Today is the day that tickets go on sale for NRDC's monumental, momentum-shifting, anti-mountaintop removal Music Saves Mountains concert, which will take place in on May 19 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. This will be the biggest gathering ever of music stars coming together to raise awareness about mountaintop removal coal mining, which is devastating Appalachia.
Purchase tickets online at the Ryman box office or through www.ticketmaster.com. Net proceeds to benefit the fight against mountaintop removal in Appalachia. More details at: www.MusicSavesMountains.org.
The artists who are part of Music Saves Mountains -- including Emmylou Harris, Dave Matthews, Kathy Mattea, Big Kenny, and many others -- are not necessarily opposed to traditional underground coal mining. But they all agree that mountaintop removal threatens natural resources, human health and the culture of Appalachia -- and they all favor an end to the needless destruction.
Legendary country songbird, Emmylou Harris, was the first artist to join this effort. Emmy is a long-time friend of NRDC and cares deeply about the environment. The new issue of our OnEarth magazine features a great interview with her about how she is working hard to rally her fellow music artists to help keep the "country" in country music by stopping the most destructive strip mining on earth.
In answer to the question what inspired her involvement in our Music Saves Mountains initiative, this is what Emmy says:
"Bluegrass, mountain music, and the country music that's popular today -- you can really trace it back to the Appalachians, the people who settled there, and the instruments they used. In a sense, this is the mother ground from which this music came. It's really important that these artists -- musicians from different areas of music -- understand the terrible desecration that's happening in the Appalachians, especially in West Virginia and Kentucky. Beyond destroying the environment and wildlife, mountaintop removal is devastating the people who live on the land. It's something that should be stopped -- stopped yesterday. Once people realize that this is going on in their backyards, I do think there's a good possibility that things will change. But we need to mobilize."
(Emmylou Harris holds a custom-made Music Saves Mountain guitar: photo by J Henry Fair)
The concert is definitely part of the mobilization effort, one that is building every day as more and more artists take up the cause. We hope their efforts will broaden awareness about this environmental crime and inspire their fans -- and people all across the country -- to join in the fight being waged by coalfield residents and concerned citizens who are saying, "Enough is enough!"
We hope you will join us in Music City for the Music Saves Mountains concert. It will be a great show -- and a great coming out party for music stars banding together to try to save our mountains and Appalachian heritage from the world's worst strip mining.