Revolution Evolution

Monday'n (pronounced: mundane)

Hate that Monday morning work feeling.

But, memories of an incredible Saturday does let the medicine go down easier.

Ah, Live Earth. 07/07/07. 7 hours of heat, music and energy. If there ever was singeing testimony of the existence of Global Warming, it would have to be the near-100 degree weather, that day. And, probably the only down-side to having *cough* dead-center floor seats (notice how I slipped that in there? subtle, no?).

Gotta admit it. Al Gore certainly knows how to throw a rockin' party.

Highlights of the evening (and do catch these on YouTube, if you can):

(1) KT Tunstall's loop-machine usage on "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" - amazing to see this live.
(2) John Mayer's extended and passionate guitar solo on his new song, Gravity - this was really sick!
(3) Alicia Keys and Keith Urban doing Rolling Stones', "Gimme Shelter", together!
(4) Two words: Petra Nemcova.
(5) Kanye West's violin crew!
(6) Akon getting carried around through the crowd, while singing an upbeat Save Senegal-type track.
(7) Zach Braff finally giving Giants Stadium the recognition of being in the 'lovely state of New Jersey', much to the crowd's appreciation.
(8) "Elegant in black" Petra Nemcova forgetting her lines, and then saying "Sorry, I'm a model, I have just one brain cell" - classic! kudos to her publicist, who has clearly trained her well.
(9) Alicia Keys rendition of Marvin Gaye's Mercy, Mercy Me and best of all, her unplugged piano solo - "If I Ain't Got You" - the way she excitedly jumps on the piano chair, as the song reaches its crescendo - god, how adorable; she's still a child, but with the voice of heaven.
(10) Bon Jovi - kicking it up a notch and raising the bar of the night, with Living on a Prayer, Dead or Alive, Who Say's You Can't Go Home (with an additional reprise and a spirited new ending) and Its My Life! - What a set!!!

In other news, angry-dyke Melissa Etheridge needed a tranquilizer shot (Jane "Gorillas in the Mist" Goodall was one of the announcers, and should have done the honors!) as she ranted, raved and spewed much venom at our world and how we live it, in the middle of her Oscar-Winning song, for nearly 45-minutes, as her weary band-members plotted to kill her. And funnily, as Al Gore spoke on about his cause, a small airplane hovered over the stadium, dragging a sign saying "Don't Believe Gore! DemandDebate.com". Freedom of speech at its loftiest elevation, is it not?

Although the undercurrent (or rather, overcurrent) of Global Warming and its impacts were lectured and dinned into the audience, in an almost madrasa-like fashion, it did become apparent that a lot of Kevin Wall's Alliance's future depended on the messaging of these events. Although, the theme was more about the solutions, one feels that Live Earth was more about the awareness.

What I mean is, you can't expect people to exchange their Hummers for Hybrids, the day after the concert. But the messaging that the planet is in peril, and its future significantly endangered, was successfully conveyed to the people who witnessed these concerts live, and on television, and brought the issues slightly closer to the foreground of their perception. Not quite as close to the front as blazing concerns like taxes and Petra Nemcova (who sizzled), but prominent enough in their psyche, for them to act when the time is right, when the opportunity does arise for them to make a difference to their lives, and the lives of others. Of course, this is to be done by repeat visibility and even more solution/awareness-building, which is beyond events and parties, and goes right to the homes, backyards, automobile engines and offices of the people.

Clearly, its not a simple task. But if there ever was a commencement bash for a mammoth movement like this, Live Earth fits the bill to a T.

But as Bob Geldof's perception of several superconcerts like this in the past, which came, impacted and went, goes - "Its just a crazy, huge rock concert, that's what it is".

And that's exactly what it was.

One heck of a party.