August 31 2011


Two popular rock groups from either side of the Pacific, B’z from Japan and the United States’ Linkin Park, put on a secret show Wednesday in Los Angeles to benefit parts of Japan stricken by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.


The roughly 1000 in attendance were fans who each donated more than $500 (about 38,000 yen) for Japan’s disaster relief through ”Music for Relief,” a nonprofit organization founded by Linkin Park in 2005 to provide aid to victims of natural disasters.


”This is a great opportunity for us to show our appreciation for helping our country,” said B’z front man Koshi Inaba. The Japanese band was a special guest at the charity concert.


Linkin Park raised more than $350,000 in donations for the Japanese victims by promising to give away two tickets to its live performance to each of its fans who made $500 or more in contributions through the organization’s webpage and various social network sites. ”We went way above what we were shooting for,” said Mike Shinoda, one of the vocalists from the rock band.


Arik Texon, a fan of Linkin Park in attendance, remembered staring at the TV and being saddened by the scenes of destruction that took place in Japan.


”I wanted to help out Japan, and I wanted to see Linkin Park. It’s a win-win,” the 23-year-old said.


”I’m really happy to be able to do something for Japan.”


All of the proceeds from the online fundraising campaign will go to Save the Children, an organization assisting minors affected by the March 11 disaster.


Since B’z debuted in 1988, the group has sold more than 80 million CDs in Japan alone. In 2007, the two-man band was inducted into Hollywood’s RockWalk as the first Asian inductee.


Linkin Park’s debut album ”Hybrid Theory” released in 2000 has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. They remain one of the most popular bands in the United States.


==Kyodo