Songster
with a Cause JACK JOHNSON PLANS SHOWS WITH THE PLANET IN MIND by Meredith Montgomery
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inger-songwriter Jack Johnson’s touring concerts have almost always doubled as fundraisers for local environmental nonprofits. “Early on, we recognized that we could not only fill a room for our music, but also raise funds and awareness for nonprofit groups we believe in,” says Johnson. Then, as he started playing larger venues, “I realized the power of touring was to connect our fans with local nonprofits in every town we played.” Johnson and his wife, Kim, also founded two environmentally focused foundations, and during the past five years, all of his tour proceeds have been donated to these charitable foundations. Through them, donations have been made to hundreds of national and international charitable organizations in support of environmental education. The enabling commercial success began in 2001 when his debut album successfully established this Oahu, Hawaiian’s trademark mellow 18
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surf-rocker style. Since then, he’s released five more studio albums, including the most recent, From Here to Now to You. Johnson is headlining the Hangout Music Fest in Gulf Shores this month, playing on the beach at sunset on May 18. “While I have so much gratitude for the support our music receives, for me, music has always been a hobby, a side thing. It grew into a way to work in the nonprofit world. Being engaged in environmental education almost feels like my real job, and the music’s something we’re lucky enough to provide to fund related causes,” says Johnson. As the size of his audience grows, so has the size of his potential environmental footprint. On the road, Johnson’s team works with the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance to fuel all tour trucks, buses and generators. Comprehensive recycling efforts including refillable water bottle stations, plus organic cotton T-shirts, and reusable or biodegradable food service
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ware are standard at his shows. “We try to be environmentally conscious every step of the way,” says Johnson. “Our record cases and posters use recycled paper and eco-friendly inks. We record albums in my solar-powered studio. It’s an ongoing learning process and conversation as we find even better ways to do things.” Johnson’s team often requests increased recycling efforts and use of energy-efficient light bulbs at venues advancing long-term eco-changes everywhere they perform. He explains, “Our thinking is that once they change the light bulbs for us, they’re not going to go back to the old light bulbs after we leave. Many venue managers tell us they have stuck with the improvements because they realize that they’re easy to do.” Marine pollution and single-use plastics are issues high on the musician’s environmental list, but the topic he’s most passionate about is food. In his home state, 90 percent of food is imported. “The