Sweet Relief Announces All-Star Benefit Concert Honoring Taj Mahal in San Francisco

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is doing what it does best: showing up for the people who built the culture. The nonprofit has announced its annual benefit concert for February 21 at the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco, this time honoring blues icon Taj Mahal, a living legend whose influence stretches far beyond the genre he helped redefine.

The lineup is stacked in a way that feels intentional, not nostalgic-for-nostalgia’s sake. Confirmed performers include Van Morrison, Stevie Van Zandt, George Thorogood, Mike Campbell, Patty Griffin, Jim Lauderdale, Will Hoge, Joe Henry, Ruby Amanfu, Bobby Rush, Trombone Shorty Kids, and Taj Mahal himself, with special guests and additional artists still to be announced. Tickets go on sale Friday, December 19.

This isn’t just a tribute concert. It’s a statement. Taj Mahal’s career spans more than five decades, but his relevance hasn’t faded with time. Emerging in the late 1960s, he expanded the blues by weaving in Caribbean, African, Hawaiian, and Latin influences long before “genre fusion” became an industry buzzword.

Albums like Taj Mahal and The Natch’l Blues didn’t just preserve tradition, they stretched it, creating a global, joyful approach to roots music that still resonates today. His influence can be heard everywhere, whether artists know it or not.

“Thrilled to be honored by Sweet Relief and to celebrate with good feeling music,” Taj Mahal shared. “Thank you Sweet Relief for all that you do and for bringing us together.”

For Sweet Relief, the night marks both a celebration and a mission-critical fundraiser. Executive Director Aric Steinberg called the event “long overdue” and emphasized its deeper purpose.

“This will be a special show indeed, and is also a critical fundraiser for our music community in need of emergency financial assistance for physical or mental health care,” Steinberg said. “More artists will be announced in the coming weeks, and there are always a few surprises.”

The concert follows Sweet Relief’s 2025 tribute to Joan Baez, which featured performances by Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Margo Price, Tom Morello, and more. If that event proved anything, it’s that Sweet Relief understands how to honor a legacy without turning it into a museum piece.

Beyond the stage, Sweet Relief Musicians Fund continues to be a lifeline for career musicians and industry professionals, providing financial assistance for medical care, insurance, housing, food, utilities, and other essential living expenses. In an industry that often abandons its artists once the spotlight dims, Sweet Relief fills a gap the system refuses to acknowledge.

February 21 won’t just be a concert. It’ll be a reminder of why music matters, who built it, and why taking care of artists should never be optional.