May 2008 | Feature Story
Green Party
Sink your toes into the grass, feel the sun on your shoulders, lay back and relax to the sweet sounds of summer with our 2008 Green(er) Music Festival Guide
By Jolia Sidona Allen
This summer, eco-minded music-lovers, musicians and organizers are doing everything in their power to push for a truly green festival experience — right down to the dirty details like recycled toilet paper in the porta-potties.
With good reason: the environmental footprints of these events are dinosaur-sized. Last year’s Bonnaroo festival generated more than one million pounds of waste, an amount equal to the household hazardous waste collected in Louisiana in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, according to the EPA. (Ray of sunshine: Thanks to Bonnaroo’s recycling, composting and reuse efforts, sixty percent of it never reached landfills.)
And can someone please explain how Burning Man’s Crude Awakening — last year’s 1,000-foot tower of flame that guzzled 900 gallons of jet fuel and 2,000 gallons of liquid propane only to belch out enough unharnessed energy to power the entire Bay Area for one minute — possibly fit the “Green Man” theme?
Truth is, live music addicts’ seemingly innocent habit of flocking to fields filled with light and sound spectacles to gorge on burritos, beer and groovy tunes wreaks havoc on our planet.
The good news is that major eco-innovations are coming to a music festival near you. Across the board, vendors are now using biodegradable flatware, nearly no recycle/waste station is left un-manned, printed materials are being replaced by electronic publicity or printed on recycled paper with eco-inks, concert t-shirts and clothing have debuted in bamboo and organic cotton, stages are running off solar power and biodiesel generators, and festivals and fans are choosing to offset CO2 emissions expended by both the events themselves and the aftereffects of crowds traveling to and from the venue.
“Today, the best is to reach for a net zero impact — zero waste through composting and recycling and net zero emissions with reductions, efficiency, renewable energy and carbon offsets,” says Josh Stempel of the Live Earth Green Team.
On 07.07.07, Live Earth — which recently published its own set of eco-events guidelines — set a high standard for the industry by recycling or composting 81 percent of the waste generated during their 24-hour, 7-continent concert series— with uber-efficient Tokyo reaching 99 percent.
Also raising the bar is Sarah Haynes of the environmental events company The Spitfire Agency, who teamed up with Daryl Hannah and Clean Vibes, a company dedicated to the responsible waste management of outdoor festivals and events, to green last year’s 70-thousand fan-strong Virgin festival in Baltimore. Haynes is now hard at work launching Rothbury — a rookie on this summer festival circuit that’s stepping up to bat with sustainability as its core value.
Given this year’s ample line-up of eco-friendly music festivals, it’s easier than ever for sustainability-minded superfans to do something more than refill a beer cup. Without further ado, we bring you the sweet green sounds of summer and the following simple user-manual: Step One: Rip out this guide. Step Two: Hang it on the fridge. Step Three: Have the time of your life.
Lightning In A Bottle
May 23-May 26, 2008, Santa Barbara, CA
Headcount 4,500
Fave Five Yard Dog’s Road Show, Lucent Dossier Vaudeville Cirque, Stanton Warriors, Bassnector, West Indian Girl
The Vibe A user-generated fest to the fullest, don’t expect to be a wallflower at this psychedelic summer camp weekend of art, music, dance, organic eats and camping amongst the trees. Don your most fabulous finery, and get ready to meet your new big green happy family.
Unique to LIB Through solar art, eco-workshops and stages constructed from bamboo, rattan and recycled materials, LIB makes eco-awareness an interactive process that leaves visitors with new methodologies to integrate into daily life. This year, they’re especially stoked about their Free Water Initiative, enabling festival-goers to eschew disposables and fill up for free. Check out the Green Ticketing package which includes an LIB Kleen Kanteen, carbon offsets for transportation and automated grouping into carpool forums, organized by zip code.
Sasquatch
May 24-26, 2008, The Gorge, Quincy, WA
Headcount 50,000
Fave Five R.E.M, The New Pornographers, The Cure, Flight of the Conchords, MIA
The Vibe Although this people-packed dome may feel a bit sas“squashed,” the ceiling of stars and serene backdrop of an outdoor amphitheater on the banks of the Columbia River will surly provide some visual relief from the crowds. But be sure to bring everything you need, because once you’re in, there’s no re-entry.
Unique to Sasquatch The esurance early entry line saves the time you’d otherwise be waiting with the other schlubs plus offsets the CO2 you emitted getting there, all while ensuring you the best seats in the house.
Bonnaroo
June 12-15, 2008, Manchester, TN
Headcount 80,000
Fave Five Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Pearl Jam, Rilo Kiley, Iron and Wine
The Vibe Bonnarroo’s 24/7 buffet of indie folk, world, hip hop, jazz, Americana, bluegrass, country, gospel, reggae, electronica and more make it a true all-you-can-eat smorgasbord of music.
Unique to Bonnaroo Hit up Planet Roo to check out speakers addressing environmental issues amongst a myriad of planet-friendly concessions. The festival uses non-VOC paints and is experimenting with electric golf carts in their fleet of production vehicles, and now that they own the land, Bonnarroo is exploring some alternative permanent structures. Last year, they turned over 250 tons of waste into park benches and construction materials for future events.
Telluride Bluegrass Festival
June 19-22, 2008, Various Venues, Telluride, CO
Headcount 10,000
Fave Five Yonder Mountain String Band, Arlo Guthrie, Ani DiFranco Band, Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder, Bela Fleck
The Vibe Under a summer solstice full moon, from out of a cupped palm formed by the San Juan Mountains and cradled on three sides by the Telluride Box Canyon, the tunes of Telluride Bluegrass festival start their upward journey at 8,750 feet and rise around the clock from the main stage, town center stage, late-night concerts at scattered venues around town, and jam sessions at homes and campgrounds.
Unique to TBF Because Festivarians chug upwards of 75,000 beers over the course of their four-day stay, TBF has made a mission out of answering the quintessential question: “What’s the eco-friendliest beer cup?” This year’s answer: durable, plastic cups which can be reused for years (or at the very least, recycled). New Belgian Brewing Company is offering prizes to drinkers who collect stickers proving they’ve stuck with one cup all weekend long. TBF is also one of the few festivals that offsets 100 percent of emissions emitted by artists and fans traveling to and from its remote location.
Rothbury
July 3-6, 2008, Rothbury, MI
Headcount 50,000
Fave Five Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, Phil Lesh and Friends, Snoop Dogg, Michael Fanti and Spearhead (Plus, for all you undiscovered readers secretly seeking stardom, Rothbury’s Big Gig Open Mic Stage offers fans their fair share of the spotlight — hopefuls, apply in advance online)
The Vibe With an expansive property adorned with beachfront lakes and horses, the woodsy charm will be “much more like summer camp than a concert,” according to eco-event planner Sarah Haynes. Whereas concert goers usually feel shuttled about like cattle, the Rothbury grounds offer enough room for visitors to choose their own adventures, or, if they so desire, to sneak off into the nearest forest with a hammock for a nap. And where other than Rothbury’s Yoga Program can you get into down dog with special guest stars like Amanda Palmer of Dresden Dolls?
Unique to Rothbury On this Independence Day weekend, the Rothbury Think Tank — a mix of scientists, scholars, progressive political and corporate leaders, entertainers and fans — will be busy thinking into reality a New Independence Day, the day America no longer relies on fossil fuels. Other highlights include truly accessible water refill stations, 9,000 personal ashtrays made from recycled materials and fallen trees carved into seating. A must see: Conscious Alliance will attempt to set a new world record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the “World’s Largest Canned Food Sculpture,” generating about 40,000 cans of food to be donated locally. When purchasing your ticket, opt for either the $3 (to offset your travel) or the $7 Green Ticket (to offset your travel and contribute to the Solar Schools Program).
Lollapalooza
August 1-3, 2008, Grant Park, Chicago, IL
Headcount 225,000
Fave Five Black Keys, Radiohead, Broken Social Scene, Kanye West, Rage Against the Machine.
The Vibe Held in Grant Park, framed by the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan, this festival attracts Chicagoans from near and far who come to take in the tunes and experience the city at its best.
Unique to Lollapalooza Be sure to visit Green Street, the festival’s eco-education destination, where you can absorb some acoustic tunes in the laid back environment of Unplugged On the Green. Biodiesel generators will power all light towers on site, food vendors will provide vegetarian and vegan options, and all leftovers will go to a local food pantry. Fans can offset their travel during ticket purchase or onsite by buying a specially designed Lollapalooza Be Green fan tag, and the iTunes giveaways (free downloads of songs from select artists) have been converted from plastic to corn. Last years signs have been reclaimed and revamped into tote bags as gifts for sponsors, and all sponsors have been urged to refrain from passing out printed materials.
Outside Lands
August 22-24, 2008, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA
Headcount 60,000
Fave Five Radiohead, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jack Johnson, Regina Spektor, Devendra Banhart
The Vibe In its debut year, Outside Lands will be infused with Bay Area goodness, with performance artists, interactive attractions and art installations inspired by the greater golden gate community.
Unique to Outside Lands The SF Bicycle Coalition will provide bikers with a complimentary bike valet service and a “Recycling Store” will be stocked with items you can “buy” with your old cell phones, empty bottles, cans and biodegradable cups — including concert tickets, festival merchandise, band merchandise and food and drinks. When purchasing your ticket, donate three bucks to help reforest California or to purchase and then retire pollution credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange. Be sure to find your way to the fully solar-powered stage in the eco-village for music, comedy, poetry and yoga classes.
Austin City Limits
September 26-28, 2008, Various Venues, Austin, TX
Headcount 225,000
Fave Five Foo Fighters, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Manu Chao, Gnarls Barkley, Band of Horses
The Vibe Fans flock to ACL as much to enjoy laid back, independent Austin as to check out the tunes. Close proximity of venues promotes stage-hopping, making this fest an ideal place to taste a little bit of everything. With a very chill door policy, you can feel free to wander in and out of whatever hotspots strike your fancy.
Unique to Austin City Limits Because ACL is run by the same people who throw Lollapalooza, expect the same eco-highlights. New to the fest this year is a recyclable, commemorative beer cup with a message encouraging fans to use it throughout the year. Patrons can also collect cups from around the grounds and exchange them for special rewards. Offset your travel to the Lone Star State by purchasing a $4 Austin City Limits BeGreen Fan Tag.
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