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Kathy Kane Rocks the Earth: Interview

on June 14, 2008 6 comments
Kathy Kane Cody

Kathy Kane resides in Los Angeles. She is Bonnie Raitt’s Manager, Founder and Ex. Director of the ARIA Foundation, co-creator of the Green Highway touring festival, and mother of a three-year-old daughter.
logo_ARIA-Foundation

1. What environmental issue(s) do you consider to be the most critical at this time?

Fair elections and accurate, reliable voting machines are so critical. Alternative Energy and reducing our dependence on oil ranks up really high for me personally. My nonprofit called the ARIA Foundation (Artist Resources In Action) has two awesome projects: GreenHighway.net, which is a touring festival that Bonnie Raitt and I started in 2002 where we work to reduce her tours’ impact on the environment. We wind offset her concerts and use BioDiesel in her tour trucks and buses, and we invite local nonprofit organizations working on alternative energy, no nukes, etc. to come out and talk with concertgoers at the shows. We were just able to upgrade to B100 in Bonnie’s buses and trucks this tour and are very excited as four years ago, putting BioD in trucks and buses was not an easy task at all! The truck that experimented with us first was the truck that Honda sent out on our 2002 summer tour to carry two hybrid cars we put out on display at each show.

There’s another project in ARIA called REVERB which was started by a member of the band GUSTER (Adam Gardner) and his wife Lauren. They are totally awesome. Reverb is coordinating Green Highway on Bonnie’s tour, integrating activism into more and more concert tours, doing a great job lessening bands’ touring impact through BioD, wind offsetting shows, and doing lots of awesome greening of the music industry. You know this though, that’s how we connected with Rock the Earth!

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2. What has inspired you to combine environmental activism with your music?

I studied International Economic Relations of Developing Countries in college but took a job when I graduated as the Environmental Director of a nightclub called WETLANDS in Manhattan. That was my introduction to working in the music industry, running merchandise programs AND nonprofit working groups, coordinating benefits AND helping bands reach their fans, so it was balancing music and activism– and that’s what got me started. A few bands created a festival and asked if I wanted to come help “green” the festival so I ended up out on the HORDE Tour with Blues Traveler, Phish, Widespread Panic, Dave Matthews and lots of great bands, coordinating nonprofit’s tabling, and the second year I also coordinated all the concourse “festival” activities like vendors and games, etc. I left the HORDE after the second year to become the Music Industry Liaison at Greenpeace, coordinating canvassers out on concert tours, lining up talent for demos, coordinating entertainment for the rallies and press conferences, etc. After about five years of doing that I decided to move to California, started the ARIA Foundation and then hooked up with Bonnie Raitt, and have been working with her ever since. She’s a true inspiration of how to combine environmental activism with a music career.

3. Where is your favorite place in nature to go to find solace or inspiration?

The New England coastline.


Source: © Copyright Rock The Earth

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Kelley Moore
Kelley Moore
1 year ago

I’ve been trying for years to see Bonnie Raitt and I’m coming by myself because my best friend who is recovering from breast cancer, and the very worst kind, which is triple negative, she encouraged me to get a ticket by myself and I did. I now get to see her on November 12, 2022 in Saint Augustine, Florida and I have a third row seat! Her music has inspired and helped me through many tough years. I just lost a young nephew in May 2022 when they found him dead in the backseat of his car and it tore… Read more »

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Kelley Moore
Kelley Moore
1 year ago
Reply to  Eric Brand

Thank you for telling me that and of course I didn’t know but I guess it doesn’t really matter. I wanted to send a message to her but I don’t know how to get it to her whether it’s through her manager or road manager, or whoever, I just can’t figure out how to get to that person on her website do you have any hints for me?

Sarah Fisher
1 year ago

I just heard Bonnies new song about organ donation! Tears flowing. My 22 yr old son Cameron gave his whole body including his heart. I just wanted to send her his story of gift of life but don’t know how.

Also enjoy listening to Bonnie in these posts!

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