Got your fill of fests? Not yet? OK, one more for you, then: The NorthWest LoveFest 2011, this one taking place right at our border with Fremont, in the parking lot at the corner of 34th and Stone Way, between the Burke and the water. Here’s their PR piece:
Northwest LoveFest 2011, an annual community, music and arts festival August 27 and 28, has announced its final lineup. Artists recently added to LoveFest’s unique mix of rock, reggae, world, jam bands and hip-hop include LA folk-rock band The Reflectacles, jazz-inspired Americana duo The Vaudeville Etiquette, and local folk outfit Hannalee. All participating artists were hand-picked by festival organizers as those who consider community before personal profit …
Northwest LoveFest was founded in 2010 to cultivate a healthier, more sustainable community through an environmentally responsible celebration of creativity and social service. In tune with their philosophy that music festivals should have a positive effect on humanity and the environment, all carbon waste from the festival itself and all attendees will be offset in partnership with TerraPass. Other environmentally-friendly attributes of the festival include free water to all attendees who bring their own cup or bottle and a free bike valet on-site. Biking, running, walking or busing to the event is strongly encouraged.
This year’s festival runs two days, Saturday, August 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Sunday, August 28, 2011 from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 per day or $15 for both days, available in advance from Brown Paper Tickets …
The full line-up includes Project Lionheart, Elemental Zazen, The Missionary Position, A Leaf, Ben Union, The Reflectacles, Whitney Monge, The MakePeace Brothers, Lydia Ramsey, Elbow Coulee, Big High, Tito Ramsey, Gentlemen Buckhunters, The Vaudeville Etiquette, Luc & The Lovingtons, Thione Diop, Polyrythmics, Youngblood Groovement, Geoffrey Castle, Hannalee, Thaddillac, House of Tarab, Quinn, Jon Pontrello, Northwest Sons, Danny Godinez, Troup Hipnotica, Verlee For Ransom, and Thomas Starks.
Look, we’ll be honest: we question the green credentials of the event: don’t get us started on the validity of TerraPass’s carbon offset model (CheatNeutral captures it best), free water doesn’t quite count as a huge environmental achievement and the fact that they’re giving 1% of their revenue to a charity just begs the question of where the other 99% goes. Not that we mind them trying to make some money from ticket sales and their corporate sponsors, but the greenwash is just silly.
The music should be good, though. And if you don’t like it, just go to Gas Works. It’s going to be a beautiful weekend.
I don’t know anything about this event, but it does say it’s giving 1% of revenue, not 1% of profits, to charity. Most of the other 99% presumably pays for the event (in addition to ticket sales, of course). And, if they actually don’t sell water in individual water bottles but provide water-refill stations, that’s actually a pretty good step in green event management.
Excellent point about the proceeds and the green credentials! Businesses and especially corporations love to use causes as PR (“look how green/compassionate we are!”) while actually giving/doing precious little for the causes they claim to support. A prime example is the exploitation of breast cancer by corporations and their pink ribbon marketing campaigns. Pink and green make easy targets.
Good comments, all. But it does my 60+yo heart good to know that hippies still roam the earth.
This festival is being organized by a group of very enthusiastic young people whose hearts are in the right place. Don’t be concerned about what they do with profits. Last year they went deep into debt to pull this off but here they are again! The cost of producing something like this is huge and I hope they get a large crowd to enjoy the fruits of their vision. $15 for 24 hours of great music is only 62 cents an hour! Go and support this if you want to support music and peaceful gatherings. Hooray for hippies!!
Re: “just begs the question of where the other 99% goes”. [Insert standard, oft-repeated but as-oft-ignored rant on what “begs the question” actually means. Look it up.]
/rob
Wallyhood – you’re getting crabby in yer old age. “free water doesn’t quite count as a huge environmental achievement” Perhaps, but if it encourages folks to bring a bottle instead of counting on buying a plastic one it’s one small achievement, & the bike valet is awesome. Next step – all “green fest” amps will be bike-powered.