Then there's a more troubling theory: Maybe people just don't care as much. ''Starvation has become so much of our nightly TV coverage that it doesn't move anybody to action anymore,'' says Ken Kragen, an artist manager (clients have included Kenny Rogers and Lionel Richie) who, with Harry Belafonte and Quincy Jones, was a driving force behind the USA for Africa relief effort.
Well...not so fast. There have been high-profile charity events since Live Aid — the long-running Farm Aid, the Beastie Boys' Tibet concerts, and the Concert for New York City come to mind — even if they haven't had the same scope or financial impact. But more significant, an increasing number of musicians are demonstrating a willingness to do good on a smaller scale.
And we're not just talking about Bono, whose efforts on behalf of debt relief and other causes are well documented. In many cases, young musicians are quietly exhibiting a broader and deeper sense of social conscience than their forebears. ''Some of the bands that played Live Aid, it was the one time in their entire career that they bumped up against politics or humanitarian work,'' says Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello, late of politically charged rap-metallers Rage Against the Machine (Morello, under the name the Nightwatchmen, contributed a track to the upcoming charity album Genocide in Sudan). He cites the recent anti-Bush Vote for Change tour, featuring acts like Springsteen, Pearl Jam, and R.E.M., as evidence of increased involvement: ''It feels to me like it's a movement with greater traction.''
Vote for Change has galvanized a broad cross section of the rock community, including artists who had previously shunned public activism. Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, who opened for Pearl Jam on the tour, admits his band isn't known for its politics, but says, ''We would have been wasting a very viable platform if we hadn't gotten involved. I think when bands are making money and times are good, anybody with half a heart will donate to causes they feel are important.''
Gigs aren't the only way for musicians to help. Sarah McLachlan's new video, ''World on Fire,'' uses a novel twist to generate cash for the needy. ''The director, Sophie Muller, had the idea of breaking down the costs of the video and giving all the money to charity,'' says McLachlan. The production crew's waived fees — $150,000 — were donated to 11 charities (including Comic Relief and Help the Aged). And Sum 41 took activism a step further, recently traveling to the Congo with the organization War Child to shoot a documentary about the effects of war on children. ''It's important to us to help get the message across to people about the state of the world and how we're all responsible to help change it,'' says band frontman Deryck Whibley.
So fear not: Rock activism is alive and well. Just don't expect another blowout like Live Aid, says Kragen, who believes it would be unfeasible to try to re-create the event without a fresh twist. ''There's going to have to be a new idea or concept,'' he says. ''Maybe it'll be a concert in space.'' Beam us up, Scotty.
