Benefit Will Be One of Band’s Nice Little Feats

Back in the earliest days of Little Feat, about the only benefit concert the band played was for George McGovern’s presidential campaign against Richard Nixon in 1972, says singer-guitarist Paul Barrere. “And he lost miserably,” Barrere says with a laugh.

The band has participated in other benefits in the years since, of course, including one last fall for an American Indian activist group in San Francisco with Jackson Browne, Don Henley and Bonnie Raitt. But Little Feat isn’t asked all that often, says drummer Richie Hayward. And more important, with a band that now includes seven members, it’s not always easy to gather them together outside of regular tour dates.

The full band will be together and playing its eclectic mix of rock, country, funk, jazz and other styles at the Palomino in North Hollywood tonight, headlining this year’s Musicians for UNICEF show. Also performing will be former Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger and his band, along with several other local players.

Members of Little Feat have participated in earlier shows benefiting the United Nations Children’s Fund, but this is the first with the entire lineup, including singer-guitarist Craig Fuller, who will come down from Portland, Ore. It’s also the band’s first Los Angeles show since a 1990 date at the Greek Theatre.

“The fact is that here we are, a band for 20-some years, and we all have families and are more socially conscious of things,” Barrere says of the band that also includes vocalist-percussionist Sam Clayton, bassist Kenny Gradney, vocalist-keyboardist Bill Payne and guitarist Fred Tackett.

“A lot of the band’s individuals are involved in Greenpeace, Heal the Bay, and a few things that strike the nerves of the members of this band.

“We don’t push things as a band. But occasionally something will come up, like UNICEF, that is a good thing to involve ourselves with.”

At the concert, Little Feat will perform its songs entirely on acoustic instruments, culling material from a career that has enjoyed several Top 40 albums, including 1979’s “Waiting for Columbus.”

The band has performed occasional acoustic shows for about a year, and this is a style that may find itself on an upcoming album.

“It makes you focus more on the song, more on the playing of the band,” Barrere says of the more intimate sound. “It’s kind of like a shot in the arm. After so many years playing the same songs electrically, even with changed arrangements, we just have a lot more fun doing it this way.”

Tonight’s show will be the third UNICEF benefit at the Palomino, where about $10,000 has been raised for the organization every year.

Previous benefits, at the Palomino and at other venues, have featured Al Jarreau, Kris Kristofferson, REO Speedwagon, Bruce Willis, Gary Busey, members of Chicago and others.

Organized by veteran session drummer Eddie Tuduri, the concerts are a fund-raising tool for UNICEF and demonstrate shared purpose among the musicians in an intimate club setting.

The participation of such crowd-drawing bands as Little Feat might suggest that the annual event could move to a larger venue, such as the Wiltern Theatre or the Universal Amphitheatre, Tuduri says. But he adds that he’s not eager to change the atmosphere of the benefit that he created in the mid-’80s.

“They want a lot of money and a lot of red tape,” he says of the larger venues. “And there’s no heart in it.”

Tuduri says he hopes that musicians in other towns will join together for benefit concerts of their own.

“He keeps telling me he’s not that important,” says Sarah Connor, administrative assistant for the UNICEF office in Los Angeles. “But I think he has put together a group of people, not just musicians, who can pull this event off. Eddie’s the force behind it. He calls everybody back together year after year.

“Not only are these musicians raising money in support of our program, but they are educating the local community on the needs of the developing world and UNICEF’s role.”

Little Feat, the Robbie Krieger Band, Dallas Hodge & Friends and others perform as Musicians for UNICEF from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. tonight at the Palomino, 6907 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Tickets: $25. Call (818) 764-4010.

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MORE ACOUSTIC GUITAR: A classical guitar concert will be performed by former Andres Segovia student and teaching assistant Oscar Ghiglia at 8 p.m. Thursday in Cal State Northridge’s Recital Hall.

The Italian-born musician tours the world regularly and is the winner of several playing awards, including the International Guitar Competition in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, soon after his debut in 1962.

At CSUN Ghiglia will be performing works by J. S. Bach, Franco Donatoni, Francesco da Milano, Manuel Ponce, Joaquin Turina.

Admission to the concert is $10. For more information, call (818) 885-3093.