Recording Artists’ Four-Front Attack

The four-pronged Concert for Artists’ Rights to be staged across Los Angeles County on Tuesday night has come about because of complex legislative issues facing the musicians and the music industry, but the basic reason for the star-studded shows couldn’t be simpler: “We need a phone,” says Jim Guerinot, manager of the Offspring, No Doubt and Beck, and one of the key organizers of the pre-Grammy night event. “Right now we don’t have one. We don’t have a mailbox, we don’t have an office, we don’t have an executive director.”

The “we” Guerinot refers to is the fledgling Recording Artists Coalition, a lobbying group set up to ensure that musicians’ voices are heard when laws concerning copyrights, digital distribution of music and other matters are debated before Congress. RAC will get proceeds from Tuesday’s performances at the Inglewood Forum, Universal Amphitheatre, Long Beach Arena and the Wiltern Theatre. One source says the take for the RAC should top $2 million.

RAC was formed last year largely at the behest of Don Henley and Sheryl Crow, who will take part in the rock portion of the night at the Forum along with the Eagles, Billy Joel, John Fogerty and Stevie Nicks.

The alt-rock show at Long Beach Arena features No Doubt, the Offspring and Weezer, while Beck, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and Social Distortion’s Mike Ness team up at the Wiltern. Country artists at Universal will include the Dixie Chicks, Emmylou Harris, Trisha Yearwood and Dwight Yoakam.

Although Tuesday’s event has been described in some quarters as a protest against the multinational conglomerates that now control the record industry, Guerinot insists that’s not the case: “The most important thing is that this is not anti-anything. It’s definitely pro, just making sure that the artist has a seat at the table.”

Meanwhile, at the House of Blues in West Hollywood the same night, another issue-oriented concert will bring out even more stars. Nelly Furtado, Goo Goo Dolls and Toronto R&B; singer Glenn Lewis will perform for Rock the Vote’s 2002 Patrick Lippert Awards, which will be given to the Dave Matthews Band, Destiny’s Child and “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin.

Compiled byTimes staff writers