The month of July always includes a pilgrimmage to see the Dave Mathews Band in concert.  This year, we wanted to investigate DMB's environmental message and whether it was resonating with their devoted following. Upon arriving at the Verizon Wireless Center, we were greeted by the Bama girls.  No they weren't from Alabama, but they were walking the parking lot collecting recycleables in exchange for a raffle ticket for front row seats.  The young ladies were part of the Bama Green Project, an ongoing partnership between Dave Mathews Band, Reverb and IZSTYLE.  The project encompasses all of the environmental efforts undertaken by the band while on the road, in the studio or at home.  The environmental efforts are pretty astounding...

• Fueling busses and trucks with B20 Biodiesel
• Eco-friendly merchandise
• Carbon offsets to account for CO2 emissions
• Waste reduction and recycling backstage
• Sustainable supplies such as biodegradable and reusable catering products and local and organic food
• Reusable water bottles for band and crew
• Integrated on-line carpooling service with PickupPal
• Inviting local and national environmental groups to be a part of the Eco-Village

The efforts and awareness are beyond reproach, but unfortunately we could not find any information regarding how green this concert was!  Did more fans recycle at Verizon in suburban Indianapolis than Cuyahoga Falls, OH?  How much was recycled?  What about carpooling?  DMB has partnered with PickupPal, a service that fans sign up for and locate other fans that want to rideshare to the concert.  It is a great service and we used to do this to get home for the weekend in college, but how much is or was it used?  What about shuttle service?  We would be down for catching a shuttle to and from the show, especially if it would get us out of the parking lot sooner! 

The most tangible (reference implied) aspect of the environemmental awareness campaign was inside the venue at the Eco Village.  There we met the fine folks from Rock The Earth, a not-for-profit that is "dedicated to bringing about positive and beneficial change in the environment through the means of active litigation and negotiation on behalf of members of the music industry, their fans and the general public".  Logan was very knowledgeable and this organization is very involved with specific issues and musicians.  There were also local environmental groups and for a three dollar donation you could join the DMB Fan Carbon Offset Program. 

As per usual, Dave and his band of merry men put on another great show!  We missed LeRoi and wish him godspeed in his recuperation.  We also greatly appreciate what musicians like DMB and organizations such as Reverb are doing to get the word out.  The fact of the matter is that these musicians and groups don't have to do these things!  Fans will still flock to shows, throw recycleables in conveniently located containers, puke in the parkiing lot and catch a ride with friends to the show.  Now, maybe fans will become a little more educated about environmental issues along with enjoying a great concert!