Recap: Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Stevie Wonder Put on Amazing NYC Show to Help End Poverty [UPDATED]

On Saturday, September 28th, the second annual Global Citizen Festival brought 75,000 people together to enjoy stellar musical performances by Stevie Wonder, Kings of Leon, Alicia Keys, and John Mayer – and more importantly — to push us all toward the audacious but achievable goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2013.

As part of the Global Poverty Project , the event focused on four principles: health — significantly cutting maternal deaths and ending child mortality by fighting fatal diseases such as diarrhea, pneumonia, and malaria; education of 57 million children — 31 million girls in particular — through the Global Partnership for Education ; women’s equality ; and global partnerships .

Held in New York City’s Central Park and boasting celebrity hosts Soledad O’Brien, Katie Holmes, Gerard Butler , Olivia Wilde , Erin Heatherton , and Karolina Kurkova , the show was also watched by up to 22 million viewers via live stream and Palladia .

Taking up about 40+ minutes each, Kings of Leon, Alicia Keys, John Mayer, and Stevie Wonder all performed a plethora of their hits and new songs as well.

Kings of Leon rocked out with “Supersoaker,” “Don’t Matter,” “Family Tree” , and “Beautiful War” from their brand new fifth studio album Mechanical Bull , which released September 20th.

Of course they also played fan-favorites “Notion,” “Be Somebody,” “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody” from 2008′s Only By The Night , and “The Bucket” and “Four Kicks” from 2004′s Aha Shake Heartbreak .

Alicia kept it classy, powerful, and smooth as she started off with “New Day” from her 2012 album Girl on Fire , and transitioned into “You Don’t Know My Name” from 2003′s The Diary of Alicia Keys .

She followed with “Listen To Your Heart ” ( Girl on Fire ), “Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart” (2009′s The Element of Freedom ), her breakout hit “Fallin’” (2001′s Songs in A Minor ), a reggae-tinged “Limitedless” ( Girl on Fire ), a beautiful new song for Keep A Child Alive, rumored to be “Better You, Better Me,” “If I Ain’t Got You” (2004′s The Diary of Alicia Keys ), “No One” (2007′s As I Am ), Girl on Fire ‘s title track, and finished with the broken down version of “Empire State of Mind.”

Nightfall hit and the crowed bounced around a giant HP- branded ball as John Mayer circulated through various guitars — making them all weep.

He played “Queen Of California” from 2012′s Born and Raised , “Wildfire” from his recently released album Paradise Valley (August 20), “Half of My Heart” from 2009′s Battle Studies , Grateful Dead ‘s 1989 song “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad,” “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” and “Waiting on the World to Change” from 2006′s Continuum .

John then evoked the spirit of late greats, instructing his band to “give’em that [ J Dilla ] stuff,” and smoothed things out for a short, funky Marvin Gaye tribute with “Inner City Blues.”

That was followed by his new single “Paper Dolls,” the rumored response to ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift ‘s “Dear John,” and finished with “Gravity” ( Continuum ).

There were also surprise performances by Elvis Costello and Janelle Monáe , who sang her impeccable rendition Nat King Cole ‘s “Smile” and joined Mr. Wonder’s finale set along with Maxwell .

She was followed by the Staten Island’s adorable PS22 chorus who stole hearts with their emphatic performance of Emeli Sande ‘s “Wonder.”

Wearing an outfit made from recycled plastic bottles, will.i.am appeared briefly to mention a partnership between Ekocycle , his recycling initiative with Coca-Cola , and Global Citizen Festival .

And Stevie Wonder closed out the show with what seemed like his very own concert. He performed hits like “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” “Higher Ground,” “Superstition,” “I Just Called To Say I Love You,” “Isn’t She Lovely” and several more.