How Was Live Earth?

I didn't attend in person, but recorded the 6 hour broadcast on TiVo. I've watched the first couple hours of it, if you want to call it that. I skipped through all the commercials and most of the smarmy "green lifestyle" public service announcements, trying to get to the good music. I saw there were several groups that I just wasn't interested in, and skipped through those. I tried to watch some of the performers that do play music I like, but didn't find much of that until I landed on Dave Matthews. That's as far as I've gotten so far.

I did see Al Gore's hyper-rant, and it just seemed bizarre. He was hyped up, that's for sure. But the audience he was speaking to just looked totally disengaged. No smiles or cheers. Most of them looked like they couldn't understand a word he said, or just didn't give a damn.

Speaking of the crowd reaction, whenever the camera angle switched from the performer to the audience, it looked like a very sparsely distributed group of journalists, not music fans. Out of a stadium that looked like it could hold 50,000 people or more, I think I saw 3 - maybe 4 - of them actually dancing around enjoying the music. In one shot I saw, probably 50% of the people in the audience had video cameras pointed right back at the person on stage.

So, the impression I've gotten so far is it was more of a prefabricated media event than an actual serious musical performance.

I thought it was awesome. It's tiring hearing complainers that it 'wasn't green enough'. Compared to other concerts, what other concert promotes being green, using/fixing up green venues, and have a great line of stars? No other concert, that's it.

Live Earth did a great job. It's tiring hearing complainers. People use jets all the time, all concert venues relase lots of carbon (though Live Earth tried making it more efficient), so there should be no reason to complain.

Although I didn't like the Al Gore part. That could have gone away for sure.

Ok, so there's ALOOT of money and PR involved in this thing. AND the concerts and the broadcasting of them in itself produced heaps of carbon dioxide. Sure you can critizise this.

But I STILL think it's a very impressive initiative/action to use the extraordinary power of (live) music like this. With so many hours of music of course there will be some questionable acts (do I need to say PCD), but I was blown away by how many greatly talented artists were also involved in this. John Mayer, Missy Higgins, Sting, John Butler Trio, Eskimo Joe, Crowded House, Melissa Etheridge, Jack Johnson, Blue King Brown... Wow. (yes, I favored the Sydney concert).

With all the millions of people watching this thing, I think it's safe to say the message got across to a few. We need to change. And if this thing can help change the future it's worth every penny. That's what I think anyway.

Like BBC Environmental Analysist Roger Harrabin writes in his article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6274264.stm)
: "Every kilogram of CO2 generated round the world by the concerts will be well spent if it jolts politicians to respond with a little more urgency to the warning the scientists are sounding."

I didn't know or hear anything about it. yeesh.

aaahhh i loved live earth! i watched it and danced around in my room all day :) so fuuunnnn and wonderful to see so much publicity for a great cause. my back kinda hurts now though... but i mos def perfected my dance moves