Charity Concert Celebrates Tom Petty’s Legacy
Shins, Zach Braff, Lafey, and a talented ensemble of musicians covered Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin” at a charity concert honoring the 20th anniversary of the film Garden State. Check out the shots of the performance below.
- Read more: Watch how Marika Hackman covers Goln
Highlights from The Garden State Reunion
Braff wrote and directed the romantic comedy released in 2004, starring alongside Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, and Jin Smart. The film garnered over $35 million at the box office against a budget of just $2 million. Its soundtrack, personally curated by Braff, played a significant role in reviving the popularity of indie artists like The Shins, Iron & Wine, and Frou Frou.
Notably, “New Slang” by The Shins was featured in a memorable scene where Portman’s character tells Braff’s, “You have to hear this song – it will change your life. I swear.” The track has since become the group’s most popular song, amassing over 300 million streams on Spotify alone.
The album also included tracks from Coldplay, Bonnie Somerville, Zero 7, Nick Drake, Remy Zero, and The Vry Corporation, winning a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack.
The concert, part of the Midnight Mission charity in Los Angeles, took place on Saturday evening (March 29) at the Greek Theater. Braff took the stage to present the show, expressing that it was his “dream” for Portman to join, although she initially could not attend.
Portman eventually appeared to enthusiastic applause, beaming, “Well, dreams really do come true.”
Zach Braff with the entrance to the night of the concert of the 20th anniversary. pic.twitter.com/lmetf1nxa4
– Greg Dunbar (@gdun) March 30, 2025
Natalie Portman and Zach Braff reunited at the Garden State concert last night in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/6olec7q
– Natalie Portman updates (@nportmanonline) March 30, 2025
Throughout the night, The Shins, Zero 7, Iron & Wine, Frou Frou, Bonnie Somerville, Colin Hay, and Remy Zero performed songs from the beloved soundtrack. This show marked Frou Frou’s first performance since 2019 and a reunion for Remy Zero after their brief comeback in 2010.
Laufey was also present to perform Coldplay’s Year Bastard track “Don’t Panic.” Iron & Wine, featured in the soundtrack, covered “Such Great Heights” by The Postal Service and performed “The First of These Things” by Nick Drake.
The night culminated with an ensemble performance of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin,” led by James Mercer. Check out fan-captured moments below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP3P-5-KPOK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvxhr-95uvu
Laufey covers “Don’t Panic” from Coldplay last night 🫧🪐 pic.twitter.com/c0bombfcpy
– Laufey updates (@laufeyupdates) March 30, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6Ghwo3LSWO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r97LQY0GZPA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5gkvizm_dq
Last year, Braff reminisced about Quentin Tarantino’s playful disappointment regarding his Garden State soundtrack’s Grammy win, which beat out Tarantino’s nomination for Kill Bill: Volume 2. Braff recalled, “In a jest, Tarantino said, ‘You stole my f***ing Grammy, dude!’ and then he smiled warmly and announced it.” He went on, “He was very sweet and supportive. I was the cinematic kid who had a Pulp Fiction poster on my wall.”
https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-the-shins-zach-braff-laufey-and-more-cover-tom-pettys-free-fallin-at-garden-state-anniversary-concert-3850425?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=watch-the-shins-zach-braff-laufey-and-more-cover-tom-pettys-free-fallin-at-garden-state-anniversary-concert
