Surfrider on Tour

Eyes Closed

2008-09-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

Photoshop anyone???

Sigh. It was hard to say goodbye. I entitled this blog entry "Eye Closed" because in most of the photos from last night, my eyes are closed - something I involuntarily do with all flash photography (as my frustrated friends will attest). But I also think of keeping my eyes closed as a way to keep the tour from ending. The last month went by so quick - the blink of an eye, even though I can say that some solid friendships were formed: Elissa from Patagonia/Vote the Environment, my partner in crime, roommate and running/hiking buddy; Dominic from Rogue Wave, San Francisco local, funnyman, and mischievous counterpart on the SB (support band) bus; Rachel, RW's tour manager, my silly new girlfriend who made me laugh hysterically; Chef Dave "Alaska", the genius behind the incredible meals and fellow surfer; JC, the "cotton tech" who kept me company on every day off, always being up for an adventure (like a 2 mile walk to the laundromat!); and Adam, drummer, fellow USC grad and lunch companion. There were many others, and I feel so grateful to Jack, Kim, Jessica and Cad for making this all happen. It truly felt like being part of a family. THANK YOU!!!!

Left: Me and Dominic

Left: Rachel and I can't get a good photo.

On a Sunburned Field

2008-09-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

I arrived at UCLA Intramural Field to find blazing sun and my Village Green cohorts already in full swing putting the tents together. It was another day of a circle of tents in the middle of a field, and even though I lathered up sunscreen in the morning, by the end of the day, it was worn off and I was sunburned! We spent the whole day outside since there was no real "backstage", just some tents set up in the field. I guess I write a lot about the weather on this blog because we are out in it all day, every show day. Most days, we get completey soaked with sweat during set up, then spend the rest of the day and night sticky and dirty. Yum.
Juli, Ania and Lindsay from the West LA/ Malibu chapter came out and rocked the booth - it was so busy, the four of us could barely keep up! They filled every Save Trestles petition I had and worked well past dark with enthusiasm, determined to beat all prior shows for number of people reached. I haven't counted the pledges yet, but I think they may have done it. Even though Jack was a bit under the weather, he came out to meet the volunteers and we snapped a quick photo. Zach Gill, Adam Topol, Fredo and Irwin (percussion) came out to play a little set in the Village Green, and Zach said it was perhaps the best one of the whole tour. The crowd was all singing along. Zach has quite a following at UCLA! This Village Green was one of the busiest and saw the most diverse crowd of the tour (in my assessment), a great send off!
At teardown, Elissa and I folded the last vinyl tent top with little fanfare, our last vinyl burrito being a good one... I guess I will miss it a bit. After years in an office, there is something satisfying about the physical work of putting up and taking down the village: hauling crates, pushing cases, moving tents, putting up banners and signs, and even the pain-in-the-butt teardrops!

Homecoming

2008-09-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

Coming home to San Diego felt great! I saw so many people at the show that I know, and recognized many others from the beach and from other Surfrider events and chapter meetings. Jon, Shelly and Steve, 3 of my original Rise Above Plastics volunteers in SD, were my booth volunteers and they did an outstanding job! I think they talked to more people than any other show since Toronto. Of course, a lot of people in San Diego know about Surfrider and gravitated toward the booth. Because they didn't really need me at the booth, I was able to visit with some of the people who came to the show, including Jim Moriarty and Steve Blank from National, Aaron and Alicia (Kansas City vols), and other San Diego EC members. I had asked Jim to bring a Save Trestles (Ramones style) t-shirt in Jack's size and we were stoked when Jack decided to wear it on stage that night. Two nights in a row of showing his support for our campaign! Before heading to the venue in the morning I did a TV appearance on KUSI to talk about Rise Above Plastics on the Jack Johnson tour and the Village Green. I'll post the video when it is online.

SoCal

2008-08-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

Left: Me, sweating it out with the Rogue Wave guys.

The second hottest show day of the tour was in Irvine! We all agreed it was the hottest after Salt Lake City. The venue is where Lion Country Safari used to be, so imagine hot, dry Africa. Musicians, caterers, roadies and all of us in the Village Green were all sweating well into the night. It seems that since it was everyone, no one minded the sticky smelly others around them! I was just happy that I got to go home to my own shower last night, even if it was 1 a.m. before I got one. It was perhaps the worst day for the poison oak from The Gorge hike to show up on both me and Elissa. We have itchy dots in a few places, but it doesn't seem to be spreading on either of us. That's the last time I hike in my bikini!

Despite the heat, a bunch of really cool things happened at the Irvine show. First, I was able to spend some time with Jack and tell him the story of a Swami's surfer named Gus Fleming who has Lou Gerhig's disease and listens to Jack's music every night. He says it helps him stay connected to the ocean. Rich Pavel and John Moseley, as friends of Gus, collaborated on a board that will be sold with a portion of the proceeds going to Surfrider (at Gus' request). I brought the board to the show and Jack signed it for him and I took a photo of Jack with the board for Gus. The board will sit in Gus' living room for now - a special reminder of good things for him at this difficult time. After we spoke about Gus, Jack asked me about the Save Trestles campaign and asked me for a shirt to wear on stage that night. He ended up wearing the green one with the California flag and every time the cameraman focused in on Jack's guitar for the jumbotron, fans got a huge "Save Trestles" message. I missed the first few songs of the show since we were taking down the Village Green but Adam Topol told me that fans were shouting out Save Trestles! Jack also dedicated the third song in his set to Surfrider - such a nice shout out! OC is ground zero for the Save Trestles campaign.

A bunch of Surfrider Global folks were in attendance and it was great to see all of them, and I was glad they could see the booth in action, and could see our good friend Jack showing his support.

Santa Barbara

2008-08-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

Left: Me and Adam Topol, Jack's drummer

Hi everyone, sorry it's been awhile since my last post. We had 2 lovely days off in Santa Barbara at the Fess Parker Doubletree Resort. Elissa lives in SB, so she retrieved her car and we were mobile! We spent the 2 days hiking, running, eating and enjoying the water. On Wednesday we prepared Harder Stadium at UCSB for the 18 tent (!) Village Green (we had to rent 7 tents). There were a lot of local non-profits and student groups represented, many of which involved water related work so we were in good company. The crowd was pretty mellow and small in comparison to other venues but we talked to a lot of people and my local volunteers had a great time. During the show Jack made a lot of references to his time at UCSB, where he met Kim, and where he wrote all of his first album and part of his second.

After the show a friend drove me back to San Diego and I have my own car for the last 3 shows of the tour, which are in Irvine, San Diego and LA.

Outside Lands in San Francisco

2008-08-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a whirlwind few days... When I awoke on Saturday morning we were only 85 miles south of Portland. It turns out we didn't leave The Gorge until almost 3 a.m., so we spent the entire day Saturday driving the remainder of the way to San Francisco. This was our "day off" after 3 back to back shows. We arrived in SF around 7:30 p.m. and managed to have a nice dinner and stroll before crashing. Sunday was the third day of the Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park and Jack was headlining that night. I brought the Rise Above Plastics pledge to add to the Surfrider booth put up by the San Francisco Chapter, which had been there the 2 prior days. There was good traffic to the booth, which right next to a stage, until the bands started playing and then it became too loud to have any conversations. I think the best aspect for me was talking to Wes, the chair of the SF Chapter, about the Rise Above Plastics pledge and doing outreach at their booths using the pledge as a tool to get people to think about the issues.

Left: Pat and Dominick from Rogue Wave with Wes from the SF Chapter and Nicole from Headcount.

After Jack played later that night we boarded the bus for Santa Barbara, where we are luxuriating in 2 days before the Santa Barbara show. Tonight, Jack and Kim hosted the crew for a dinner at El Torito, a very nice way to get everyone together for a thank you. A big THANK YOU from Surfrider to the Johnsons for including Surfrider on the tour and giving us this incredible opportunity to do outreach on Rise Above Plastics. I feel privileged and grateful to be associated with such giving and wonderful people.

The Gorge

2008-08-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

We arrived early from BC at The Gorge, a concert venue out in the middle of Washington State on the Columbia River. It is a stunning setting, rivaling Red Rocks, but much much bigger. The weather was clear and dry, and Elissa and I took advantage to hike down to the river (20 minutes down and 45 back up). We were rewarded with a swim in the cool, clear river, such a treat after 3 weeks away from the ocean! We were enjoying it so much we barely made it back in time to meet our volunteers for the show.

Three volunteers from Washington staffed my booth for the afternoon: Abby, Shannon and Jared. Traffic in the both was slow due to the Village Green being located at the top of the hill, tucked into a corner of the venue few people visited. Zach Gill and Adam Topol from Jack's band came to play a set in the Village Green, which brought a temporary crowd. It's always fun to have them, and Zach uses the opportunity to encourage people to visit the non-profits and enter the drawing to sit on the stage for the show. But the weather was nice and the booth was set on soft, cushy grass, so and I think everyone enjoyed just relaxing and enjoying the show. And Jack came up for a visit, talking to my crew about their favorite surf spots in WA.

To BC and Back

2008-08-22T23:41:00.000-07:00

We crossed into Canada with little incident, and were so pleased to see the sun come out late in the morning over Thunderbird Stadium on the U.B.C. campus. The doors opened early, at 4 p.m., so we had little free time before the volunteers arrived at 3 for training. I was lucky enough to have Adrian, chair of the Vancouver chapter, and 3 other volunteers at the booth the whole afternoon.
It was our first stop highlighting the Snowrider project and Jack was interested in hearing about that, saying that we should bring it to Colorado (great idea!). Zach Gill and Jack came up to play a show in the VG, right next our booth, which was great for booth traffic. It was a beautiful night!

Unfortunately, when we crossed the border from Canada back to the U.S. at 2 a.m., things didn't go so well... We were caravaning in 4 buses - everyone on the tour was there except for the band, which had left earlier in the evening, Immigration made everyone get out of their bunks and line up like at the airport (and then wait all together in holding while they searched the buses). 4 on our bus didn't wake up easily and we were not allowed to go back and get them. Instead, the immigration police went on the bus and tried to kick down the door to the bunk area, cursing at the sleeping 4 to open the (bleeping) door if they ever wanted to get in the USA again. The cursing and berating continued and until all 4 were off the bus and in line with the rest of us. Nice welcome back to the ole U S of A, eh?

And Then: More Rain

2008-08-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Columbia Meadows outside Portland to a steady rain that continued off and on until the show started. It even rained a bit on Jack when he came out to meet the volunteers, and the scene of him huddled under his raincoat was reminiscent of his first album cover. Right after, a double rainbow appeared over the field, and everybody was awestruck.

My volunteers were Drew, the legal intern for the Portland Chapter, and Pete, State Policy Coordinator for Sufrider in Oregon, so I was well covered at the booth. At one point they asked which venue had the "crunchiest" crowd (meaning the most enviro), and I have to say it was the Portland crowd. The venue was also very green, with a large sorting/recycling station handling the waste, and volunteers stationed at waste cans to make sure people put their waste into the right bin (compost or recycling or trash).
About 2 a.m., we drove to Vancouver, B.C., crossing the Canadian border about 7 a.m. and luckily only a couple people had to go into immigration to answer questions while the rest of us slept. Not so lucky on the way back that night.... see my next entry for more.

Portlandia

2008-08-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I awoke on the bus to the flat, barren landscape of western Wyoming. We had been driving since 2 a.m. from Salt Lake City. Soon we would would see the Columbia River, and the landscape would change from dry yellow to pine forests and steep hills as we entered to the Columbia River Gorge, some of the beautiful scenery on earth. It was Elissa's birthday and when everyone was up, we had a bottle of champagne and sang Happy Birthday as the bus rolled along.

Left: Christine, Elissa and Fiona

After we reached Portland (where it was raining and has continued to rain), we set out to do laundry and explore the Pearl District. We found the country's first Icebreaker store. It is all NZ wool outdoor apparel (my sister knows that brand from living in NZ) and Elissa being from Patagonia was very interested in learning about the brand and the sustainability angle. We also visited the Patagonia store in the Ecotrust building, which is their biggest. Along the way we got our laundry done and sampled some of Portland's best local coffee (Stumptown Roasters). Even though we didn't get into Portland until 2 p.m., we packed in a lot and even fit in a nice (wet) run along the waterfront before taking Elissa out for a nice birthday dinner at The Farm, a small restaurant on the other side of the river serving all local organic fare.
Today we have a wet show in St. Helens, OR. I think I am getting used to the rain.....

Blast Furnace (aka SLC)

2008-08-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, I thought Atlanta was hot. But at the USANA Amphitheater outside of Salt Lake City, we sizzled in the desert sun, not a cloud in sight. The running joke is that "it's a dry heat", which didn't make up for the Surfrider booth facing the sun for the entire afternoon with no shade provided by the VG tents due to the setup angle. It seems the the venue encounters the heat regularly as there were sprinkler stations and shaved ice at regular intervals.

My 3 volunteers were all longtime surfers living and working in SLC. They took up the challenge of talking to as many people as possible of the concert, and had the highest number since the first stop in Toronto. Other than the hot sweaty aspect of the booth, I think they all enjoyed working at the concert and being able to represent Surfrider.

Above: Walter, Mike, me and Roger after the sun dipped below the horizon

Red Rocks and Sun

2008-08-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

As the day started, the weather at Red Rocks Amphitheater outside of Denver looked threatening. 60-70% chance of thunderstorms which meant high winds and rain. But despite this, the day went from cool and cloudy to light winds, then full sun and windless beautiful night, with a full moon peaking through the high clouds. If you have never been to Red Rocks, it is a unique venue, with stone ledge seats set into into a steep natural rock canyon. The venue is the smallest on the tour, seating only 9,500. It sold out in 3 1/2 minutes. Our Village Green was at the very very top, on a flat terrace with views of the valley and Denver in the distance, but the climb up and down the stairs to get there, then to the bottom where the buses were (in altitude no less), was a day long workout.

Above: Red Rocks and the Village Green

I had 3 great volunteers, all Surfrider members living in the Denver area (2 are transplants from California). They were enthusiastic about being able to do something for Surfrider, since there are not many opportunities to get involved there. Jack came around to meet the volunteers (we had 9 non-profits represented!) and an hour after doors opened came and played a short set with Zach Gill and Adam Topol on a small stage in the Village Green. Visitors to the VG were rewarded! They are promoting Zach's solo album, but also trying to draw concert goers to the VG with the mini-concert.

Above: Me, Brendan, Shannon, Bart and Jack

After the show we boarded the bus bound for Salt Lake City. Unfortunately, because of the steepness of Red Rocks, all of the 6 semi trucks had to be unloaded and loaded by shuttle since they could not back up to the stage. It made for a late load out, and we are facing a late load in at SLC, which compresses the whole day. Looking forward to the day off in Portland tomorrow!

Rainy Kansas

2008-08-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

What a day! We had a nice day off in Kansas City, which consisted of a nap, a run (in the rain), dinner, and a movie (Dark Night). Alicia and Aaron Bravo from San Diego flew in and joined us for dinner with Neil Halstead, his band, Rachel (tour manager for Rogue Wave) and the movie. Alicia and Aaron have connections to the Johnsons through Kashi, Kokua and Aaron's art and were able to get backstage passes for the show, which are not available to volunteers generally. It was great to have them at the booth since they are star RAP volunteers, but also they are the only friends from home to get a real look at life on tour (with its lack of glamor!) Aaron designed the special edition concert poster for the Raleigh show and when Jack came by the booth, he asked Aaron to autograph a copy for him, and then autographed one himself for Aaron. We felt lucky with the weather: despite torrential rains early in the day (after VG setup), the skies cleared and we had warm dry weather for the show. The crowd was markedly different at this show. While they were very loud and enthusiastic for the music, they were not very engaged by the VG and we talked to fewer people than in most prior shows. There were also many more smokers (odd thing), and more people declined to give their email addresses than any other show.

Above: David, Alicia, Jack and Aaron

Our bus left the venue at 2:30 a.m. and our diligent bus driver, R.T. took us in a beeline to Boulder, where heavy rain (again!) and cold greeted us. Elissa popped over to the new Patagonia store and got me a jacket, which is a life saver since I didn't bring anything for cold weather. Boulder is great! I walked around downtown, went to bookstores and coffee shops, then went for a run on the Boulder Creek Trail as far as I could make into the mountains before I decided that I had better turn around. We are again fortunate to be staying at the nicest hotel in town, the St. Julien, and I took advantage of the excellent spa for a much needed neck and shoulder massage. We do a lot of heavy lifting and pushing of equipment and cases, and my body is not used to it!

Above: Me and Elissa at the KC show

Tomorrow we have the show at Red Rocks Amphitheater, a small venue (9,450 capacity) that sold out immediately. It is supposed to have amazing natural acoustics, and be a great place to hear bands. Should be a great show! We have show immediately after that in Salt Lake City, so it's going to be a busy couple of days....

The Perfect Burrito

2008-08-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

Hot-lanta they call it and I would have to agree. It was probably the hottest day yet and I think it made us all a bit loopy (at least Elissa and I were!) We spent the last half of teardown waxing rhapsodic about the perfect vinyl burrito (aka a folded tent canopy). We didn't have any perfect burritos tonight, but decided to take photos the next time we do have one so you all know what we are talking about. I am still the folding master but my apprentices, Elissa, Nicole and Abby (from Headcount) are getting pretty good. Stay tuned for some photos!

I had two volunteers tonight, Dave from Atlanta and Turner from the coast, and they were stoked to meet Jack before the show. There was a lot of awareness about Surfrider because of the large number of people from Florida who attended the show (where we have several Surfrider chapters).

Today is a continuation of the long bus ride from Atlanta that started at 1:30 a.m. to Kansas City. Aaron and Alicia Bravo, RAP volunteers from San Diego, are meeting me there and will be 2 of my volunteers for the KC show. Aaron designed the tour poster for Jack's Raleigh show and Alicia has worked with Jack's Kokua Foundation through her job at Kashi, so it's a perfect fit! We are planning to meet up tonight for some fun times in KC on our day off.

Elizabeth

The Nicest People

2008-08-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Very warm, dry weather greeted us at the Walnut Creek Amphitheater outside Raleigh. Everyone said we were lucky to have such nice weather as the humidity was low, but we were sweating plenty in the sun putting up the Village Green. The thing that distinguished this show was that people were so nice! We noticed that in Chapel Hill too when we got lost looking for the laundromat and were offered a ride from a perfect stranger, who then invited us to use his laundry and visit the bar in town that he owns (called "He's Not Here" - pretty funny). The traffic in the Village Green was pretty mellow and I had 4 volunteers from the Cape Fear chapter, so we more than covered. Sean took to standing outside the booth and pulling people in, barker style.

I had the opportunity to meet Neil Halstead (one of the opening acts for JJ right now) and his guitarist Ben and gave them both Rise Above Plastics t-shirts. Ben wore his on stage at the show last night (they were both going to wear them, but thought it would look funny!). Ben and Neil both surf in Newquay, England and were very interested to hear about Surfrider and our programs. I am hoping to get them some Save Trestles shirts to wear when they tour California this month (they leave us in SLC and go on for a solo tour). You can listen to Neil's music on his myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/neilhalsteadofficial

I woke this morning to overcast skies and rain (yippee!) as we roll into Atlanta. Rough night on the bus with bumpy roads and broken AC, so the bunks felt more like coffins with no air coming in. It is a sold out show tonight, so there is a lot of anticipation and excitement. I am looking forward to meeting my volunteers from the Coastal Georgia / Low Country Chapter.

All At Once

2008-08-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

Please check out this link to a treehugger.com interview and video (check out the Youtube video and you will see me!) It is a really good explanation by the man himself about the importance of the Village Green to his tour. The interview was done in Indianapolis - scroll to the bottom of the blog for my post about the show.
Jack Johnson Article and Interview

Tarheel Country

2008-08-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the last day of the all Points West Festival, we arrived at the venue to weather reports predicting 30-60 mph winds, and of course, rain. We battened down the hatches, and braced for the bad weather, putting away anything loose but keeping up the tents and our tables and pledges and petitions. We apprehensively watched the sky all day but the wind never really materialized although we did get enough rain to thoroughly soak everything. My volunteers from the Jersey Shore and NYC chapters were troopers, sticking it out through everything. We had more traffic to the Village Green than the prior days despite the rain since on this day our All at Once Volunteers were allowed to roam the festival directing people there with the promise of the chance to sit on the stage when Jack played that night (we have a drawing every show for people who fill out the passports and turn them in. Check out allatonce.org for more info on how that works).

The highlight for me was watching part of the Ben Harper performance from the stage. We weren't able to get on the stage in prior days but since Jack was headlining on Sunday, our passes were good for everything that day. We got the Village Green down in time for me to watch part of Jack's show from the stage too. Matt Costa and Trey Anastasio joined him at various times for some songs, which was pretty cool. [As an aside I will mention that in taking down the Village Green, I have been tasked with folding the 10 vinyl tent tops since I have developed a knack for folding them very small and neat, making them fit in the cases much better. The tops weigh 30-40 pounds each, are 10 x 10, and folding them involves being on my hands and knees in the dirt, grass, mud, asphalt or whatever surface we happened to set up on.]

Today we awoke cruising down the interstate in North Carolina! I was so tired I fell asleep on the bus before we even departed Jersey City, so it was kind of a shock to wake to the green, rolling scenery. We are staying in Chapel Hill, next to the University of North Carolina campus, in the historic Carolina Inn. The town is quiet at the moment since school has not started, which is probably better for our "rest" day. Today is all about laundry and getting some exercise. Elissa, my roommate from Patagonia/Vote the Environment, went off to find a pool - a great thing to do today since it is about 80 degrees and sunny. Having been outside all day in the elements for the last 5 days straight has left me craving some quiet time inside, so I am catching up on emails and this blog.
Tomorrow we have the show in Raleigh, then drive to Atlanta for a show the next night.

I am going to enjoy this rest day!

Elizabeth

All Points West Festival Preview

2008-08-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

So we were dropped off in Secaucus, New Jersey on Friday at 4 a.m. for a couple hours of sleep before we went to the All Points West festival in Jersey City to set up the Village Green. Even though Jack would not play until Sunday, the powers that be decided that it would be a good idea to have the VG there all 3 days. We were sent a car with a driver who was not from the area and got lost taking us back so that we arrived with only an hour to set up, so we were a bit crazed (and sweaty) throwing up 10 tents in the beating sun! The setting is very nice though, with the NYC skyline and the Statue of Liberty as the backdrop. I had great local volunteers from the Jersey Shore and NYC chapters, but we didn't have much foot traffic being a bit tucked away on the edge of the festival grounds. Plus people were not thinking about JJ, they had Radiohead on the brain, as RH were headlining Friday and Saturday night. Then about 4 p.m. a rain and windstorm came through that threatened to blow the whole Village Green into NY Harbor, so we quickly tore the whole thing down and packed it away. Which means, of course that we had to put it up again this morning....

Foot traffic for the Village Green on Saturday was not much better. On Sunday we move to a more central location, and the drawing for seats on the stage will pull in a lot of people.

We did get to see some good bands though, and saw Radiohead 2x. Other highlights for me were Kings of Leon and Sia.

Oh, and I unintentionally left my phone of the tour bus so that it went to Baltimore with the crew for the Virgin Festival. I hope it took some photos for me. My apologies to anyone who has called or texted me in the last 2 days - I won't have it back until tomorrow.

Elizabeth

South Jersey Sun

2008-08-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

Last night we drove from Mansfield to South Jersey, arriving at 8 a.m. to bright sunny skies and plenty of humidity. The bus ride sleep wasn't too bad for me, as I got the tip to try a Tylenol PM before setting off. Sleep has been spotty because of many nights on the bus, but the food continues to be stellar so I really can't complain!

My volunteers were from the South Jersey Chapter of Surfrider and were very experienced booth volunteers, which was great for me. They added to the booth a petition to ban plastic bags from Ocean City, NJ, a concept/cause near and dear to my heart, and got almost 200 signatures. Once again, Jack came out to meet the volunteers and they were thrilled. At their request I asked him to sign a few Surfrider t-shirts for them to raffle and of course he was more than happy to oblige. Since I had Jack for a few minutes while signing I was able to update him on the folks in Minnesota working on forming a chapter as a result of his concert and he said that it made him feel really good to know that the concert brought them together.

Tonight we drive two hours north to be dropped off in Jersey City, across the river from NYC, to spend 3 days of Village Green at the All Points West Festival. The caterers, together with our bus, head to Baltimore for the Virgin Mobile Festival where Jack is playing before they come back to APW for Sunday's show (Jack is the headliner).

This morning I got a chance to talk to the guys from Rogue Wave and their manager, Rachel, about our Save Trestles campaign and they jumped right on board, knowing the fate of California's state parks is at stake. That's them in the photo. Thanks guys!

See ya all in a few days.

Elizabeth

Mansfield, Mass

2008-08-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight was my first show in location with a Surfrider chapter, the Massachusetts chapter, which covers the whole coastline. I had three great volunteers and we got a chance to talk a bit about core volunteer training and other things we do in the San Diego chapter that might help their chapter. We talked to over 300 people, which was a good number for a venue of this size.
Of course, the tour would not be complete without a few days of rain and today it poured on us while we were setting up. Thankfully it cleared by doors and Jack came out to meet the volunteers, always a highlight. JC, the merchandise king and one of my busmates, was beside himself as he met Tom Brady and Giselle backstage, where they were hanging out. Kind of like me meeting Eddie Vedder at Bonnaroo (except he got his photo taken with them!) My only celebrity sighting this leg so far was Frodo backstage in Montreal.

I caught the biodiesel truck fueling up the semis and included a photo of it for all of you out there interested in the greening of Jack' tour.

And for an update from my volunteers in Minnesota, check out Graeme Thickens' blog entry. I am so stoked that they connected and are moving on this! http://graemethickins.typepad.com/graeme_blogs_here/2008/08/surfrider-mn-ch.html

Tonight we move on to Camden, New Jersey for another sold out show!

Elizabeth

Day Off in Beantown

2008-08-06T05:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a day off in Boston before 5 show days in a row. The weather cooperated and it was warm and dry and not humid at all. I had been to Boston in 1993 for the collegiate national championships for cycling, but I didn't get to see much of the city that time. We did a bit of a walking tour, visited Paul Revere's grave and looked for ice cream. Also, Elissa, from Patagonia, joined the tour to represent Vote the Environment, and it's great to have her on board.

Elizabeth

Ooh la la Montreal!

2008-08-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today we played the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival in Montreal, which was set in a park across the St. Lawrence River. The lineup before Jack played was great, and included Rogue Wave, the Black Keys, MGMT and Gogo Bordello. I had 5 local Surfrider members from Montreal for volunteers and they were all fantastic: Caroline, who worked all day from 11:30 to 8:30 (superstar), Stephanie, Krista, Cathy and Gren, who worked in shifts. Thankfully, they all spoke French very well (Caroline is from France), as most people who visited the booth were French speakers. From the volunteers I found out about a standing wave on the St. Lawrence River that people surf (a naturally occurring standing wave), but the river is very polluted. We talked about ways to try to address pollution based on lessons we learned in fighting urban runoff and discharges in San Diego.

The venue was a bit smaller, but we still reached a lot of people. The people were really nice - I can't wait to come back to Montreal!

Elizabeth

Burl's Creek Takes Off

2008-08-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

A big general admission crowd tonight. The new lineup includes Neil Halstead and Rogue Wave. Mason Jennings came back for one night and I talked to him about Trestles and he was happy to have his photo taken with my Save Trestles sign. At the show we had two tables which we manned with just two local, enthusiastic volunteers and we talked to more people than any domestic show so far! (over 400). Tonight we drive to Montreal and jump right out to build the Village Green as doors open to the public at 1 p.m. We are all exhausted from a long day with the prospect of another long day ahead of us, but it's great to be back with the crew bringing the message to the fans.

Elizabeth

Chillin' in Toronto

2008-08-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone, Elizabeth here. I re-joined the tour yesterday at the airport in Toronto and we made our way out to the Horseshoe Ranch in Oro, which is about an hour north, and closer to the venue. It was great to reconnect with everyone and get the different perspectives of the European leg of the tour. Today was a "tech day" during which everyone unpacked containers that came back from Europe and partially set up for the concert tomorrow. This is the first concert ever for this venue, which is basically a big field reminiscent of Bonnaroo. It seemed a little backwoods but the caterers were back at it, feeding us all very well with locally grown food, prepared with a gourmet flourish. For the Village Green crew it was a quiet day, just making sure everything made its way back. Tomorrow is a big day (27,000 tickets sold!) followed the next day by the Osheaga Festival in Montreal. Stay tuned!

Save Trestles on Tour?

2008-07-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the photo sent to us by Tour Bus Live of Eddie with the Save Trestles sign, I am going to be working on assembling other photos during the tour. Jack with a sign, Zach with a sign. The guys from Rogue Wave... Radiohead? We might run into them at the All Points West Festival in Jersey City. And photos with people from all over the country and Canada who care about Trestles to show that this is not just a local issue. Open space is a global issue.

Elizabeth

Save Trestles!

2008-07-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

I know this blog isn't about Trestles, but note my adoration of Pearl Jam (see blog entry "Best Night of My Life") and you will see why I am stoked about this photo of Eddie Vedder. Eddie's constant and continued opposition to the proposed toll road was one of the big reasons I thanked him for all of his support when I met him at Bonnaroo. The account of this photo comes to us from Jill and Gary of Tour Bus Live:

Hello.

We are VERY involved in the fight against the toll road extension
through Trestles.

We are active mostly through Friends of the Foothills by manning booths
at San O or at the Farmer's Market in San Clemente, etc.

However, we are also avid music fans and attend many concerts.

YESTERDAY, we attended the VH1 Rock Honors The Who event at the Pauley
Pavillion at UCLA - where Pearl Jam performed.

Prior to the show, we were able to see Eddie Vedder - whom I asked to
attend the hearing on the 25th (before I knew it could be in jeopardy).
Sadly, he is booked and cannot attend. We
also gave him a "Save San Onofre" t-shirt my husband designed for the
FofF a few months ago - maybe he'll wear it somewhere and be
photographed in it.

In any case, he offered (it was his idea!) to hold our sign that we had
with us and pose for a couple of photos!

We are sending them out to all the organizations involved in the fight -
but you guys are first since it's your sign!!!!!!!!

PLEASE post this! We were THRILLED that he cared enough to do this.

By the way, which we're sure you knew about, Eddie did include a
two-page spread in his recent solo tour program about the fight against
the 241 extension AND he talked about saving
Trestles on stage during his concert when we attended in San Diego.

If you need photos of those pages of the tour program he printed, let us
know - we can send those off to you.

Jill and Gary
TourBusLive.com

Munich

2008-07-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

Jack Johnson’s euro tour continues with a stop in one of the most important city of western Europe, Munich, also known for its bier festival, the Oktoberfest.

Surfrider Foundation Europe is developing a chapter in Germany with the help of Albert Royal, our German rep. Kristina, our volunteer, has proudly represented Surfrider Germany, and made an impressive work on the booth, explaining our ambitions and projects over Europe, and especially the legal support Surfrider wants to provide to euro governments to help them apply the European law who sets new standards on the opening of beaches and lakes to the public regarding the pollution level.

There are many surfers in Germany and there is a static wave in Munich. Jack actually got the chance to surf it before the show. The German audience felt concerned about the protection of all nautical areas, and we got lots of signings of the pledge.

I have to say that Germany has longtime been far ahead in Europe in the protection of the environment. No doubt that the Surfrider seed will grow easily in this land.

Next stop Loreley, for the next German venue of the tour.

Mahalo

Tom

One Night in Paris

2008-07-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

9th of July, the Jack Johnson crew is in Paris for the only French venue. The least we can say is that the French audience loves Jack’s music. Bercy saw one of the most enthusiastic crowd of the Euro tour, clapping hands for Jack.

Paris was also Mason Jennings’s last show in Europe and his soulfull performance won the crowd. All the crew will surely miss him. Let’s hope that Mason will be back in the old continent soon.

The Surfrider booth was efficiently held by Jean Marc Aziza, ou Paris rep, and his wife. Jean-Marc is a lawyer and a very active member of the Surfrider community for many years. He’s organized several Surfrider happenings such as paddle sessions on the Seine to demonstrate against sewage.

Jack’s concert was a good occasion to explain his intense activism in schools and institutions to promote our activities.

The French venue was very successful, as we’ve found new members for Surfrider Foundation.

Next stop, Munich Germany.

Mahalo

Tom

UK Report

2008-07-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

Five British venues in a row, after the Hyde Park concert in London, we’ve headed straight to Birmingham, then Newquay, and finally Manchester.

In all those venues, we’ve collaborated with reps from Surfers Against Sewage to promote their actions, especially some recently scheduled beach cleanings over the UK. SAS is doing very active job here, and it’s a very good thing that they joined the All At Once community along with Surfrider Foundation.

This UK tour has been a fantastic opportunity to bring our voice to the British community and globally promote our activities. At every venue, we had hundreds of names to our pledge signing list, and enforced the impact of our message.

After a stop in Birmingham, where the crowd was quite and intensely focused on Jack, we headed to Newquay, where the first venue was cancelled due to the bad weather. Fortunately we were able to do the second Newquay show between showers and blowing wind on dark clouds. Jack then said goodbye to UK in Manchester on an inspired set.

Next stop Paris, for the unique French venue of the tour.

Mahalo

Tom

Hyde Park, London

2008-07-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

“ Jack’s music is what is right with the world” - Ben Harper

Ben Harper’s homage to Jack on stage was one of the most intense moments of the Hyde Park concert.

30,000 people came to the venue to see Jack perform with his old friend Ben, and the least we can say is it was an emotional gathering. Mason Jennings, G Love & Special Sauce, Ben Harper and Jack Johnson were all captivated by the amazing British sky and crowd.

They all shared songs facing an incredible sunset, with a yellow sun popping out from the clouds. A moment we’ll all remember for a long time.

At the booth, I was efficiently helped by Angela Howe, from Surfrider US, and Audrey Gaston, Surfrider Europe development manager. All together, as the global Surfrider team, we’ve presented our organization to more than 1,000 people. A huge success for this first British venue.

We also introduced Surfers Against Sewage’s work and activism over the UK territory. SAS has been working for a while now over here and is a very popular organization. Both of our organizations are wishing to work again hand in hand for the future, especially to bring our voice to the European institutions, like we did in the past. The All At Once gathering is a good occasion to share ideas about that.

This first British venue was a fantastic concert, and we all went back on the bus with lots of memories to sleep with, sharing this idea that Jack’s music is definitely what is right with the world.

Mahalo

Tom

DAY 3: Barcelona, a new chapter!

2008-07-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

Here we are in Barcelona for Jack’s third European concert (after Lisbon and Madrid). Barcelona is one of the most dynamic Spanish cities, famous for its cultural Catalan tradition. Lots of energy going on here.

For this venue, our volunteer will be Guillermo Pena, a very active member of the Spanish surfing federation who gave great help to contact other NGOs and invite them on the Village Green.

But more importantly, Guillermo has firmly decided to start a new Surfrider chapter in the Spanish east coast!!! Jack Johnson’s tour gives us this fantastic opportunity to meet committed people that wish to take action. Thanks again to Jack, whose support allows us to grow and spread the message on a larger scale.

During the show, a very intense and interested crowd came to the booth to ask for information and talk about how the Barcelona area beaches are polluted. We need to increase the number of volunteers around here, and Guillermo’s activism and energy will surely help.

He’s invited Fernando Labad, president of the Spanish Surfing Federation, who presented his activities and projects that include a partnership with Surfrider Foundation Europe. Fernando us developing a new project, called biosurf, that includes events and educational programs for the preservation of the environment. Hopefully this is the beginning of a long and efficient collaboration between our two organizations.

This venue was particularly profitable for our organization in terms of contacts and has set a base for a significant growth.

Once again, Mahalo to Jack for his support.

Tom

Day 2 in Portugal

2008-06-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

From Tom, Surfrider Europe:

Here we are in Lisbon for the first show. Before the concert Jack came to say "H"i to all the volunteers and have a chat with them. Lots of t shirts signings and photographs before going backstage again. All the volunteers are really enthusiastic and motivated.

During the concert, the Surfrider booth is great success; the Portuguese audience is nice and enthusiastic and we got tons of pledge signings. Many Portuguese people are asking where they can find the Portuguese Surfrider chapter in order to commit to the environmental cause. Looks like there’s room to increase the number of Surfrider volunteers to come and help us clean the beaches and enforce our organization.

Joao has invited some of the most influential personalities of the Portuguese surfing industry: Joao Valente editor of Surf Portugal magazine, Antonio Fonseca editor of Vert Bodyboard Magazine, Joao Santos Vice-President of the Portuguese Surfing Federation, Catarina Esteves general secretary of Rowing Federation, and 6 surfrider members from 6 different places in Portugal.

All the volunteers have made a great job on the Village Green and made this first concert a success, thanks to them. Portugal has a long coastline and many areas that need to be protected. It’s rewarding to see that so many people are now aware of the environmental problems, and more than that, ready to take actions.

Being on Jack Johnson’s tour definitely helps us to bring that message and promote our actions, as his performance on stage moves the crowd when he shows images of the ocean and more generally shows a great example, being a surfer, a father, a husband and more someone who’s committed to be respectful of our environment.

After the show, we hit the road to Barcelona, while Jack is gonna be singing in Madrid for the Rock and Rio (featuring Neil Young). Thanks you to Joao and all the volunteer crew. This first concert was a perfect start.

Dispatch from Portugal

2008-06-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

I’m Tom, the lucky guy who’s given the amazing opportunity to follow jack Johnson over the European leg of his world tour. From now on, I’ll follow up Elizabeth’s reports and I’ll do my best to share my experiences and impressions on tour through regular updates.

But first I’d like to thank Jack Johnson and all his crew for having me on board, and of course Surfrider Foundation for giving me a chance to follow these guys on 12 European venues.

I hope you’ll enjoy those reports as much as I’ll have fun writing them (in advance Sorry for my French)

DAY 1: Pavilhao Atlantico, Lisboa, Portugal

For the first venue, I have the chance to be driven through old Lisbon (with a special mention to the famous barrio alto) by Joao Zamith, Portuguese chapter rep and also member of Surfrider Europe’s board. Joao renowned activism on environmental concerns and profound knowledge of water pollution management will be a precious help on the Surfrider’s booth.

Our board member is currently working on an original project, aiming to gather together different federations from different nautical sports in one event, in order to get more people involved in the nautical areas preservation. To do so, Joao will soon meet the Portuguese minister of sports and youth. Let’s wish him luck and success on this exciting project.

Heading Home

2008-06-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

Said goodbye to the crew today at Chicago's O'Hare airport as they departed for Lisbon, Portugal and I headed for a different terminal to fly back to San Diego. I was bit said to be missing the European Adventure, but the campaign will be better served by Surfrider Europe. I will be re-joining the tour in Ontario, Canada in early August to do the remainder of the North American leg. It will be a bit different since there will be chapters at most of the stops, and I will have 3 volunteers at each one.

I will relate any stories from the tour in Europe, but otherwise this blog will be on hiatus until early August.

Elizabeth

A Minneapolis Chapter!

2008-06-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

We had the best show yet in Somerset, Wisconsin (River's Edge, which is the venue for Minneapolis). It was all festival "seating" (no seats, just a big lawn), and the Village Green had high visibility. My volunteers were Ryan, a Surfrider member from Minneapolis, and his girlfriend Bethany. They did a great job for their first booth event, and fielded more RAP inquiries than any other concert. Keely, my volunteer from yesterday stopped by, and we had a number of other Surfrider members stop by the booth who are fired up to get a chapter started in Minneapolis/Lake Superior. I am going to help them connect and get organized over the next 6 weeks. I think we could get 2 new chapters out of this leg of the tour! I had the opportunity at dinner tonight to thank Jack for bringing Surfrider on tour and he asked how it was going. I was the most excited to tell him that we may have 2 new chapters come out of this Midwest leg. New chapters mean outreach and awareness events and actions in areas of the country Surfrider has not yet reached. Yay!!!

Cheeseheads?

2008-06-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

We woke early this morning to drive from Chicago to East Troy, Wisconsin, home of Alpine Valley, a famous concert venue between Chicago and Milwaukee. The venue attracted people from all over: we met people from Minneapolis, Cedar Rapids Iowa, all over Wisconsin and Illinois. I had 2 volunteers: Keely, a college student from Minneapolis who has been a Surfrider member for 5 years (she joined after seeing a piece in Surfing Girl mag), and the SD Chapter's own Kristian Gustavson, who was in town preparing for his trip down the Mississippi River (see belowthesurface.org). Keely drove almost 6 hours to the venue, but was very happy to finally be able to do something for Surfrider. She knew all about the RAP pledge, having received the email from Global HQ on it just a few days ago. My camera failed to get the photo of Keely and Kristian with Jack, but I did get a photo of him proudly showing off the belt buckle from Andrea Holeman made from leftover resin. He put it on and wore it the rest of day (including during the show, I believe, but his shirt was covering it). Jack and Zach Gill then played a couple songs for all of the Village Green volunteers, something they hadn't done before, and the volunteers were all thrilled.
Unfortunately the place we were provided to put up the Village Green saw little foot traffic, and our outreach suffered today. It's too bad since the venue seemed at capacity at 30,000. We had about half as many people come by as past shows. Still, the message was well received and again it seems that many people are already familiar with the problems with plastics. I met one high school teacher who wanted more information and I gave him my card to assist him (I always try to do that with teachers since they have the capacity to reach so many).
Tonight we drive to Minneapolis for the last show of this leg. The crew is excited to go to Europe and I am a bit sad to not be going with them.

The Windy City....

2008-06-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

...was not that windy after all. We arrived from cold and damp Michigan to warm and dry Chicago in brilliant sunshine. I think our crew breathed a collective "ahhhhhhhh" when the bus door opened in downtown. It was a day off, good for doing some laundry and catching up on some sleep (the overnight on the bus was brutal). Last night Hillary (a Chicago local) guided us to a local tapas restaurant, Cafe Iberico, which was fantastic. We then headed over to a pool and game party with JJ, family and crew at Dave & Buster's.
One cool thing that has happened is that people with whom I have interacted have become a lot more conscious of plastics in everyday life, especially the caterers. That is the goal - to get people to think about the use (overuse!) of plastics in everyday life, and I think they will start taking actions on their own to reduce. Certainly everyone touring with Jack for the first time has become more environmentally aware because of his directives for greening the tour.
The discouraging thing again is finding out about the lack of recycling programs in the states I have visited. I heard last night that Chicago does not have a recycling program - something about a conflict with the teamsters union.
We have another day off today so I am catching up on Surfrider and RAP emails. Then back to back shows before I fly back home on Monday. It's gone so fast!

Oh Michigan!

2008-06-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had no rain! We drove overnight from Blossom (bumps and detours; sleeping on the bus has its challenges) and found ourselves in 57 degrees, overcast weather. My lone Surfrider hoody is getting a workout! I had anticipated hot, humid weather. We are near Detroit, but are out in the country, and I got no glimpse of the Motor City. Interestingly, we are only an hour from the Canadian border and had a large number of concert goers from there. Again, most people who stopped at the booth already were aware of the problem with plastics and were taking actions listed on our pledge. It is very encouraging! What is discouraging is to learn that a lot of towns in these states still don't even have recycling programs (let alone curbside).
My volunteers were Tanya, a San Diego County transplant, and her friend Asher. They got to meet Jack, of course. They had spent some time reading about plastics and were more than prepared to discuss plastics with Jack's Michigan fans.
Tonight's set up and break down was easier since we weren't soggy. Another 15+ hour day under our belts, but we are all looking forward to a couple days off in Chicago.

Surfing Lake Erie

2008-06-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

Rain, rain and more rain. We arrived in the morning at Blossom concert center to threatening clouds and eventually steady rain. I had two volunteers from Cleveland who are Surfrider members and are very fired up about the organization. Scott and Chris got to meet Jack before the show (and Scott got to mention the surf film he is working on!) They both surf Lake Erie when there is surf (wind required), which is hard core from their description. They have problems with plastic, runoff and sewage being dumped directly in the lake, but have to surf after it storms because that is the only time when there is surf. Chris knew that Jim Moriarty, our illustrious Executive Director, is actually from Cleveland! (now located in Solana Beach).
The response from concert-goers to our messge was about the same as Indy: I was surprised at the number of people who read the RAP pledge and said that they already do most of the actions on the pledge. I think there must be something about Jack's fans; they are more environmentally inclined.
Scott and Chris, after talking to a lot of people from Cleveland who are interested in surfing and clean water issues, are very fired up to start a Cleveland/Northern Ohio chapter, which I think is great! I think that could be the most significant outcome of our concert outreach at Cleveland, and will result in reaching a lot more people in Ohio about clean water issues. I plan to follow up with Chris and Scott on the formation of a new chapter. I think we can help from San Diego a lot!
Another 15 hour day of putting up and taking down 10 vinyl tents, talking for 4 hours to interested concert goers, being very soggy by the end (folding 10 tent tops on my knees in the rain), but very exciting!

Rock and Roll, Baby!

2008-06-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today was another day off in Cleveland, and of course the thing to do is visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After a nice 4.5 mile solo run through downtown (2 laps around the Browns stadium), Hillary and I made a more casual stroll back to the museum. The weather is fantastic: low 70's with a warm breeze and low humidity. I thought the H.O.F. was really interesting, lots of great history of a variety of bands. I felt like I learned the history of punk last year at the Vivienne Westwood exhibit at the DeYoung museum in SF, which is good, because punk is under served at the H.O.F.
Early tomorrow morning we head to the venue to set up, then get back on the bus after the concert and head to Detroit for another show the next day, then back on the bus to Chicago. 2 nights straight on the bus means no showers probably, so I must enjoy the Ritz while I can! The crew on our bus (and the crew overall) is so varied, I don't think any of us come from the same state. People who work tours can live anywhere, then just fly to where the tour is kicking off. They will tour with different artists and some of them have great stories. It is clear that not all bands treat their crew as well as JJ does. We have been told a number of times how lucky we are that our first tour is like this. So, our crew consists of catering: Jack from Tennesee, Dave from Alaska, Collette from Bellngham, WA, and Christine from Florida. Haven't yet found out yet where Fiona is from. Andrew (Scooter) from Reverb is from West Virginia, and Josh is from Maine. Hillary is from Chicago and JC (merchandise) is from Boulder. Shaun from Climate Counts is from New Hampshire. Luckily we all get along pretty well, since we have long spells of being confined to a single 45 foot steel tube (aka, the bus). The bunks have about 2 feet of head clearance, so it you get in and out horizontally, and you don't spend any time there unless you are sleeping. Luckily, most of the time on there is at night, after the concert and we all crash soon after taking off.
Love the comments; am glad to know that people are following along!

Kickin' it in Cleveland

2008-06-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

A ten hour overnight bus ride landed us in Cleveland, Ohio, on a sunny afternoon. We are staying at the Ritz-Carlton, which is a couple blocks from the ball field where the Indians were playing the Padres, so a few of us hustled over to catch a few innings for the game. The Pads lost :( JC, one of my bus-mates, is also a baseball fan and we resolved to hit as many MLB games in August as we can, as we are visiting a lot of cities with MLB teams. Tomorrow is another day off and we are thinking of visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - probably the only chance I will get to go there. An early night tonight in the comfort of a Ritz bed. A nice change from 2 nights on the bus (and no showers!)

The Best Night of My Life

2008-06-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

At 8 p.m. Jack played to an estimated crowd of 70,000 people. Hillary (Vote the Environment) and I were on the side of the stage with Kim Johnson and others from the crew watching the enormous crowd go wild for him. 1/2 way in Eddie Vedder, wearing a Boy Scout shirt (in memory of the scouts who died in Iowa) came and stood by us (with Jeanine Garafalo) before going to join Jack on stage for one song. After the song he came back to the side of the stage and I seized my opportunity to introduce myself as being from Surfrider and being on tour with Jack. I thanked him for all he has done for Surfrider and he said something like "so long as we can still surf..." And I said, "we are working on it!" He shook my hand a couple times (no hug, damn!) before he retreated to his dressing room to prepare for his set.
And what a set it was! Pearl Jam played for a solid 2 hours and 45 minutes with only 2 short breaks, rocking out a crowd of 80,000++. Our "Jack Johnson All Access" laminated passes got us to the same place to watch the whole thing: from the side of the stage. I was about 10 feet from Mike McCready the whole time; any closer and I would have been on the stage itself! I was taking photos with my Optio without a flash, so they aren't that good, but I am hoping to get some better ones from Hillary who has an SLR digi camera. Many of you know that Pearl Jam has been my favorite band for a long, long time, so seeing them play such a blowout show at such close proximity has to be one of the highlights of my life. A couple guys on my bus had never seen PJ play before, and even though they were out in the audience, it blew them away - best concert they have ever seen. Eddie is just so intense, and the band absolutely solid. At the end, Eddie spoke to the crowd about the war, about taking action to change the way things are going in this country and the world, and asked the crowd to shout back that the time is now, the place is here. He was visibly moved when the crowd roared back in response. This is a man who takes social responsibility, and his role in influencing people, seriously. (We had to leave Bonnaroo before Kanye went on at 2 a.m.)
Today it all seems like a dream. What other highlights will this tour bring?

Jack, Pearl Jam and Kanye

2008-06-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

No Village Green today at Bonnaroo, but we helped out one of the non-profits here, talking to people about reducing their carbon footprints. We only had to work a few hours, which was a nice change from the 15 hour day yesterday. It is a full on festival out there, with lots of crazy people, multiple stages, arts and eco booths, and of course the requisite mud. Imagine a mile square muddy field with 80,000 people camped out and you can begin to imagine the spectacle.
Then there was a BBQ "backstage" with the whole JJ crew and now we are just hanging out waiting for the shows. The backstage is a grassy, tented square around which 8 portable dressing rooms are placed. These are for PJ, JJ and Kanye (the headliners for tonight), so everyone and their crews are just around. It's the most peaceful and pleasant place at the festival, fairly family oriented with Jack's kids running around. This is the place everyone wants to be. Rolling Stone is here, jockeying for interviews. I'm just happy to hang on the couch and take in the whole scene.

Indy Rocks!

2008-06-13T21:24:00.000-07:00

Our passengers are trickling onto the bus, at 12:30 a.m., as we prepare for the overnight bus ride to Bonnaroo. It was a crazy day of heavy rain and crossed fingers, hoping a tornado didn't blow away the Village Green. The weather gods cooperated and we had just a few heavy downpours before the doors opened and some light rain as people visited the booth. Lots of very interested people! Many people knew about the North Pacific Gyre and one woman knew the stats on recycling plastic bags. I was impressed! Many people read the RAP pledge and said they already did many of the things on there. The last line was changed to "pick up a piece of litter" and a lot of people (with kids, especially) thought it was a great idea to add that to their enviro regimen. I had only one volunteer show up (there were a lot of volunteer no-shows for the non-profits due to the weather), but she drove 2 hours from Toledo, Ohio and was a rockstar in her own right. She staffed the booth non-stop for 4 hours without a break, excited to do a Surfrider booth after joining as member at Kokua. Jack came around, as I think he does at every show and greeted and met each and every volunteer. My volunteer from Toledo was stoked!
The food continues to impress: Alaskan halibut with beurre blanc, roasted beets, fresh salads, oyster mushrooms and summer squash from local farms (that was just dinner!)
You may not hear from me for a couple days - Bonnaroo might be crazy!

Ah, the Food!

2008-06-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

The girls and I decided that since we hadn't had the first show yet, and today was just about practice setting up and taking down the booths, that I should write about the food. The "girls" are Hillary and Elissa from Patagonia and Nicole and Joanna from Headcount (the other non-profits on the tour).
Most you know that I am somewhat of a foodie... I was dreading the midwest cuisine and anticipating deep fried selections and iceberg lettuce. We are very, very lucky to Dega catering providing us with breakfast, lunch and dinner. First, they are sourcing fruits, veggies and meats from local organic farms. There is an abundance of fresh fruit like cherries, grapes, nectarines and melon at all of the meals. Lots of great salads and veggies too with strawberries and crumbled bleu cheese. Free range, grass fed beef. Black bean burgers and quinoa salad. A freshly made apple cobbler to die for! All manner of teas and a self service espresso machine. I will be lucky if I don't put on some weight on this trip since it is like having a gourmet chef at every meal (especially since we are sharing a bus with them). Actually I am not worried about the weight - we are moving boxes and hauling stuff around, putting up and taking down tents, and sweating a ton in this 90 degree heat.
It was exciting today to see the first set up being done for the concert from backstage and seeing how it all comes together. I had a little hiccup when my volunteers for the show bailed out, but a posting on myspace brought out a whole bunch of willing volunteers so I am again set, with one Surfrider member driving from Toledo, Ohio to work the show!

The Crew

2008-06-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight everyone arrived in Indianapolis: the road crew, caterers, musicians, non-profits and managers. I think there are about 50 of us. I found out we (the non-profits) will be sharing a bus with the guys from Reverb, who are managing the "greening" of the tour, and the caterers. At least I know we won't be hurting for food! (No Home Town Buffet or Bob Evans for us!) We are all staying at the Hotel Conrad, the nicest hotel in Indianapolis as I understand it. I guess this will partially make up for the cramped quarters of the tour bus. I have a nice big room to myself the next 2 nights! We had a non-profit getting to know you at Rock Bottom Brewery (see photo) and I met Nicole Parisi-Smith for the first time: she's a RAP enthusiast from the Capitol Chapter of Surfrider who is on this tour for Headcount. Super cool to meet up after many RAP emails.
No rain here, just low eighties and not too humid. It's nice! I hope it stays that way....

Indianapolis Bound

2008-06-10T11:37:00.001-07:00

The first stop on the tour is Indianapolis on June 13. We are all flying there tomorrow, braving the threatening weather and flooding. There are a couple "tech days" before the concert which will also be good getting-to-know-you days for all the new people on the tour. In addition to Surfrider, Headcount, Vote the Environment and Climate Counts will be included on the tour. Just counting down now!

It's Official!

2008-06-09T12:55:00.001-07:00

The Surfrider Foundation announced today they have partnered with Jack Johnson for his 2008 world tour.

The Surfrider Foundation was part of a select group of non-profit organizations that was handpicked by Johnson to participate in the tour and help launch his All At Once campaign. The campaign, which includes a new online community (www.allatonce.org ), also seeks to redefine the typical concert experience by allowing fans to meet face-to-face with local and national non-profits, learn about environmental actions they can take, and enter to win a chance to watch Jack’s performance from the stage in return for taking environmental action in the All At Once Village Green Passport.

“I can’t think of a better reason to put on a concert than to bring people together to create positive change,” said Jack Johnson. “With this year’s tour we are bringing together all of our resources All At Once to give back to each community that we visit.”

Surfrider Foundation is taking advantage of the opportunity to roll out its new Rise Above Plastics campaign, which seeks to educate people on the detrimental impacts that plastics have on marine environments.

“Jack and his wife Kim have been tremendously supportive of our efforts over the years,” says Surfrider Foundation CEO Jim Moriarty. “We are incredibly honored to be partnered with them now, as they work to make an even more profound impact in cultivating the culture of global activism.”

For more information on the Surfrider Foundation’s partnership with Jack Johnson, including tour dates and locations, go to www.allatonce.org .