Entertainment/Ticket

Thursday, Sep. 18, 2008

Music lovers need to think green

The Pozo Saloon’s concert stages will be powered by solar energy and biodiesel fuel for this weekend’s all-day show

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It’s time for music lovers to think green.

That’s the focus of the first-ever Pozo Green Music Festival, Saturday at the Pozo Saloon southeast of Santa Margarita.

“At this time in our world, we’ve got to figure out alternative fuel and transportation. Our dependence on oil needs to be cut,” said Kevin Costigliolo, a local concert promoter who is coproducing the all-day event.

Featuring headliners Michael Franti and Spearhead, the festival will feature stages powered by solar energy and biodiesel, shuttle rides and booths aimed at educating people about organic farming, air quality and other environmental issues.

Costigliolo said the Pozo festival comes as musical gatherings and concert venues across the nation are getting into the act. At Lightning in a Bottle, a three-day music and art festival north of Santa Barbara, organizers use bicycles and electric golf carts, offer Earth-friendly workshops and insist on compostable dishware.

“As a festival fan and music lover and music producer, I’ve been traveling around seeing this,” Costigliolo said. “(San Luis Obispo County) is very progressive and always on top of things. … It’s time for SLO County to get this.”

Green interest growing

Costigliolo sought inspiration from his own Cayucos Music Festival, created in 2000. The green-minded festival folded after a few years, but the concert promoter said interest in alternative energy and sustainable living has only grown.

“Back then, it was the whole green movement was just starting,” he said. “It’s such a big movement right now…Everybody’s like, ‘Yes, yes. We understand. We’ve got to make this change in the world.’”

Teaming up with Levi Beanway, who books shows for the Pozo Saloon, he picked the saloon—capable of hosting 3,000 people outdoors— as his venue and landed a main act.

“Michael Franti is really a politically involved, environmentally conscious guy, so he is the perfect guy to start up this festival,” Costigliolo said. Plus, with his band’s groove-heavy blend of dub, reggae and hip hop, Franti’s got a major fan following.

Also performing are Jamaican singer Cherine Anderson, soulful rocker Danielia Cotton, Los Angeles singer-songwriter Shannon Moore, DJs Vagabond and Shaggy, and local acts Still Time, Mind’s Eye and Anthony Roselli.

“It made a lot of sense for us to play with Michael Franti,” said Dan Curcio, lead vocalist and guitarist for Still Time. “It’s definitely eclectic music that he plays, and we’re along the same lines.”

Formerly known as The New Longview, the San Luis Obispo-based group has won plenty of fans locally with a funky sound that mixes jazz, blues, reggae and rock.

Still Time, which performed at the West Beach Music Festival in Santa Barbara earlier this month, will also play at a block party Friday as part of Cal Poly’s Week of Welcome.

According to Curcio, the band shares another aspect with Franti: its focus on environmental activism and other social issues. In fact, Still Time counts the Surfrider Foundation among the charities it supports.

The nonprofit organization is one of many setting up booths at the Pozo Green Music Festival.

Costigliolo said he’s been working with Central Coast Clean Cities Coalition, known as C5, on air quality issues, and with Ride-On Transportation of San Luis Obispo on shuttle rides for concert goers.

Meanwhile, BidForGreen will provide biodiesel generators for the main stage, while solar power lights up a side stage, courtesy of REC Solar of San Luis Obispo.

Even the food is environmentally friendly, with vegetarian fare from Govinda’s Garden and raw organic food from San Luis Obispo’s Naked Food.

“(The Pozo Saloon) is the perfect example of how we can change our habits. If we can implement all these things in the coming years, they can be a great example for others,” Costigliolo said.

Although the venue has yet to fully explore alternative energy options such as biodiesel and solar power, Pozo Saloon owner Rhonda Beanway said there’s always been an interest in sustainable living.

“We’ve been green for a long time if you consider composting and recycling,” she said.

Still, she said, she’s looking at ways to cut costs and reduce post-concert waste.

“After every event, we notice there’s a lot of garbage to cart off.…You see all the plastic cups and the plastic water bottles,” she said.

Switching to compostable dishes and cups might be one future measure.

Merging passions

Costigliolo sees the Pozo Green Music Festival as a way to merge his two passions: music and the environment.

He studied marketing and environment management at Cal Poly and created his production company, Grateful Family, as a senior project in 2000.

Sponsored by local businesses, he launched a Web site to promote the local music scene.

“Now I’m finally pulling in my love of the environment,” he said.

He looks forward to working with Pozo and other venues on going fully green.

“All the ideas are there,” the promoter said. “The seeds are being planted.”

Reach Sarah Linn at 781-7907.