7 Ways to Spot a Green Concert Tour

Full-scale concert tours can turn out thousands of tons of carbon in a matter of only a few months—as much as the annual carbon footprint of as many as 350 people just with transportation, effects, lighting, and merchandise. But artists who are going green in the studio or in their own lives often make those same eco-friendly choices a priority onstage, too: Keep reading for the seven sure-fire signs that you're supporting a sustainable act.

1. Carbon Offsets

You might purchase carbon offsets to balance out that annual trip to see Grandma or the flight to your high school reunion, but musical acts trying to green their tours need to think bigger: buses, crews, roadies, even fan travel. But more and more musicians are putting part of their profits toward carbon offsets that counteract all of their energy expenditures: Pearl Jam donated more than $200,000 to plant 33 acres of trees in their home state of Washington, undoing 7,000 tons of carbon; Jack Johnson turned to renewable energy programs to offset 4,000 tons of carbon during his 2008 tour; and Canadian DJ Tiga turned to Atmosfair to undo the impact of the flights on his tour in 2008.

2. Biodiesel Buses

Even better than offsetting carbon use is simply using less in the first place, which is why musicians turn to biodiesel fuel for one of their biggest energy guzzlers: the tour buses. Acts including Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Melissa Etheridge, Indigo Girls, Guster, John Mayer, and Keith Urban have all switched to the biodegradable, low-emission fuel, which is made from renewable resources (like soybeans) and releases about 1/4 of the carbon monoxide of conventional diesel.

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3. Recycling

Of course, once you get all the people and the gear to the concert, green tour managers need a plan for all the trash they're going to create. Look for acts that focus on reducing waste and recycling, both out front and behind the scenes, with drop-off bins for fans to use for cans and bottles, coordinated recycling efforts in for the band and crew backstage, and, in some cases, even access to a composting effort for leftover food and biodegradable waste.

4. Education

Acts that really want to make an environmental difference know there's one more key component: education. Bringing thousands of potential earth warriors together means these acts have a unique opportunity for education and outreach—one that Reverb makes sure to take advantage of with the Eco-Village, a collection of tents, information, and outreach that shows music fans how to make some of the same green choices their favorite acts have made. Look for Reverb this year at shows including Ben Harper and Relentlesss7, Drake, Lilith Fair, and Brandi Carlile.

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5. Green Packaging

Let's not forget the whole reason you're at the show in the first place: The music. Look for albums sold in eco-friendly packaging (like recycled cardboard cases) or available for download, and see if any of your favorite acts have made a point of using renewable energy in their studios. Minnesota-based Cloud Cult, for example, built a studio from reclaimed and recycled materials, and keeps it running on geothermal and wind power.

6. Organic, Local Food

Since most concert food consists of cheap beer, nachos, hot dogs, and whatever else the venue has on standard rotation, it's unlikely that you'll end up at a show that offers organic vegetable trays, veggie burgers, and local brews—but that doesn't mean that the band backstage isn't going the local and organic route. Green musicians can adjust their riders and requests to source their meals from nearby farmers and chow down on sustainable eats before rocking out.

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7. You

Calculate the number of people at each show on a year-long tour—and the think about how each of them got to the venue. The carbon footprint of fans—even those who attend just one show—adds up fast, which is why many bands now offer incentives for fans who carpool. If you're heading to a show in a city, you could also try public transportation instead of driving and, of course, choose the show that's closest to home to avoid any flights.

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