Entertainment :

Is your fave musician on the cutting edge?

04.25.2008

Submitted by tmeronek on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 12:16am.
The Bite:
The cutting edge of green, that is. Increasingly, the answer is yes - performers and music fest organizers are eco-fying their acts by carbon offsetting and educating fans on environmental issues. This summer, check out concerts that aren't bloody polluting.
The Benefits: 
  • Less planet-wounding. The music biz adds 150,000 tons of CO2 yearly via tour bus emissions alone. Green tours and shows are taking steps like composting and using alternative energy to clean things up.
  • Not just world music anymore. Peeps from Fergie to Metallica have played at green events.
Personally Speaking: 
Our taste in music varies like you wouldn't believe, so good thing going to a green concert doesn't just mean singing "Kumbaya" next to a yurt somewhere. Check the blog for our current fave tracks.
Wanna Try: 
  • Monterey Music Summit - totally carbon-neutral, Monterey, CA concert, with organizers planting trees onsite; The Crystal Method, Ozomatli, and Snoop Dogg (May 30-Jun. 1, 3-day pass, $169).
  • Bonnaroo - TN fest that hosts eco-speakers, and has onsite composting and recycling; MIA, Pearl Jam, and Kanye West (Jun. 12-15, 4-day pass, $210).
  • Warped Tour - countrywide tour that features solar staging and tents, and biodegradable food containers; All-American Rejects, Gym Class Heroes, and Paramore (Jun. 20-Aug. 17, gen admission, about $100).
  • Lollapalooza - in Chicago this year, its "Green Street" dedicates fest space to educating concertgoers on green issues, and it stocks recycled TP in the Port-o-lets; Cat Power, Nine Inch Nails, and Wilco (Aug. 1-3, 3-day pass, $190).
  • Outside Lands - SF's new yearly fest boasts free swag for recyclers and a solar-powered stage; M. Ward, Manu Chao, and Radiohead (Aug. 22-24, 3-day pass, $226).
  • Bumbershoot - Seattle fest that uses carbon-neutral power and signage with sustainable inks, and also requires food vendors to save grease for recycling into biodiesel; Beck, Neko Case, and Stone Temple Pilots (Aug. 30-Sep. 1, 3-day pass, $80).
  • Reverb - tour-greening service that carbon offsets tour buses and provides bands with eco-friendly alts to on-the-road must-haves, such as reusable water bottles. Current tours include Ben Folds and Panic at the Disco.

Cocktail Fact

Real backstage requirements from artists: Flintstones vitamins (Christina Aguilera); bendy, not straight, straws (Mariah Carey); fresh underwear (Moby); and a meditation room (Red Hot Chili Peppers).

Bang For The Bite

When you hear how many resources concerts use, you kinda wanna plug your ears, but plenty of artists and tour producers are helping to change that tune.

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