On April 17-19, beloved indie favorite Piebald closed out their 12+ year existence with three final shows at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA and the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. Piebald teamed up with Rock ‘n Renew to make this sold-out final tour a memorable event that reflected the band’s long-time green ethics. As drummer Luke Garro explained, “These events were more than your typical live show. The goal was to create a unique experience that was as entertaining as it was educational.”

The band donated $1 from every ticket sale to Rock ‘n Renew, and the event included an eco-fashion show each night to entertain the fans. This unusual show featured karaoke singers (selected from posted youtube audition tapes) decked out in sustainably-made clothing and shoes from ethical brands Topo Ranch, Autonomie Project, Birdhead, and Macbeth.

Throughout the band’s existence, Piebald executed numerous US tours in a bus that ran on 100% straight vegetable oil (SVO), avoiding petroleum and saving significant money on band transportation costs. These tours were accompanied with an alternative energy education campaign and live demonstrations of the vehicle to encourage fans and other bands to take action. Rock ‘n Renew would like to thank Piebald for their commitment to the environment, their support for Rock ‘n Renew, and for producing great music for over a decade.

With the motto “Green is the New Black,” Rock ‘n Renew stepped in to make the LA Fashion Trade Show in Santa Monica an eco-friendly, sustainable event. Hosted by CLASS, the three-day show brought buyers and press together with 60 of the best brands in the business, including sustainability pioneer Linda Lowdermilk and other environmentally-conscious labels like Topo Ranch, Pure Play, and Re:Volve. All participants were given the option to offset their CO2 with a donation to True Offsets, Rock ‘n Renew’s own carbon offsetting program, with the goal of making the show a carbon-neutral event.

Rock ‘n Renew helped engineer green initiatives into every aspect of the tradeshow, including:

* A green-powered generator to power outdoor tents
* Canvas bags and reusable water containers for each guest
* Healthy, filtered water provided on-site by I love my H2O, eliminating the need for wasteful disposable bottles
* Fresh, organic meals from FOOD+LAB served on biodegradable dishware
* Recycled carpet and reusable signage at the venue
* Recycling of all paper, glass and paper waste
* Hybrid vehicles made available for rental with a special trade show discount
* Fruit smoothies made on-site with bikes powered by 100% renewable, human-powered energy

—and much more.

The show’s eco-initiatives generated a lot of press attention and praise from the fashion community. (Click here for characteristic coverage of the event.) With Rock ‘n Renew’s help, the trade show proved that being good to the environment is also good for business.

On Super Tuesday, Rock ‘n Renew was asked to help make Barack Obama’s California Primary Day Rally a sustainable and successful event. Held at the Avalon Ballroom, across the street from Capitol Records in Hollywood, the event welcomed 1,500 campaign supporters who gathered to watch the results and celebrate their hard work on the campaign. In between addresses from leading California politicians and VIPs, guests viewed election returns, enjoyed music and cocktails, and had their photo taken in a booth specially designed for the event.

Rock ‘n Renew had the opportunity to speak to the large group of press assembled at the event about the importance of environmental initiatives and the need for every political candidate to address the issue of global warming. And, as always, we helped the crowd rock…and renew.

The Power Shift 2007 conference brought together over 5,000 college students from around the country to legislate for change and make environmental issues a priority in Washington. Participants were inspired by a wide array of speakers, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and environmental leaders like Van Jones, Bill McKibben, Judy Bonds, and Billy Parish. Students attended two days of intensive workshops, including a very popular one by Rock ‘n Renew’s own Jonny Dubowsky on “The Power of Art and Music in the Classroom.” The conference ended with a lobby day on Capitol Hill in which students visited their senators and representatives and encouraged Congress to pass important climate legislation. After meeting with hundreds of students and activists at the conference, Rock ‘n Renew went away extremely impressed by the ambitious range of initiatives taking place on college campuses all over the nation.

In the hot sun at the all-day Download Festivals, Rock ‘n Renew encouraged the crowd to help the earth stay cool. Thousands of fans attended the festivals to see musical acts Modest Mouse, the Shins, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Snoop Dogg, and others. Teaming up with the NRDC, Rock ‘n Renew handed out 700 canvas bags to concert-goers in Boston and Chicago. (Click here to see video of the bag giveaway and the crowd’s response.) Fans were given paints, stencils and markers and personalized their bags with creative, humorous, and beautiful designs.

We reminded each fan that plastic bags take 12 million barrels of oil to make annually and that 100 billion plastic bags are thrown away in the US each year. We asked them to use their new canvas bag instead: at the convenience store, the supermarket, the book or music shop—anywhere they could avoid putting yet another plastic bag into our already choked system. Rock ‘n Renew founder Jonny Dubowsky also led a Q & A session with Adam Gardner from Guster, continuing our efforts to bring musicans and their fans together to promote environmental awareness.

Rock ‘n Renew encouraged sustainability through art and music as part of the Parrish Art Museum’s unique series, “Three Summer Nights.” At all three events, the Hamptons community came out in force to support Rock ‘n Renew’s use of cultural events in the service of environmental awareness and action. The museum stayed open so guests could visit the exhibits while listening to music and being educated about Rock ‘n Renew’s programs and outreach. The first Summer Night, Project Eco-Vision, saw a host of creative art installations made exclusively of recycled and retrieved materials, meant to foster awareness of the earth’s burden and consideration of the things we throw away. Project Hot Shot followed, with a night of reggae and the debut of a cutting-edge digital photography exhibit, US NOW. The final installment of the series, Project Night Beat, showcased both upcoming and established musical artists, and finished with a performance by Rock ‘n Renew’s own Jonny Lives!

Photos by Shirley Dluginski