Eagles’ Joe Walsh has recruited Nine Inch Nails, Dave Grohl and The Black Keys to perform at VetsAid 2022, the annual festival organized by his non-profit veterans organization VetsAid.
The festival – which is due to take place from 6PM on Sunday, November 13 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio – will also see a performance from the newly reunited James Gang, of which Walsh is a member alongside Jimmy Fox and Dale Peters. Dayton alt-rockers The Breeders will also perform.
This year’s VetsAid aims to curate an all-Ohio bill, with net proceeds going to Ohio veterans and their families via a carefully vetted list of charities. Both James Gang and Nine Inch Nails are originally from Cleveland, while The Black Keys are from Akron, and Dave Grohl was born in Warren.
“It all started in Ohio,” Walsh says. “Picking up my first guitar as a kid in Columbus set me on a musical journey to Kent State, Cleveland and then the world. Now it is a great privilege and humbling opportunity for me to share the stage once again with my original James Gang buddies and with this absolutely incredible group of Ohio rock legends like Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails, The Black Keys, The Breeders and Dave Grohl.
“I believe in Ohio and look forward to celebrating our musical legacy while honoring our veterans with VetsAid 2022.”
Joe Walsh’s support of the US military comes from a place close to home. His father, Robert, was a flight instructor for the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star in the United States Air Force, and died on active duty in Okinawa when Walsh was just 20 months old.
This year marks the sixth installment of VetsAid, after its inaugural event in 2017. Since then, the festival has seen performances from Zac Brown Band, Gary Clark Jr., Keith Urban, Walsh’s Eagles bandmate Don Henley, Chris Stapleton, James Taylor, Haim, ZZ Top, Doobie Brothers, Sheryl Crow, Eddie Vedder, James Hetfield and more.
At the time of writing, VetsAid has disbursed over $2 million in grants. The nonprofit will continue to offer grants in 2022, but this year only to organizations based in Ohio. Tickets for VetsAid 2022 are available now via the VetsAid website.