Music
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The Journey Home: John Butler Inspires Hope and Awareness
When singer-songwriter John Butler sees a performance that gives him chills, he leaves the show feeling like he could do anything. “If I can give that feeling to one person at every gig I play—because of what that experience gives to them, what it gives to me and in turn, what it gives to the world—if I can be a vehicle of that energy, then I’m doing my job.”
But Butler, who is now Australia’s highest selling independent artist of all time, never thought this would be his job. “I thought I’d be in Special Forces, a professional skateboarder, an artist or a teacher, never a musician,” he says.
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Michael Franti's Sound Yoga Practice
As a long-distance runner, professional singer and songwriter and worldwide community and environmental activist, Michael Franti lives a life driven by yoga-inspired philosophies, both on and off the mat.
Known as one of the most consciously positive artists in music today, Michael Franti has been practicing yoga for 11 years. The discipline resonates with him as a solution to the physical and mental stress he encounters touring on the road, and he has practiced yoga daily ever since his first experience. “I still recall how stiff I was during my first class. I couldn’t touch my toes and I could barely sit with my legs crossed,” Franti reflects.
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Songster with a Cause: Jack Johnson Plans Shows with the Planet in Mind
Singer-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.
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One Love for People and the Planet: The Wailers Inspire Through Life and Song
As the Wailers tour the U.S. this spring and summer, including a beachside set at the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores on May 22, their music will lift spirits and spread the same positive vibes that it has for decades. Together with Bob Marley, the Wailers have sold over 250 million albums, and for many people around the world, their catalog of songs defines reggae music.
According to Wailers lead singer Dwayne “Danglin” Anglin, the music is “timeless because it is based on real people, real situations, real experiences. The message of the music and the mood that it sets are the two things that give it a certain uniqueness, a profoundness and relevance that will sustain through all time.”
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Xavier Rudd's Music with a Message
Australian singer-songwriter and activist Xavier Rudd recently released his ninth studio album and will be playing the Hangout Music Fest, in Gulf Shores, on May 16. Known for his progressive politics and championing of environmental and Aboriginal issues, Rudd’s environmentalism is deeply rooted. He says, “I come from a fairly carbon-neutral existence in a small town in the bush. Over time as my music became popular, it lent itself to supporting environmental issues and organizations.”
His live shows host information tables for conservation societies and he’s played myriad performances in support of environmental causes such as marine wildlife conservation, anti-fracking and land preservation for wilderness, culture and heritage.
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Hangout with an Eco-Conscious Intent
Thirty-five thousand music fans will take to the white sandy beaches of Gulf Shores for the fourth annual Hangout Music Festival, from May 17 through 19. The eclectic lineup headlined by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Kings of Leon and Stevie Wonder is sure to entertain the audience, but what kind of footprint does this type of event leave in the sand?
Hangout founder Shaul Zislin says, “We take our [environmental] responsibility as a member of the Gulf Shores community very seriously. Part of the magic of the festival is that we can assemble a large number of people and not trash the place we all love. The magic of Hangout—outside of the fantastic music and wonderful people—is coexisting with our beautiful environment here.”