Salon.com: Al's big day

http://www.salon.com/ent/music/feature/2007/07/08/live_earth/

Al's big day

Gore's Live Earth festival rocked, and may rock our world. So long, Hummers. Hello (again), Flower Power!

By Cintra Wilson

July 8, 2007 | On Saturday, Al Gore simultaneously took over and saved the world.

It was a historic moment, signifying a vast sea change: the death of the Hummer and the rebirth of Flower Power. Two billion fans, 130 countries, seven continents and Jon Bon Jovi can't be wrong.

Watching the Gore-backed, star-packed Live Earth festival -- which included televised, Web-streamed concerts in New York, London, Johannesburg, Rio De Janeiro, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney and Hamburg -- there was an overwhelming sense that one was seeing the better angels of the human spirit rise lotus-like through the mud and unfold into a better, sober, new counterculture based on a peace, love, understanding and eco-consciousness. Like the sixties, only without so much meth.


Actress Cameron Diaz and Al Gore speak during the Live Earth New York concert at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey

Al Gore's barn-burning second act is an effort to raise consciousness about global warming that but also an affirmation that there are more of us than there are of them – a demonstration that there is a better Western consciousness at work than the one that has inspired such hair-raising international enmity over the last few years The strong contention held by Live Earth that thinking about the collective good is simply a better way to do business was at least a nice idea, and at best, a potentially empowering paradigm-shift.

The concerts themselves assiduously avoided any mention of political agenda, apart from a general, collective resistance to buying into false, corporate-manufactured ideologies. If there was any glaring omission, it was that there seemed to be an outright kibosh on Republican-bashing. The concerts were effortlessly positive, and successfully intent on bringing home a handful of specific messages in an eco-conscious "Seven Point Pledge" (e.g. buy florescent lightbulbs) … all of which could be distilled into the one simple message: Every little bit really does help. You too can contribute to the sum of a unified, greater effort to pass on a healthy planet to the kids.

The concert Gore originally wanted to take place in Washington, DC, was considered "too hot" politically. From an April Washington Post article: "Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the ranking Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee, vowed to block Live Earth from coming to the Capitol, telling the Hill newspaper that 'there has never been a partisan political event at the Capitol, and this is a partisan political event.'"

FULL story at link.

Al Gore may not be a consummate politician but he's more than made up for that lack of talent through his seemingly tireless efforts to save our beloved "Mother Earth."

We love ya bunches Al Gore. :loveya: :yourock:

An American Treasure. :patriot:

:P

And on top of that, I will follow Bobby Kennedy's advice and write to companies who sponsor shows like Hannity, PigBoy, Beck and whoever dares bring Annthrax on to spew her venom and threaten to stop buying their products.

Somehow something clicked for me this Saturday, and I didn't even like half the perfomers.