Photo Source This is a blog I wrote and saved as a draft on May 31,2007, as you can see. John Mayer’s tour is well underway,having kicked off in Ridgefield, Washington on June 1. I am publishing it now(June 9) containing the original opinion which I expressed in the draft version,even though I later learned that John did in fact hook up with Bonnie Raitt and the Reverb corporation. This is the John Mayer/Reverb link to get involved. They were the same organization which put together the “Green Highway” project during Raitt’s most recent tour and they are the organization currently working with Mayer’s summer tour.

Today seems as good a day as any to blog about Global Warming.It was a very hot and humid day in New York City today.As the song goes “It’s Gettin Hot in Here”.That’s also the name of a student activist organization blog affiliated with Energy Action.

I’ve been following a few people that I’ve interacted with on this matter over the past couple years. Some,internet friends that I’ve just replied to in op ed style on an online blog or by posting my own news story linking to theirs. One, I’ve actually had a chance to sit down and talk with, as well as participate in a project or two sponsored by his organization. That person would be Billy Parrish,who coordinates student activities for Energy Action. He was one of the Global Warming Heroes profiled by Rolling Stone magazine in 2005. His mom is a good friend. So,I get updates at family gatherings, as well as by email. Find Heavier Octaves’ November 2005 blog entry on that article here.

Then there is superstar musician John Mayer who has recently announced his “Light Green”, “Another Kind of Green”(AKOG) campaign, involving the design and manufacture of a line of re-useable shopping bags, as well as converting his concert tour bus to biodiesel for this summer’s concert leg. I’m one of John’s “superfans” so I keep up with the emails, on the message boards and other internet sources,including his blogs. He keeps in pretty good contact with his fans.I’ve also had the opportunity to meet him several times during the course of his concert tours or at shows he has appeared at in support of other artist friends.

The other would be Bonnie Raitt. I receive word about her latest cause or benefit through the receipt of regular emails from her activist organization the Guacfund. It was at a concert and aftershow reception sponsored by them that I first met Bonnie Raitt and John Mayer.Bonnie’s efforts were in support of her friend folk singer Danny Okeefe’s Songbird Foundation which supports fair trade for shade grown coffee farmers and their crops. John Mayer was her special guest. The photos in the Heavier Octaves Photo Story sidebar were taken at the after show reception where I first met John,following a superb concert at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston in April 2003. And,”I ain’t shame” to say that I traveled all the way from Detroit just to be there. I assure you,it was well worth the trip.There is a sermon hidden there…Hold that thought.

Of course there is also the movie An Inconvenient Truth,Al Gore’s contribution to the matter. Laurie David, one of the movie’s producers, also happens to lead the pioneering Virtual March against Global Warming through her “Stop Global Warming” organization. I get plenty of email updates from her and Gore as well. One of the churches with which I’m associated, held a showing of the movie for the community a few months ago.

Anyway,this blog entry is definitely timely as John’s Mayer’s Summer Concert Tour begins tomorrow in Washington. Some might call this stretching associations a bit. Others might say it’s savvy dot connecting in the cyber age in which we live.Truth be told,even though I prefer one on one “real time” communication with friends best, you don’t really have to sit down with a person in “real time’ these days,as the only means of “chatting them up” or engaging in meaningful conversation. So,I’ll call it continuing to take advantage of the opportunity to communicate freely over the internet and leave the rest to your imaginations.Incidentally,John does listen to his fans rather intently. In fact,on a scale of 1 to 10 I’d have to give him a 9.9. I think he has one of the best ears in the recording industry’s musician community for sensing and responding astutely to fan sentiment. Maybe that’s why he made the Time 100 Most Influential People List this year.

The degree and level of Bonnie Raitt’s activism is staggering and quite frankly boggles the mind.I have little doubt that few compare with her. That is no hype, just fact. Believe me,I’ve done my research. I gained respect and admiration for her after learning of her tireless efforts in support of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. Her involvement to obtain fair compensation and other benefits for struggling and aging rhythm and blues artists has not only been needed,but has gained the respect and admiration of many of her peers.

If you don’t know anything about Bonnie, after observation or research you learn that she is a social and environmental activist to the core.Just about everything she does is for the good of society or a group of individuals.It is hardly ever done, if at all with lot’s of fanfare and drum rolls.She is one of the most high powered low key celebrities I have come in contact with.

John is simply put the “people’s musician”. I dubbed him that several years ago after observing how he engages his fan base.He has a pulse on the tastes,opinions and feelings of his fans who are pretty much like family to him. He listens and communicates masterfully and in various forms ranging from guitar virtuoso performances, smooth and breathy vocals, blogs ranging from comedy to serious,stand up comedy to wise instruction and banter with his audiences at music concerts. He is the “people’s musician” because he caters to their tastes,concerns and opinions without losing himself in the process. I would say,that’s either a skill that comes naturally or is developed with painstaking attention paid to detail through listening and observation.His official fan site is appropriately called Local-83 Listener’s Union. John’s spirit,artistry and generosity in sharing his time and talents with artist/musician friends and fans alike,has inspired many fan sites and message boards across the internet,including a non-profit organization,with an associated weblog and radio broadcast–“Heavier Octaves-- ,by this writer, a take on the title of his second studio album, Heavier Things. Heavier Octaves’ aim is to promote humanitarian causes in a culture of cross musical genres,art and other forms of entertainment and has been doing so for nearly four years. John’s love of the blues and his penchant for combining different musical genres has provided the focus for the playlists ,including Lobluja(Love,blues and jazz),High Notes,Love Soother and Airlift.

John has also given a lot of his time and talent in support of the Global Warming issue and voter education,setting up booths on his current summer tour. In addition, he has played benefit concerts to raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims,in both the ReAct Now and Hurricane Relief:Come Together Now Benefits,as well as the Tsunami Benefit: Concert of Hope. A subtle and clever wordsmith,John has als penned several powerfully thought-provoking anthems for his generation,including “Waiting on the World to Change” and “Belief”. With all that,add to his list of gifts pretty “savvy communication” skills with his public.

One of the reasons his fan base admires him is because of the strong connection he manages to maintain. Many have incorporated much of the Mayer “lyric” culture into their lives as both a source of inspiration and entertainment.

Of course,either musician can stand on their own steam pretty much. But Mayer and Raitt combined on the environmental issue would activate an awesome stream of movement on the matter,if it has not already done so.Since I’ve met them both and follow their musical styles,as a fan,it’s a real pleasure to write this and make the following suggestion. In short, what I’m saying all this to say is that, I’m lifting the two blogs which were written by John on this global warming issue and my reply to it. I’m also lifting up Bonnie’s “Green Highway” project. Finally,I’m suggesting that John might consider getting together with Bonnie on this environmental issue in light of her extensive involvement on the issue and in light of his demonstrated commitment, sensitivity and creativity on the matter.

In further support of this suggestion,I dedicate the following reply to John’s blogs (Not) Waiting on the World to Change I and II discussing the “Light Green/”Another Kind of Green”" project. It was posted on his most respected fan message board:

“Well…I agree that cutting down on consumption may aid the cure for global warming if it can change people’s spending and thinking priorities.For example,some people think it is in vogue to be wasteful. Afterall,their philosophy in life is usually,”if you got it, flaunt it and then throw it away”…even when it can be recycled into something that would serve a constructive purpose. Some people have the wasteful mentality because of their egos and the fact that they want to be numero uno,at whatever cost, and no matter what regardless of how it impacts the lives of others. Under those conditions can they really be sound environmentalists? I’d definitely give that some thought.

It’s all about changing spending and “thinking” habits. Think about it. If a person’s desire to improve the environment is really motivated by a sincere desire to contribute meaningfully to the world and not just to sell more merchandise,then more power to them. If they are just out for the buck and notoriety…well,I would consider them to be contributing more to the self-serving and wasteful mentality that created the problem in the first place.