Author: S K

BYOBottle Partners: Shook Twins, Plastic Free July, Steelys at Outside Lands, 

BYOBottle Artists Ben Harper & Jack Johnson with Deva Mahal at Byron Bay Bluesfest, Fruition, Keb’ Mo’

Greetings BYOBottle Partners! 

We, as a music industry, look forward to coming together again in person soon. While we wait for tours to get back on the road, it gives us a chance to consider our practices, so that the music scene can emerge more resilient, sustainable, and equitable than ever before. BYOBottle represents a diverse and dynamic community and we continue to promote respect for people and the planet. The music industry and BYOBottle partners have joined millions around the world to say #TheShowMustBePaused and to take an urgent step of action to promote systemic change and equality. We will continue to listen, learn, connect and take action in support of the black community and racial justice everywhere. 

In April, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and the 1-year anniversary since the global launch of the BYOBottle campaign. We find ourselves in quite a different reality than one year ago – exploring a virtual music scene and connecting with each other digitally. We are grateful to Green Music Australia who created this campaign in Australia and to all of the incredible global music industry partners who have joined the momentum to turn the tide on plastic pollution. We are proud to have the support of 233 Artists, 75 Venues & Festivals and 79 Non-Profit & Business Partners worldwide!

(Francisco Rendon, Pollstar)

Jack Johnson is credited by some as setting a “Gold Standard” for sustainable touring – though he acknowledges it’s a continuing learning process as technologies and best practices evolve and conditions change. He cites Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews Band and U2 as sources of inspiration, and has tried things he learned performing at events like Farm Aid and Fuji Rock Festival at his own Kokua Festival. One initiative Johnson is currently excited about is the Hawaiian organization Chef Hui, which during COVID-19 is allowing people to pick up food and is donating meals and facilitating financial support for first responders and people in need, while developing the capacity of local food production on the islands, where the vast majority of food is shipped in. There year he is hosting Kokua Festival 2020 – Live From Home on April 25 to celebrate Earth Day. Pollstar caught up with Johnson on the eve of the 50th Earth Day to learn more about the green touring initiatives he continues to pioneer.

Why Tour At All?   “The simple math states that staying at home and not touring is the greenest thing I can do. But if I quit the road, the touring industry continues on, and I decided I wanted to participate and be part of this industry and try to make it greener.”

(Ryan Borba, Pollstar)

Ben Harper, a touring mainstay as a solo artist as well as leader of the Innocent Criminals, is no stranger to Earth Day and its causes. 
The prolific artist performed as leader of former band Relentless7 as part of a 2009 Earth Day celebration at Piazza del Popolo in Rome for Nat Geo Music and has long advocated for and directly supported environmental causes including Living Lands And Waters, which works to protect, preserve and restore major rivers and watersheds in the U.S., as well as the Plastic Pollution Coalition, which aims to end plastic pollution and its impact on humans, animals and the environment.

Nathan Sing, CNN

(CNN) Her neon-colored hair isn’t the only thing about pop superstar Billie Eilish that’s gone green. The five-time Grammy winner is part of the growing number of musicians who are going eco-friendly on the road.

For Eilish’s upcoming world tour, venues are banned from giving out plastic straws and are required to have water refill stations, which is expected to eliminate over 35,000 single-use water bottles from her shows. 

Rolling Stone

RADIO HEAD

Nearly as averse to carbon footprints as they are to conventional song structures, Radiohead are renowned for their environmentalism. In addition to joining causes like Friends of the Earth, they’ve made their tours as eco-friendly as possible: they send their gear via ship instead of airfreight, their buses run on biofuel, they use water flasks instead of disposable plastic cups and they encourage their fans to take public transportation to their shows (the greener the better, of course).