7 Green Acts to See on Tour This Year

Nothing says summer like a day at a great concert—but that doesn't have to mean giving up your green plans; instead, choose to see one of these acts (or many others) who are taking increasing numbers of green steps at their shows. From encouraging fans to carpool and offering sustainable souvenirs to powering their buses with biodiesel and buying carbon offsets, see the bands (both big and small) and festivals (both classic and recently-returned) that offer a green experience.

1. Ben Harper

Musician Ben Harper is almost as passionate about the environment as he is about his tunes (check out his three-part interview with TreeHugger founder Graham Hill for more about his work turning a parking island into a public space, his dedication to surfing, and his eco-hero). Last year, for his Relentless Seven tour, Harper ran his tour bus on biofuel and sold copies of his album, Lifeline, in recycled packaging. This spring, he's working with Reverb on the Campus Consciousness tour, which bills itself as "half rock tour, half environmental campaign," and includes carbon offsets, recycling efforts, and sustainable souvenirs.

2. Jack Johnson

In 2008, singer/songwriter Jack Johnson offset all of its carbon output in an effort to go carbon neutral; this year, the musician continues his green initiatives to coordinate with the June release of his latest album, To the Sea (which was recorded in studios powered by solar energy). Johnson has announced plans to donate all of the proceeds from his 48-performance tour to charity—a similar commitment on his last tour brought in nearly $1 million. When he's not performing, Johnson focuses his efforts on his Kokua Hawaii Foundation, which supports environmental education, and is a member of 1 Percent for the Planet.

Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

3. Lilith Fair

Reverb has helped green the tours of The Fray, John Mayer, Dave Matthews, and more—and this summer they're working with the return of Lilith Fair—which includes performances from Indigo Girls, Emmylou Harris, Heart, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, The Bangles, Rihanna, Loretta Lynn, and many more. Reverb plans to provide the festival with biodiesel, set up recycling stations at the concerts, hand out reusable water bottles to the bands and crew members, use biodegradable disposable utensils and cups on site, and line up carbon offsets for any outstanding balance.

4. Cloud Cult

Green-minded band Cloud Cult isn't on the road yet, but they have planned a nationwide tour to coincide with the release of their latest album this summer. And since the band is known for its efforts in sustainability—like building a studio from reclaimed and recycled materials and running it on renewable energy, and hand-washing cd cases for reuse instead of buying new—you can expect plenty of great green moves from their next trek: Expect them to offset all of their carbon emissions, run their van on biodiesel, and donate all their profits to environmental charities, as they've done for past tours.

Credit: Christie Goodwin/Redferns/Getty Images

5. Dave Matthews Band Summer Tour

Dave Matthews Band may be the quintessential summer concert, but the band has more on its mind than outdoor venues and extended jam sessions: They've been working with Reverb to green their tours for years, using biodiesel for the buses, encouraging fans to carpool, offer eco-friendly souvenirs, and purchasing carbon offsets for all of their travel and energy use. This summer, look for the band on the road starting May 20 in Washington D.C. and ending September 15 in St. Paul.

6. Pearl Jam

Last year, Pearl Jam showed off its devotion to the cause buy donating more than $200,000 toward tree-planting in the band's home state of Washington—that's enough to fund 33 acres of planting, and offset more than 7,000 tons of carbon that the group (and its fans) let loose during the year. This summer, the band heads overseas for June and July dates in Europe, where you can expect them to stay true to their green themes: biodiesel buses, a smaller fleet than other acts, and carbon offsets when their initial efforts come up short.

7. Lollapalooza

While this year's Lollapalooza festival isn't going 100-percent green, the lineup does include a few acts that have taken environmental steps, like Green Day and Lady Gaga. This time around, the festival will also put together a section for green merchandise, which they described as "where earth-friendly, sustainable, and fair trade = functional, fashionable, and hip." Ticketholders can also shell out an extra $5 to offset their individual carbon emissions, refill water bottles at stations throughout the festival, and collect green stamps that qualify you to win a 2010 Honda Insight hybrid.

More about Green Concert Tours
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