This article originally appears on Boston Band Crush ).
It has been announced that Radio 92.9 is presenting the 16th Annual EarthFest concert on May 30th from Noon to 5:00 pm at the Hatch Shell.
The featured acts this year are: Soul Asylum, The Lemonheads, Seven Mary Three, and Shawn Mullins.
It seems that most or all of these acts have some new material they are promoting, but I would bet good money that you’ll be hearing a lot of their “classic” material. Of the four acts, I’ve only followed the Lemonheads past the previous decade.
Evan Dando and co. (Note: co. may or may not change with virtually every album) have continued making very viable power-pop offerings under the Lemonheads moniker. Dando also put out an excellent solo record Baby I’m Bored a few years back.
They are also back this year with some guest spots from the ladies. Their new album VARSHONS is out 6/23 and the following tracklist has been announced:
01 “I Just Can’t Take It Anymore” (Gram Parsons)
02 “Fragile” (Wire)
03 “Layin’ Up With Linda” (G.G. Allin)
04 “Waiting Around To Die” (Townes Van Zandt)
05 “Green Fuz” (Randy Alvey & Green Fuz)
06 “Yesterlove” (Sam Gopal)
07 “Dirty Robot” v/ Kate Moss (Arling & Cameron)
08 “Dandelion Seeds” (July)
09 “Mexico” (Fuckemos)
10 “Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye” f/ Liv Tyler (Leonard Cohen)
11 “Beautiful” (Linda Perry)
Yes, seriously, Kate Moss and Liv Tyler (listen to Evan and Liv here) and a bunch of covers spanning from Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” to G.G. Allin’s “Layin’ Up With Linda” and a whole mess in between. I have to wonder what we might expect them to perform at EarthFest this year. We’ll likely hear a lot of It’s a Shame About Ray, which the band had recently performed in its entirety during a series of concerts – full-album video from Boston show
Apart from the bands, it sounds like they are putting some effort into some “green” initiatives for this year:
Radio 92.9 is also working hard to ensure the event is carbon-neutral, creating little impact on the environment. A comprehensive recycling program will be put in place throughout the duration of the show and Mass Bike will be onsite staffing a free bike-valet program, offering concertgoers an alternative to driving to the festival.
In addition to the musical performances on the main stage, the 2009 Radio 92.9 Earthfest will also feature Kids’ Planet – an expanded interactive family area. The perfect destination for families and kids of all ages, Kids’ Planet will feature a stage with a wide variety of musical acts and entertainment as well as environmental activities and educational displays. Activities in Kids’ Planet will begin at 10 a.m.