Erin Zindle of The Ragbirds
In today’s grassroots jam scene, nearly every band has something to say about being GREEN. Some merely reiterate what their marketing agent has neatly crafted into press releases. They may or may not even care about greening or sustainability.
More and more bands now fall somewhere between talking and truly taking action toward reducing their environmental impact. Some are willing to take small steps like recycling. Â In reality, the basic necessities of touring and performing such as transportation still leave a hefty-sized carbon footprint. Others, like Michigan’s own UVHippo, are trying to reach their greening goals through creative benefit concerts and a line of recycled, organic tees and hoodies.
A very small percentage of bands fall into the category of real, measurable greening on a path toward sustainability. The Ragbirds have been happily marching along this path since 2008 on their diesel tour bus converted to run on veggie-oil and reclaimed waste oil from restaurants and bars. Â They roll into East Lansing Sunday, May 23, 2010 to join the East Lansing Arts Festival for a 4 p.m. performance on the main stage.
The band has a big summer agenda, starting with Summer Camp music festival Memorial Day weekend in Illinois. Â The Sweaty Mouse and SlayterCreative will be following The Ragbirds and others to explore all the ways even the blues may be seeing a greener future.
