On Live Earth

Don't go near the water...
Don't you think it's sad,
What's happened to the water?
Our water's goin' bad.

Oceans, rivers, lakes and streams
Have all been touched by man.
The poison floatin' out to sea
Now threatens life on land.

Don't go near the water...
Ain't it sad,
What's happened to the water?
It's going bad.

The Beach Boys - Don't Go Near the Water

I love music. And there was something about Live Earth that struck me. Seeing a bunch of millionaire musicians do something for the environment.... it gave me some actual hope for the future. I didn't watch the whole thing, but I did see a lot of it. Maybe I'm just a sucker for big, socially conscious musical festivals, but I thought it was fucking sweet. Some thoughts, then....

- One reason I think Live Earth was so good, at least on TV, was that it seemed like all the artists were trying their hardest. Even Duran Duran, who no one seemed to really give a crap about (did they not play Hungry Like A Wolf, or did I just miss it?) The exception seemed to be Genesis. They looked like they were coasting. But on that note, Phil Collins may be 75, and it was for a good cause, so I'll give them a pass.

- The Alicia Keys-Keith Urban cover of Gimme Shelter was actually pretty cool

- I have to say, I was in no way, shape or form a Melissa Etheridge fan before the concert, but her whole political spiel was highly impressive and pretty damn cool.

- Who's KT Tunstall? She was pretty awesome. Cool musician that I'll have to check out. And I totally dig the accent

- Akon talking about a stripper girlfriend totally fit in with the socially conscious attitudes of the other bands. Seriously, what?

- So is no one else shocked by Al Gore's meteoric rise to super-stardom? I mean, he got the biggest ovation at the event. And seriously, if you're Gore, is there a better slap in the face to Bush and his administration than successfully organizing such a concert? While the Bush administration has neglected, if not hurt, the environment, Gore managed to create a movement and raise interest in his environmental cause. During Bush's term, possibly his two biggest detractors have been the young voting group and Hollywood - both of whom Gore now solidly has on his side. Ultimately, mob rule will prevail. And whether you believe in global warming or not (I believe it exists and is a growing problem, just not on apocalyptic proportions), it is now the prevailing theory among the young and famous.
If Gore ran for president now, I think he'd win. Shit, have you seen the other candidates? I'd vote for him. All that prevented Gore from winning in his previous race (although it must be noted I am skeptical as to whether he actually 'lost') was a complete and utter lack of personality. But who the hell needs that when you have Bon Jovi and DeNiro in your corner? Is there a more beloved political figure in America right now than Al Gore? If you're him, don't you have to join the presidential race? And honestly, it'd be nice to have a president looking to make a beneficial change rather than simply striving to spread capitalism through war.