Rock Star: 'The Whole Joke of Live Earth Was How Wasteful It Was'

The May 29 edition of Rolling Stone looks ahead to the summer concert season, and the rock-music mag is praising the Dave Matthews Band for their use of biodiesel for buses and "biodegradable goods for catering." But this exchange was interesting, about Al Gore's "Live Earth" concerts.

ROLLING STONE: Some people argue that the live experience is sort of inherently "un-green."

DAVE MATTHEWS: There’s no doubt that it is. The whole joke of Live Earth was how wasteful it was. But the idea that touring will end is sad. I’d like to think that the traveling minstrel is not a thing of the past, but the methods of travel have to be improved.

Elsewhere in this edition, Rolling Stone’s "Hot List" of editor’s favorites includes "Violet Hill," a new single from Coldplay:

For a few bars, the first single from CP’s fourth album seems like it might be yet another piano balad about space and stars and stuff. But it’s actually a (relatively) hard-rocking attack on Fox News’ America. Take that, Cavuto!

Coldplay attacks Fox in song? No. A quick Google search for lyrics reveals no mention of Fox or Neil Cavuto, but a more metaphorical attack on (unnamed) war-mongering idiots in charge who exploit Christianity to embark on wars for oil:

When the future's architectured
By a carnival of idiots on show
You'd better lie low

If you love me
Won't you let me know?

Was a long and dark December
When the banks became cathedrals
And the fog
Became God

Priests clutched onto bibles
Hollowed out to fit their rifles
And the cross was held aloft

As lyrics go, it’s at least as poetic as didactic, even if it would seem more poetic than journalistic in describing today’s scene. (I've never heard my priest sermonize in favor of war or banks. I also doubt he packs heat.) But a hard-headed politico would still be tempted to frown and wonder how some rock-star dilettante like Coldplay’s Chris Martin would name a daughter Apple thinks he’s much deeper and wiser about responding to 9/11 than Bush or Blair.

I'm sure Cavuto would enjoy a rock song attacking him, especially if the singer would later come on his show and pick stocks.

Also in Rolling Stone, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard says he’s an Obama man. "I’ll be crazy-heartbroken if Obama wins the delegates and then the Clintons finagle the nomination away from him."