A shout-out for the planet

The Baltimore Sun

WASHINGTON -- It was a morning concert, packed into a tiny plaza, hastily grafted onto a celebration at the National Museum of the American Indian.

But the brief performance by country power couple Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood presented a much-sought-after Washington presence for the globe-spanning Live Earth concerts. Former Vice President Al Gore's concert series aimed to raise awareness about global warming, and the shows previously announced for yesterday extended from Australia, Japan, China, South Africa, Germany and England to Brazil, New Jersey and Antarctica.

"It wasn't the cavalry that came to our rescue; it was the American Indians," said Gore, thanking the museum for hosting the program at the 11th hour - and taking a swipe at congressional Republicans who had rebuffed the show.

The crowd on the plaza, a mostly white, almost even mix of college-age youth and middle-aged fans, went wild. The plaza holds roughly 200, but close to double that number packed the space. A similar crowd gathered along the avenue, where the free show was broadcast on a huge monitor. Brooks played guitar and, with Yearwood and two soulful backup singers, belted out "We Shall Be Free," a hit from his 1992 album The Chase. Images of rolling waves and infinitely tall trees flashed across the screen behind them, accompanying the spirited blend of country and Southern gospel.

The Washington show had initially been scrapped when organizers couldn't secure a venue because of scheduling conflicts and political concerns. But Gore added the show with a surprise announcement Friday on CBS' The Early Show. The show was coupled with the museum's all-day Mother Earth program, which featured performances by folk, rock and blues performers.

The Live Earth portion, starting at 10:30 a.m. and running for just an hour, included remarks from Tim Johnson, the acting director of the museum. Henrietta Mann, a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma and a professor at Montana State University, and Katsi Cook, a traditional midwife and a member of the Wolf Clan of the Mohawk Nation in New York, spoke movingly about pollution's disruption of Earth's rhythms. "We must honor the life-giving powers of the sun and Earth," Mann said. "Mother Earth has a fever right now."

The morning concert, in a way, served as a prelude to the star-studded U.S. concert at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. That show, featuring the Police, Alicia Keys and John Mayer, drew 52,000 fans a few hours later.

"Of course, we're here to enjoy the music," said Trudie Styler, wife of Police frontman Sting. But the concerts also show that "people are finally taking this precious planet seriously," she said.

Madonna flaunted her eco-friendly side as she headlined an eclectic show at London's newly rebuilt Wembley Stadium. The lineup included the Beastie Boys, the Pussycat Dolls and the Black Eyed Peas.

The drummers from Queen, the Foo Fighters and the Red Hot Chili Peppers began the London concert, leading a battery of percussion set to flashing images of endangered animals, landfill heaps, wind farms and the Earth seen from space. They performed against a map of the world made from the painted tops of oil barrels.

The crowd immediately rose to its feet as the reunited Genesis used its hit "Land of Confusion" to send an environmental message, with Phil Collins urging fans to make the world "a place worth living in."

Gore made a live video appearance from Washington to open the first show on the other side of the world in Sydney. He took the technology a step further a few hours later, appearing onstage in Tokyo as a hologram.

"Global warming is the greatest challenge facing our planet, and the gravest we've ever faced," said Gore, who in his holographic appearance wore the only suit in sight. (He appeared in washed-out jeans and a short-sleeved gray shirt at the brief Washington show.)

"But it's one problem we can solve if we come together as one and take action and drive our neighbors, businesses and governments to act as well," he said.

Organizers promised that the huge shows were made green by using recycled goods and buying carbon credits to offset the inevitable high power bills.

In Sydney, an estimated 50,000 people grooved through a set by former professional-surfer-cum-singer-guitarist Jack Johnson, banged their heads to afro-haired retro rockers Wolfmother and gave a re-formed Crowded House a rapturous homecoming.

rashod.ollison@baltsun.com

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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