One event that didn’t get nearly enough play last year on Live Music Blog is the annual upcoming late-April celebration of Earth Day and the Green Apple Music Festival. The first year in NYC started it off, then it expanded to Chicago and San Francisco last year, and now this year they’re boasting eight different cities that have signed on to take part. Killer job by Peter Shapiro and team on helping this thing grow to something sure to be at the forefront of the news on environmental issues in our country and in this pivotal election year.
Some stats:
THE 2008 GREEN APPLE FESTIVAL
– One of the largest Earth Day gatherings in U.S. history
– Presents eight, simultaneous events at landmark parks across the country on April 20, 2008
– Located in parks, rather than concrete venues, chosen with eco-considerations such as easy foot/bike access and public transportation
– Will “green” over 150 music venues over Earth Day Weekend in each Green Apple city
– Produced in partnership with Earth Day Network, founders of the original “Earth Day” in 1970
– Kicks off a Green Schools pilot program in three Green Apple cities
Generally speaking, we here at LMB would like to get more involved in events like this in the future. For now, we offer some news and promotional help and hope to offer up some time and effort around Chicago once the shows get finalized. This s*** is too important to keep only paying attention to once a year when marketers tell us to pay attention to it. We need to start thinking of these issues front-and-center. In our daily life. In our leisure activities. In our concert-going personas…
I, for one, know I need to do a better job of practicing what I pretend to preach. Supporting this wonderful music festival is a good start to that. WHO’S WITH ME?!?!?
Okay, enough of me being dramatic. The real reasons are, I caught a rager of an Umphrey’s McGee show last year and a friend’s band got to play one of the Double Door sets that ended up coming together, and I only imagine more good live music planned for this year locally (not to mention nationally).
From the press:
THE GREEN APPLE FESTIVAL will get Americans out of their houses and under the trees of some of the country’s biggest parks in major cities this Earth Day weekend. What began in NYC three years ago has grown into a national event this year with eight (8) simultaneous festivals in landmark parks across the country on 4/20 including New York City (Central Park), Washington, DC (The National Mall), Chicago IL (Lincoln Park Zoo), Miami FL (Bicentennial Park), Denver CO (City Park), Dallas TX (Fair Park), San Francisco CA (Golden Gate Park) and Los Angeles CA (Santa Monica Pier).
This is not an event to be missed if you’re fortunate enough to have the means to live in these major metros shown above. Send us info if you find it before we go, and we’ll see you on Earth Day with your Simple shoes and your hemp overalls.
