With the world continuing to feel the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, celebrities from every walk of life have been using their public platforms to raise money and awareness in response to the crisis. Rapper/singer/songwriter Post Malone is no different, announcing a streaming concert that will take place on Friday. The show will be a tribute to Nirvana and its late lead singer, Kurt Cobain, while raising money to help combat COVID-19.
Post uploaded a video to his YouTube channel — as well as his other social media accounts — on Wednesday featuring himself on stage with an acoustic guitar. At the end of the 24-second clip, a title card reading “Post Malone Nirvana Tribute Livestream” along with the date of April 24 were shown. According to a report from Rolling Stone , the event will raise money for the United Nations Foundation’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund through the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, Google will reportedly match all donations up to $5 million, with all proceeds benefiting the UN Foundation.
The “Rockstar” and “Psycho” artist will be performing a mix of his own work and classic Nirvana songs during the concert. Post is a noted Nirvana fan; the “Stay Away” tattoo on his face is a reference to the 1991 Nirvana song of the same name and Cobain’s name is also tattooed on his knuckles. Moreover, Post has previously covered Nirvana’s “All Apologies” while performing live.
April 5 marked the 26th anniversary of Cobain’s death by suicide in Seattle, Washington, in 1994. The singer was just 27 years old at the time of his death.
In keeping with his affinity for Nirvana and the grunge era of music, the 24-year-old Malone has also performed with other ’90s alternative rock luminaries like Green Day, Oasis, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the latter of whom he joined for a live performance during the 2019 Grammy Awards.
Post previously received flak for a live performance that took place just as the U.S. was ramping up social distancing efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus. The mid-March event — which emanated from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado — drew thousands of fans and footage of the massive crowd went viral in short order. Subsequent tour dates were canceled by the performer.
Although Malone received widespread criticism for allowing that show to take place amid a pandemic, he definitely looks to be doing what he can to support relief efforts at this point in time.