By Briyah Paley
Celebrating the earth has never been so much fun. Every year Boston plays host to what has grown to be the largest Earth Day celebration in the country — EarthFest. This year, Sheryl Crow, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Nickel Creek, Alice Peacock, Sister Hazel and Peter Wolf will perform on April 26 for the 10th annual EarthFest presented by 92.9 WBOS at the MDC Memorial Hatch Shell by the Charles River.
Earth Day started in 1970 as a nationwide day of protest designed to raise awareness of environmental issues previously ignored by the government and general public. Over 20 million people took to the streets to voice their concern over poor treatment of the environment.
Thirty years later, Earth Day is still around.
Every April, thousands of Earth Day events occur nationwide, from small local protests to giant festivals. EarthFest’s mission, according to the radio station’s website, is “to bring music and environmental information together for a better, healthier planet.”
But you might want to get there early.
In the past, EarthFest, a free event, has drawn over 100,000 people to the Charles River Esplanade to enjoy the music, the weather and the free food provided by sponsors such as Dunkin Donuts. Each year, local environmental groups hope to use EarthFest to voice their opinions on issues that affect the environment both locally and nationally.
This year the concert will begin a half hour earlier at 11:30 a.m. and continue until 6 p.m. Also new this year, EarthFest introduces a “Family Stage” prior to the big concert, which will be a combination of music and activities for children of all ages, complete with performances by former Del Fuegos’ lead singer Dan Zanes and Friends and the cast of STOMP.
Sheryl Crow, who is headlining the event, has become a household name, especially after the release of her latest album, “C’mon C’mon.” Since her breakthrough debut “Tuesday Night Music Club” in 1994, the 40-year-old Crow has continued to explore her music and define her voice, which has established singer and songwriter.
Big Head Todd and the Monsters have had about 2,500 live performances since their beginning at Colorado’s Columbine High School. The group has now released “Riviera,” the band’s first new studio album in four years on their own label, Big Records.
Peter Wolf, formerly of the J. Geils Band, has also been a solo artist on his own since the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has worked and recorded duets with Mick Jagger, Aretha Franklin and Aimee Mann. He has received rave reviews for his fifth and most recent album, “Sleepless.”
Sister Hazel came into the music scene in the summer of 1997 with their hit song “All for You,” and showed a desire to stay in it with their second album “Somewhere More Familiar.” The five musicians from Florida catapulted to the top of the charts. After 10 years, Sister Hazel has sold over a million records. Their most recent album is this year’s “Chasing Daylight.”
Newcomer Alice Peacock took destiny into her own hands. She self-released her first CD, “Real Day” and sold nearly 10,000 copies. The album not only won critical acclaim, but also earned her a deal with Aware/Columbia Records. Much like Sheryl Crow and Joni Mitchell, Peacock blends pop, rock and folk on her self-titled, label debut.
Nickel Creek has gotten a lot of buzz in the last two years. According to their Web site, the band met as adolescents when their parents took them to hear a weekly bluegrass show at a pizza place in southern California. The young bluegrass trio has borrowed from jazz, pop and folk to generate a fresh sound that made three hit videos, sold over 600,000 albums and collected Grammy and Country Music Awards nominations. “This Side” was released in August.
For more information on the event, you can visit www.earthfest.com/.
