constellations” with Eddie Vedder, and “Banana Pancakes” with Adam, Merlo and Zach. If you missed the show, you can catch some of these duets on Jack’s YouTube channel and don’t miss the finale of Better Together featuring Eddie Vedder on the broom and Ed Kenney on a loaf of sourdough bread (which many mistook for a coconut).

Mahalo to all the musicians and chefs who contributed their time and talents to make this festival such a huge success, and to Amazon Music, Twitch, and Springboard for broadcasting it to people across the globe. We also want to thank everyone who tuned in and supported the cause! Over $250,000 was raised to support Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation’s environmental education programs in Hawaiʻi, as well as local organizations that promote food security and sustainable food systems, including Aloha Harvest, the Full Calabash Fund, and the Chef Hui Give & Go Community Meal Program. Donations are still being accepted for the campaign thru tomorrow, Friday May 1st, and you can also buy a limited edition festival poster here.

Mahalo to all the Musicians & Chefs at Kokua Festival 2020 - Live From Home