When I first interviewed Jack Johnson almost 20 years ago — just as he was on the verge of becoming a globally famous rock star — the Hawai‘i-born, UC Santa Barbara–educated songwriter was living with his wife, Kim Johnson, in a rented second-floor apartment near the Montecito coast. Years later, they bought their first home in that same area and eventually clocked nearly a decade of Santa Barbara life in that formative stage of his career, from the streets of Isla Vista to the sands of Butterfly Beach.
Today, though they’re raising their kids on the North Shore of Oahu, which is where Jack grew up, the Johnsons still consider Montecito and the greater Santa Barbara area their California home. So when the Thomas Fire raged nearby and then the mudslide hit — both of which they watched in horror from afar — they knew it was time to do something special to support the community.
That happens this Sunday, March 18, when Johnson plays a benefit show at the Santa Barbara Bowl along with ALO, Ben Harper, and other special guests. The concert sold out within hours, immediately raising loads of money for recovery, and is expected to generate even more during the concert itself. Families of mudslide victims will also be in attendance, as will first responders and their families, many of them seated in bleachers on the side of the stage.