Popular music of today isn’t the same as popular music in the 60s and 70s. Of course today’s music is digitally re-mastered with higher quality sound and is more widely accessible because of the larger number of music venues, but one could argue that the biggest difference isn't about the sound quality or the accessibility of the music. The content of the music itself is different. While music of the 60s and 70s was often fueled by political and cultural conflicts, today’s music is more often than not much more superficial. Live Earth, a worldwide concert with goals to combat global warming, brings music back to its politically charged roots. The tour will hit all 7 continents and will last 24 hours on 7/7/07, with artists performing around the world simultaneously to support the same cause. Live Earth features critically acclaimed performers such as Bon Jovi, John Mayer and Madonna in the U.S. location alone, among many other world renowned acts.
The U.S. show will now be held at the Giants Stadium in New Jersey, but this location is only a recent determination after Republican lawmakers refused to authorize the concert location of the Mall in Washington D.C., stating that the partisan concert couldn’t be permitted in such a venue. It is unfortunate that peaceful protest through music is no longer embraced by our government and is instead considered unacceptable. However, with the expansion of the Internet and using this technology as a tool to stream the concerts to the entire world, the actual location of the event becomes a non issue.
The concert will be streamed live via liveearth.msn.com and also broadcast on 120 television networks around the world, reaching approximately 2 billion people. The concert’s organizers (led by political spokespeople such as Al Gore) want to educate and inspire businesses and governments around the world to take action to solve the climate change crisis, and by using technological advances, they are able to reach the largest possible audience and use music as a tool to promote change. Sound familiar?
