Planet Green
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This is what we've been working so hard for during this entire tour. Tonight is the benefit finale concert at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. We are all electric with excitement and I'm like a kid in a candy store. Big live shows like this are why I became a roadie in the first place, to be a part of this. This is what makes all the long days and nights on the road worth it.
I'm hanging out backstage with Slash during rehearsal, sharing a Coke with Robbie Krieger of The Doors at soundcheck. It's like someone has jumped out of every cd I've ever owned and come to play live here tonight. I keep reminding myself that this show isn't just the end of the road and a big concert for us, it's for a great cause. Last year about this time Griffith Park was badly burned by wildfires. More than 800 acres were destroyed and tonight our proceeds are going to help with reforestation. We can see the scarred hillsides as we stand outside the theatre with Los Angeles' Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa. He's come to plant the first tree with Tommy and Luda as a swarm of TV cameras hover over them, capturing the moment.
Everyone wants to know who the winner of Battleground Earth is. That's who gets to headline the show while the other is the opening act, something neither of them have been in many years. It's a big deal. No matter what they've learned or how much they've helped the environment tonight it's about who's the bigger star. At least that's what you'd think listening to them talk to each other.
Back in the theatre The Blue Man Group is standing at the snack table chatting with Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, the calm before the storm. Right before the show starts its suddenly pure mayhem with everyone running around taking care of last minute details and speaking rapidly into walkie talkies. I hear my name almost constantly and I'm too busy to notice Tommy Davidson pacing off stage waiting to start the show until I almost trip over him. He's our MC for the night and he's riffing hilarious material under his breath.
Then the curtain is up and the show takes off. From here concerts have their own momentum and whatever is going to happen is going to happen. We always hope for magic and tonight is no different. Cedric the Entertainer is back to review the tour and how his boys have done in their mission to get the message out to the masses. He announces the winner of the show and then its time to bring the rock. Dee Snider is backed by Bowling for Soup for a high energy "We're Not Gonna Take It". Robbie Krieger can still rock like nobody's business. He plays the Doors classics "Love me 2 Times" and "Roadhouse Blues" with Train. Other highlights for me included Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top playing "La Grange" with Slash, Duff McKagan and Dave Kushner of Velvet Revolver and The Blue Man Group jamming with Tommy Lee.
DW Drums presented Tommy with a custom made drum kit that he played with his other band, Rock Star Supernova.
Ludacris brought the house down with his hits including "Stand Up" and "Money Maker". He's a powerful presence on stage and I watched from the wings, my fist in the air, my heart pumpin'.
The show wouldn't have been complete without something from the ecorage. Johnny Colt's band Train was there rocking their hits representing Team Tommy. 4-ize was backed by Willie Box on "Do it for the Haterz".
I stole a few minutes to run out and watch the show from the audience. I saw Tommy and The Blue Man Group spewing green paint as they rocked the drums. I saw Switchfoot and Bowling for Soup and Ziggy Marley. It was such an eclectic show, not like anything else you're likely to see all at once. It passed in a blur and before I knew it the curtain came down and there was nothing left to do but clean up.
That's the moment we all knew it was over. We'd been on this journey together through good times, some really tough times and a lot of memories and now it was ending. There were a lot of hugs and promises to stay in touch but once the theatre was quiet and I was sitting alone packing up the last of the equipment I wondered what would happen next for all of us and if we really would keep in touch. I hope so.
Now I'll have time to try some of those green tricks I've learned over the last month...
Signing off... until season two.
~Roadie T
Get more info on this episode of Battleground Earth.
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