Rod Stewart Played a Backyard in Southampton and It Raised $1.7 Million

Stevie Van Zandt’s classroom-music charity got an assist from a two-time Rock Hall inductee, a Daniel Boulud spread, and a very well-connected guest list.

There’s a certain flavor of Hamptons summer party that only works if you manage to get a bona fide legend to wander in and act like it’s nothing special.

On July 30, Lauren Day Roberts and Bob Roberts pulled it off in perfect form. Their Southampton backyard became a 200-person open-air amphitheater for a private Rod Stewart concert — casually raising $1.7 million for TeachRock, the education nonprofit that Stevie Van Zandt built to sneak rock-and-roll history into public-school curriculums.

The whole thing ran with that relaxed kind of flash the Hamptons does so well. Mark Aldridge — the go-to guy when you want a superstar to feel less like a headliner and more like a dinner guest — shaped the night, while Nick King from BlueDog Group turned a patch of lawn into a proper concert space. The crowd sipped Daniel Boulud’s food and house cocktails spiked with Van Zandt’s Malvado Maple Mezcal, then drifted outside as sunset turned to twilight and Stewart took the stage.

No Hamptons gala is complete without an auction, and this one didn’t disappoint. Think: dinner with Van Zandt and a gaggle of Sopranos cast members in Little Italy; a private meal with Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster; or the real showstopper — a trip to Andrea Bocelli’s Tuscan villa for dinner and a private concert.

But the high point wasn’t a seven-figure paddle raise. It was Van Zandt jumping onstage with Stewart for “We’re Having a Party” and “Stay With Me.” This wasn’t just a schmoozy photo-op. Van Zandt has called Stewart one of his early heroes, so seeing the two trade verses in a Southampton backyard felt oddly moving — a neat little loop of music history closing in real time. Later, both of them called it one of their most meaningful performances. Stewart even ranked it among the best in his entire fifty-plus-year career.

And under all the stardust, there’s actually a sprawling nonprofit at work. TeachRock now reaches over a million students, handing teachers free, standards-ready lesson plans built around the story of popular music — a lifeline for schools where the arts budget vanished ages ago.

Who showed up? A laser-cut slice of New York’s media, fashion, and finance crowd: Georgina Chapman, Chris and Cristina Cuomo, Maria Bartiromo, Penny Lancaster, Maureen Van Zandt, Fern Mallis, Stefano Tonchi, Ramona Singer, Jonathan Steinberg, Dr. Garry, and Steve Boxer. A strong cause paired with a rock legend has the power to crack open a Hamptons checkbook.

Ty Wenzel

Ty Wenzel is an award-winning writer, designer, and marketing professional with a career spanning fashion, publishing, media, and digital innovation. A recent breast cancer survivor, she began her career as a fashion coordinator for Bloomingdale’s before serving as fashion editor at Cosmopolitan Magazine. Her work has appeared in numerous national publications, including The New York Times, and she is the author of a memoir published by St. Martin’s Press. In 2020, Wenzel co-founded James Lane Post, where she covers lifestyle, real estate, architecture, and interiors. She previously served as a writer and marketing director for The Independent. Her work in journalism, social media, and design has been recognized with multiple PCLI and NYPA awards, including best website design and best magazine. Wenzel is also the founder of the Hamptons-based social media agency TWM Hamptons Social Media, where she develops high-level branding and digital strategy for luxury clients.