The Hives News

(8/29/02, 5 p.m. ET) -- Jimmy Eat World, Pete Yorn, and the Hives were among the artists on hand at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom Wednesday (August 28) performing at a concert to benefit LIFEbeat: The Music Industry Fights AIDS.

The Hives headlined the show, despite the fact there were much more Jimmy Eat World fans in the audience. In addition, Jimmy Eat World drummer Zach Lind actually backed Yorn during his set, as a boisterous crowd chanted his name.

Jimmy Eat World singer Jim Adkins told LAUNCH backstage at the event that participating in the event was a "no brainer." He joked, "We just happened to be strolling by anyway and there was this great 10th anniversary... There was just this really cool sh-t happening and we thought we'd just come in and rock."

Adkins also gave some advice on HIV/AIDS prevention. "It starts with you. I mean, prevention just starts with you taking care of your business, watching out for yourself. I think if everyone kind of... It doesn't take much, just some common sense. Be responsible. It's not that difficult a thing, you just...You do it," he said.

LIFEbeat is the music industry's organization to fight AIDS. The organization's vision is to provide teens and adults with crucial information and safer sex materials to prevent contracting AIDS.

In the past, LIFEbeat has created innovative, music-driven vehicles to reach the public with HIV prevention messages and AIDS advocacy. Board Aid and CounterAID are all offshoots of LIFEbeat.

-- Darren Davis, New York

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