April 2, 2024 • 13 mins
Welcome to Season 5 of Earth Care, where we’ll explore sustainability in the live music industry! This season launches the first "series edition" of the podcast where each conversation will dive deeper into one theme.
Earth Care Host, Sarah Christie, is prepared to unpack the intersection of music, creativity, and environmental responsibility.
Get ready to meet industry experts who will share insights, experiences, and innovative solutions that are shaping a more sustainable future for live music events. From sustainable merchandise, to upcycled pianos, to sustainable aviation fuel, we will explore how the music industry is embracing sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint.
Additionally, we’ll chat with guests who have collaborated with superstar musicians like U2, Jack Johnson, Billie Eilish and more to make their tours more sustainable. We’ll also meet musicians who have made the climate crisis a top priority within their art, like Filkin’s Drift, a folk duo who ditched driving and walked their nearly 900 mile tour.
The first interview from this series will be released on Tuesday, April 9th, 2024!!
Episode transcription available here
MORE FROM SARAH:
Take the FREE #FansChooseToReuse pledge here and commit to reducing plastic bottle pollution at live music events!
Connect with Sarah on Instagram and Tiktok
Learn more about Earth Care
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
How sustainable is the live music industry?
Hello, thanks for checking out Earth Care the podcast where
we have climate conscious conversations in a not so overwhelming way.
I'm your host, Sarah Christie and I'm so excited to
tell you what's in store for this next season before
we get into that. If this is your first time
hitting play on Earth Care, welcome. If you've been here before,
(00:22):
welcome back. But FYI, we're changing it up a bit.
Now, previously, Earth Care has been a short form interview
series where we talk to climate heroes, experts, entrepreneurs and
get their take on how we can help save the planet.
And it still is that. But with a theme who
doesn't love a good theme. This means all of the
guests on this season of Earth Care will fall under
(00:45):
the umbrella of that same conversation and to kick it
off the very first Earth Care theme is sustainability in
the live music industry. Why?
Well, we love a theme but we love music even more.
Live music is community, live music is unbridled joy, live
music is dancing and singing at the top of your
(01:07):
lungs and absolutely ruining your concert videos because you can't
stop singing in the background.
Personally, most of my absolute favorite memories that I cherish
with my family and friends are thanks to live music
on a large scale. It's walking on the street towards
the venue on concert day and feeling that excitement in
the air of everyone walking in that same direction. It's
(01:31):
a safe space to let loose, wear a fun outfit,
talk to strangers and come together over something. We all
love music.
It's hearing the radio announcer talk about the show on
air as you're in the car on your way there.
It's blasting the music from your car full of adrenaline
while you're waiting in traffic on your way out after
the show and is yes, absolutely worth being tired the
(01:54):
next day. It's also just getting out of your house
on a rainy Saturday afternoon, heading to the pub to
hear a local band walking around a new city, hearing
new music in the distance and joining a crowd of
people who have collectively paused their day to take a
moment to enjoy free live music on the street. How
boring would life be without music? Sure. That's an understatement,
(02:16):
but it's bigger than that. We need music. It organically
becomes part of our identity in every way -- through memories,
through friendships, through relationships. For example, think about a part
time job you had when you were a teenager, you
can probably associate a song with that.
If we've met before, you know, that I will find
(02:36):
any opportunity to talk about Beyonce and tell you all
the reasons that you should love her. Because part of
my identity is being a member of the Beyhive. There
is just something so special about how we all connect
to music in our own way though, right? You know,
we might love the same song, but for different reasons,
it's our own little thing, our own moment.
(02:56):
Music helps us create memories and then allows us to
relive and unlock those moments as time goes by. That's
probably why so many artists have said that once they
release music, it's no longer theirs. We, the fans just
take it and run. I wanted to really paint the
picture of what that can look like. So I
asked friends to tell me what music means to them,
(03:16):
which I'll admit is a hilariously broad question and so
tough to answer because which song, you know, that's how
strong My Love is by Otis Redding means something very
different to me than what do you mean by Justin Bieber.
But hey, they came through, this is from Emma:
I have this playlist called trail tunes. And it's songs
I listen to when I'm camping and hiking. And usually
(03:36):
every trip there's a song I play on repeat that
I connect with a special memory. This too shall pass
by Jamestown Revival was my dog Maggie's last camping trip.
And I remember playing it while the dogs were sleeping
in the tent. I was making tea on the fire
and it was a perfect peaceful moment.
I blasted AnneMarie by Will Breman on a backpacking trip
and danced alone in the woods, eating pancakes. Call me
(03:58):
home by the Dreggs got me through the last 10
kilometers of my backpacking trip. It's a playlist filled with
my happiest moments and without failure, every time one of
those songs come on, it brings me back to those
moments and fills me with so much joy. I camp
and hike alone, which I love. But I don't have
anyone to revisit those memories with. The playlist is a
special way to relive all of those moments.
(04:21):
This one is from a teacher friend. They said
have so many students who are new to Canada this year.
They can't speak English yet
and it sometimes is hard to connect with them. We
do music, Mondays and the kids get to pick a
song and we all sing along. They love it. They
always sing and dance with their friends. We've even had
a few songs they know the words to. Music helps
us find common grounds and connect in a fun way.
(04:43):
Actually, similarly, I was once in an Uber and the
driver was blasting Mariah Carey, nonstop. No complaints here. I
wish that was every Uber ride. So naturally I complimented
the playlist.
He said that when he moved to Canada listening to
Mariah Carey's music was what helped him learn English, which
is just so cool to hear. This one's from Steph:
(05:04):
She said, I remember going to see Coldplay with a
friend for the first time and I was so embarrassed
to tell them that I would 100% break into tears
at some point because parachute means so much to 21
year old me. They said they always cry at concerts
too and I knew we'd be friends forever.
So when we get to see those songs that we've
connected with in countless ways live, it can feel like
(05:26):
that moment was created just for you in a room
full of 10 people or 20,000 people. That moment is yours.
The other piece of this puzzle is, I'm so fortunate
to have been to hundreds of concerts and live music
events every size, every kind of venue. My parents are
massive music fans who have been taken us to shows
(05:47):
for as long as I can remember. My first concert
was at now Budweiser Stage, then Molson Amphitheater in Toronto.
Age four, we went as a family to see Meatloa.
A year later, Darien Lake to see the Backstreet Boys.
But on the weekend, we'd also just go to a
restaurant nearby and hear live music or we'd bring blankets
to the park in the summer and hear whoever was
(06:08):
performing there. Still to this day, Most weekends when I
ask my parents what they're getting up to, it's usually
going to hear some kind of live music. In fact,
I was texting my mom right before I started recording
this said, what are you doing? She and my dad
are off to hear some blues. I can only assume
that all of that exposure played a major role in
the career. I found myself in.
I've worked in radio for over 10 years specifically, though,
(06:30):
worked in the music department, programming, music for top 40
radio for most of it. So I'm either going to
hear music for fun or for work. The work portion
has allowed me to see a concert from almost every
angle and I truly will never take that for granted.
But I can also tell you that at almost every angle,
there's waste. One example that will always stand out in
(06:51):
my mind is I was backstage at a music festival
after the artist had left and the room was still
full of all of the catering. A lot of it untouched,
still in its plastic wrap. So I asked, hey, what
happens to it? Now? They said it gets thrown out
completely unopened edible food. That's a problem.
What about all of the half empty water bottles? Because
(07:14):
someone put theirs down, forgot about it. Opened a new
one or what happens to all of the confetti and
balloons after they've been released at the end of a concert?
You know, what does that mean for the environment when
an arena sized show is releasing balloons at 100 different venues?
Because let's face it in 2024, We can all agree
Balloons suck. When we leave a venue and see full
(07:36):
slices of pizza in the recycling bin, How do we
know if that's actually getting sorted?
The fact that there are people out there making music
for us to enjoy, relate to and connect with how
lucky are we. And then to see it live. I mean,
come on. But as the saying goes, you can't have
your cake and eat it too. And additionally, to quote,
the hard working team at music declares emergency:
(07:58):
There's no music on a dead planet. As much as
we don't just want but need music, we also need
to acknowledge the seriousness of the climate crisis. Most of
my life has been spent as a cheerleader for music
in some capacity, Earth Care has been my way of
becoming a cheerleader for this planet. So it's time to
find out how those worlds not only can live together
(08:19):
but already
do. So if you've ever wondered if your favourite band's
merchandise can be produced sustainably, if you're curious about whether
or not large venues can truly prioritize recycling, or have
you ever thought about what the most commonly discarded item
at a music festival is? We're gonna get into all
of that and more, here's a taste of what's to
come on this season of Earth Care!
(08:43):
Michael Martin
we meet the artists find out what their concerns are,
what they are willing to do, what they are not
willing to do. How aggressive are they willing to be?
Like when we did Jack Johnson's whole platform, it was
great because he allowed me to put in their rider that
if the venue didn't take some of the steps, they
would need to pay a donation
$500 to a local environmental group.
(09:04):
Sarah
sustainability really needs to be at the forefront of our
music moving forward.
Chris Roberts
just walk? I was kind of sitting in a traffic
jam looking over this, these beautiful hillsides in England called
the Malvern Hills.
And I was like, I'd much rather be there than
sitting in this traffic jam sort of thing. So I
(09:26):
think that was the moment that we thought this doesn't
feel like the most sustainable. This doesn't feel like the
best way that we could be touring and using our time.
Sarah
guitar strings?
Wear Your Music
James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo.
Hillside Festival
It runs continually between
(09:48):
downtown Guelph and our festival site, which of course is
about 10 minutes outside of Guelph. In a conservation area,
we offer an organized bike ride that takes place from
the city out to the conservation area. So, you know,
many folks take their bikes and use active transportation when
they're coming out to the festival. And there's sort of
a group activity you can take part in.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Pianodrome
of five sections and each section has a playable piano
embedded into the structure and
also a stairway with balustrades and every part of it
down to the flathead screws is made out of old pianos.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Wear Your Music
Tommy Emmanuel who just won a Grammy at the Grammy Awards.
The Climate Gig
the artists and venues that they're going to, to offer
these sustainable solutions. So the Climate Gig can actually be integrated
into the ticket
booking website of an artist or a venue. And then
(10:44):
fans can just choose to reduce their emissions when they're
also buying their tickets,
Wear Your Music
we didn't know Simon Le Bon played the guitar. He does.
Energy Floors
jumping or walking and convert it into usable electricity. So
we always say the harder people party, the better it
(11:06):
is for the world.
Sarah
join me as we meet industry experts who have collaborated
with superstar musicians like Coldplay, U2 Billie Eilish Jack Johnson. Plus,
we're going to be meeting musicians who have made the
climate crisis a top priority within their art. And if
this quick conversation already has you eager to take action.
(11:28):
I launched a pledge. It's called fans choose to reuse,
which is a call to action for music lovers and
concert goers to help reduce plastic pollution by bringing a
reusable water bottle to live music events. Now, not every
venue allows reusable water bottles yet in asterisks, but you'd
be surprised at how many do so every episode of
(11:49):
this series all include venues in Canada that allow reusable
water bottles to help take some of that research off
your plate.
If there's a venue or city that you specifically want
to know about, send me a message at Earth Care
show on Instagram. Let's kick it off with a few
venues here in Toronto Rogers Centre where Taylor Swift will
be performing for six nights in November has some of
(12:11):
the best water refill stations and totally allows guests to
bring their own bottles. Scotiabank Arena,
Budweiser stage, which is an important one as we get
into summer concert season and heat warnings, you got to
stay safe. More information on the fans choose to reuse pledge,
I'll include that in the show notes if you want
to check it out and hey, add your name to
the pledge! Quick tip if you are bringing a reusable
(12:33):
water bottle, most venues request that they're on the smaller
and softer side. So they aren't hard and being used
as a weapon. So avoid metal and glass bottles. If
you haven't already done it, I invite you to hit
follow
or subscribe to the Earth Care podcast wherever you are listening.
That way you'll see whenever a new episode is out.
But it also really helps me with growing this show
(12:55):
and reaching more people with this conversation about sustainability, which
is so crucial right now. So I appreciate you for
listening and following along. It really does mean the world
to me. OK. So we've established that we share a
love of music. We know this, but we also share
this planet, our home and it's time to take care
of it.
And that's exactly what we'll be getting into on this
(13:17):
next season of Earth Care.
How sustainable is the live music industry?
Hello, thanks for checking out Earth Care the podcast where
we have climate conscious conversations in a not so overwhelming way.
I'm your host, Sarah Christie and I'm so excited to
tell you what's in store for this next season before
we get into that. If this is your first time
hitting play on Earth Care, welcome. If you've been here before,
(00:22):
welcome back. But FYI, we're changing it up a bit.
Now, previously, Earth Care has been a short form interview
series where we talk to climate heroes, experts, entrepreneurs and
get their take on how we can help save the planet.
And it still is that. But with a theme who
doesn't love a good theme. This means all of the
guests on this season of Earth Care will fall under
(00:45):
the umbrella of that same conversation and to kick it
off the very first Earth Care theme is sustainability in
the live music industry. Why?
Well, we love a theme but we love music even more.
Live music is community, live music is unbridled joy, live
music is dancing and singing at the top of your
(01:07):
lungs and absolutely ruining your concert videos because you can't
stop singing in the background.
Personally, most of my absolute favorite memories that I cherish
with my family and friends are thanks to live music
on a large scale. It's walking on the street towards
the venue on concert day and feeling that excitement in
the air of everyone walking in that same direction. It's
(01:31):
a safe space to let loose, wear a fun outfit,
talk to strangers and come together over something. We all
love music.
It's hearing the radio announcer talk about the show on
air as you're in the car on your way there.
It's blasting the music from your car full of adrenaline
while you're waiting in traffic on your way out after
the show and is yes, absolutely worth being tired the
(01:54):
next day. It's also just getting out of your house
on a rainy Saturday afternoon, heading to the pub to
hear a local band walking around a new city, hearing
new music in the distance and joining a crowd of
people who have collectively paused their day to take a
moment to enjoy free live music on the street. How
boring would life be without music? Sure. That's an understatement,
(02:16):
but it's bigger than that. We need music. It organically
becomes part of our identity in every way -- through memories,
through friendships, through relationships. For example, think about a part
time job you had when you were a teenager, you
can probably associate a song with that.
If we've met before, you know, that I will find
(02:36):
any opportunity to talk about Beyonce and tell you all
the reasons that you should love her. Because part of
my identity is being a member of the Beyhive. There
is just something so special about how we all connect
to music in our own way though, right? You know,
we might love the same song, but for different reasons,
it's our own little thing, our own moment.
(02:56):
Music helps us create memories and then allows us to
relive and unlock those moments as time goes by. That's
probably why so many artists have said that once they
release music, it's no longer theirs. We, the fans just
take it and run. I wanted to really paint the
picture of what that can look like. So I
asked friends to tell me what music means to them,
(03:16):
which I'll admit is a hilariously broad question and so
tough to answer because which song, you know, that's how
strong My Love is by Otis Redding means something very
different to me than what do you mean by Justin Bieber.
But hey, they came through, this is from Emma:
I have this playlist called trail tunes. And it's songs
I listen to when I'm camping and hiking. And usually
(03:36):
every trip there's a song I play on repeat that
I connect with a special memory. This too shall pass
by Jamestown Revival was my dog Maggie's last camping trip.
And I remember playing it while the dogs were sleeping
in the tent. I was making tea on the fire
and it was a perfect peaceful moment.
I blasted AnneMarie by Will Breman on a backpacking trip
and danced alone in the woods, eating pancakes. Call me
(03:58):
home by the Dreggs got me through the last 10
kilometers of my backpacking trip. It's a playlist filled with
my happiest moments and without failure, every time one of
those songs come on, it brings me back to those
moments and fills me with so much joy. I camp
and hike alone, which I love. But I don't have
anyone to revisit those memories with. The playlist is a
special way to relive all of those moments.
(04:21):
This one is from a teacher friend. They said
have so many students who are new to Canada this year.
They can't speak English yet
and it sometimes is hard to connect with them. We
do music, Mondays and the kids get to pick a
song and we all sing along. They love it. They
always sing and dance with their friends. We've even had
a few songs they know the words to. Music helps
us find common grounds and connect in a fun way.
(04:43):
Actually, similarly, I was once in an Uber and the
driver was blasting Mariah Carey, nonstop. No complaints here. I
wish that was every Uber ride. So naturally I complimented
the playlist.
He said that when he moved to Canada listening to
Mariah Carey's music was what helped him learn English, which
is just so cool to hear. This one's from Steph:
(05:04):
She said, I remember going to see Coldplay with a
friend for the first time and I was so embarrassed
to tell them that I would 100% break into tears
at some point because parachute means so much to 21
year old me. They said they always cry at concerts
too and I knew we'd be friends forever.
So when we get to see those songs that we've
connected with in countless ways live, it can feel like
(05:26):
that moment was created just for you in a room
full of 10 people or 20,000 people. That moment is yours.
The other piece of this puzzle is, I'm so fortunate
to have been to hundreds of concerts and live music
events every size, every kind of venue. My parents are
massive music fans who have been taken us to shows
(05:47):
for as long as I can remember. My first concert
was at now Budweiser Stage, then Molson Amphitheater in Toronto.
Age four, we went as a family to see Meatloa.
A year later, Darien Lake to see the Backstreet Boys.
But on the weekend, we'd also just go to a
restaurant nearby and hear live music or we'd bring blankets
to the park in the summer and hear whoever was
(06:08):
performing there. Still to this day, Most weekends when I
ask my parents what they're getting up to, it's usually
going to hear some kind of live music. In fact,
I was texting my mom right before I started recording
this said, what are you doing? She and my dad
are off to hear some blues. I can only assume
that all of that exposure played a major role in
the career. I found myself in.
I've worked in radio for over 10 years specifically, though,
(06:30):
worked in the music department, programming, music for top 40
radio for most of it. So I'm either going to
hear music for fun or for work. The work portion
has allowed me to see a concert from almost every
angle and I truly will never take that for granted.
But I can also tell you that at almost every angle,
there's waste. One example that will always stand out in
(06:51):
my mind is I was backstage at a music festival
after the artist had left and the room was still
full of all of the catering. A lot of it untouched,
still in its plastic wrap. So I asked, hey, what
happens to it? Now? They said it gets thrown out
completely unopened edible food. That's a problem.
What about all of the half empty water bottles? Because
(07:14):
someone put theirs down, forgot about it. Opened a new
one or what happens to all of the confetti and
balloons after they've been released at the end of a concert?
You know, what does that mean for the environment when
an arena sized show is releasing balloons at 100 different venues?
Because let's face it in 2024, We can all agree
Balloons suck. When we leave a venue and see full
(07:36):
slices of pizza in the recycling bin, How do we
know if that's actually getting sorted?
The fact that there are people out there making music
for us to enjoy, relate to and connect with how
lucky are we. And then to see it live. I mean,
come on. But as the saying goes, you can't have
your cake and eat it too. And additionally, to quote,
the hard working team at music declares emergency:
(07:58):
There's no music on a dead planet. As much as
we don't just want but need music, we also need
to acknowledge the seriousness of the climate crisis. Most of
my life has been spent as a cheerleader for music
in some capacity, Earth Care has been my way of
becoming a cheerleader for this planet. So it's time to
find out how those worlds not only can live together
(08:19):
but already
do. So if you've ever wondered if your favourite band's
merchandise can be produced sustainably, if you're curious about whether
or not large venues can truly prioritize recycling, or have
you ever thought about what the most commonly discarded item
at a music festival is? We're gonna get into all
of that and more, here's a taste of what's to
come on this season of Earth Care!
(08:43):
Michael Martin
we meet the artists find out what their concerns are,
what they are willing to do, what they are not
willing to do. How aggressive are they willing to be?
Like when we did Jack Johnson's whole platform, it was
great because he allowed me to put in their rider that
if the venue didn't take some of the steps, they
would need to pay a donation
$500 to a local environmental group.
(09:04):
Sarah
sustainability really needs to be at the forefront of our
music moving forward.
Chris Roberts
just walk? I was kind of sitting in a traffic
jam looking over this, these beautiful hillsides in England called
the Malvern Hills.
And I was like, I'd much rather be there than
sitting in this traffic jam sort of thing. So I
(09:26):
think that was the moment that we thought this doesn't
feel like the most sustainable. This doesn't feel like the
best way that we could be touring and using our time.
Sarah
guitar strings?
Wear Your Music
James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo.
Hillside Festival
It runs continually between
(09:48):
downtown Guelph and our festival site, which of course is
about 10 minutes outside of Guelph. In a conservation area,
we offer an organized bike ride that takes place from
the city out to the conservation area. So, you know,
many folks take their bikes and use active transportation when
they're coming out to the festival. And there's sort of
a group activity you can take part in.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Pianodrome
of five sections and each section has a playable piano
embedded into the structure and
also a stairway with balustrades and every part of it
down to the flathead screws is made out of old pianos.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Wear Your Music
Tommy Emmanuel who just won a Grammy at the Grammy Awards.
The Climate Gig
the artists and venues that they're going to, to offer
these sustainable solutions. So the Climate Gig can actually be integrated
into the ticket
booking website of an artist or a venue. And then
(10:44):
fans can just choose to reduce their emissions when they're
also buying their tickets,
Wear Your Music
we didn't know Simon Le Bon played the guitar. He does.
Energy Floors
jumping or walking and convert it into usable electricity. So
we always say the harder people party, the better it
(11:06):
is for the world.
Sarah
join me as we meet industry experts who have collaborated
with superstar musicians like Coldplay, U2 Billie Eilish Jack Johnson. Plus,
we're going to be meeting musicians who have made the
climate crisis a top priority within their art. And if
this quick conversation already has you eager to take action.
(11:28):
I launched a pledge. It's called fans choose to reuse,
which is a call to action for music lovers and
concert goers to help reduce plastic pollution by bringing a
reusable water bottle to live music events. Now, not every
venue allows reusable water bottles yet in asterisks, but you'd
be surprised at how many do so every episode of
(11:49):
this series all include venues in Canada that allow reusable
water bottles to help take some of that research off
your plate.
If there's a venue or city that you specifically want
to know about, send me a message at Earth Care
show on Instagram. Let's kick it off with a few
venues here in Toronto Rogers Centre where Taylor Swift will
be performing for six nights in November has some of
(12:11):
the best water refill stations and totally allows guests to
bring their own bottles. Scotiabank Arena,
Budweiser stage, which is an important one as we get
into summer concert season and heat warnings, you got to
stay safe. More information on the fans choose to reuse pledge,
I'll include that in the show notes if you want
to check it out and hey, add your name to
the pledge! Quick tip if you are bringing a reusable
(12:33):
water bottle, most venues request that they're on the smaller
and softer side. So they aren't hard and being used
as a weapon. So avoid metal and glass bottles. If
you haven't already done it, I invite you to hit
follow
or subscribe to the Earth Care podcast wherever you are listening.
That way you'll see whenever a new episode is out.
But it also really helps me with growing this show
(12:55):
and reaching more people with this conversation about sustainability, which
is so crucial right now. So I appreciate you for
listening and following along. It really does mean the world
to me. OK. So we've established that we share a
love of music. We know this, but we also share
this planet, our home and it's time to take care
of it.
And that's exactly what we'll be getting into on this
(13:17):
next season of Earth Care.
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The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.