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First off, let me explain that tonight's event was unique...special...a one off...and as such, I went to the Music Box Theater in LA without a notebook and without my "professional" hat on...this was an evening which demanded such behavior of me, and I was happy to oblige...so excuse me if this appears a little off-the-cuff...guess what....it is.

James Hetfield, our James (yes ours, yours, mine, ours) was honored tonight by a very special organization which is dedicated to helping musicians through hard times of abuse and addiction. The MapFund Musicares show featured Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (decent as a calm warm-up), Jason Marz (a solo acoustic artist managed by the night's other honoree, promoter and manager Bill Silva), Velvet Revolver, Tom Waits and the climax of the evening, James, Rob Trujillo, Sean Kinney and Jerry Cantrell performing together.

A Californian comedian Greg Behrendt hosted ceremonies, walking a fine and more often than not funny line between humor and harsh realities (his riffs on turning 40 and acting 20 were frequent and painful whilst making me laugh in recognition...along with most of the audience I might add!) and as I already mentioned, the evening trundled along nicely and calmly until Velvet Revolver took to the stage with an absolutely storming acoustic rendition of 'Wish You Were Here' by Pink Floyd, wringing every ounce from this seminal song, dedicated by Scott Weiland to some who didn't make it. It lit the evening from my perspective...

Tom Waits comes with a warm, rusty, wrought-iron heart and the hair of a dog created by fables. He remains perhaps one of the best storytellers around, a contemporary weaver of truths and fictions which everyone can relate to if they sit back and give it time...his beautifully weathered voice and a stand-up bass beside him, Waits delivered one of the night's stand out comments when he first honored James and commented on sobriety, "...they told me when I started I'd got the million dollar plan...and that they were gonna shove it up my ass one nickel at a time..." recognizing how much work it takes to walk to road of recovery and stay on it.

Bill Silva had earlier delivered a decent speech, telling of things he'd seen that saddened him, but then came Jim Breuer to introduce James, reminding us all in his animated and firey fashion that good can often meet bad before winding back into good again, and further explaining how much strength it takes to make that transition work.

I did not write down James' speech. I didn't want to. I wanted to sit and soak it up, take it in deep (hopefully someone will have a transcription available in the coming days)...it was raw, a little jarring, and ultimately beautiful. One man and his soul, unafraid to share it for a few minutes, unafraid to express it to the room, and unafraid to discuss the ups and downs, the goods and bads...he discussed how living is hard for us all, and how it was at one time very hard for him, and he also discussed further how the connection between rock'n'roll and sex and drugs didn't work for him... "Why would you need those when you've got rock'n'roll, the best FUCKING drug in the world!" he barked, eyes clenched tight, oozing it from every pore...and so it was that the speech continued, honoring the band members, honoring Bob Rock (who was in attendance, and how nice it was to see him I might add) before closing out with a very emotional recognition of how his children and wife, Francesca, have been the anchor for his ship. It was, as I said, very unprocessed and because of that, very very special... a beautiful reminder of what this was all about...hard work, spirit, courage and true humanity winning through in the end.

And then came the musical finale..."Would?", "Them Bones" and "Nothing Else Matters"...tremendous full-volume variations of the first two, faultlessly performed I might add and with James' voice dropping in superbly, before the finale of "Nothing..."...a fitting end to what was a very special evening...

I'm writing this as I sit in the theater with people all around trying to leave...so sorry, gotta go...but yes...it was special.

And James.
We salute you my friend, all of us, everyone...

- Steffan Chirazi
So What! magazine editor.
Pics by Jeff Yeager