LUCIDMEDIA

Interview with Lauren Sullivan of Reverb

Written by Jillian Toman Tuesday, 15 May 2007 08:28

Prior to forming Reverb, Lauren collaborated with artists like Dave Matthews and Bonnie Raitt on ”old wood growth” campaigns while working with the Rainforest Action Network. “I had always taken note of how effective it was to have a celebrity or artist connected to a campaign and how it elevated the conversation about it, and how it got folks who would not normally be interested, interested, and took the campaign to the next level,” Lauren said.

I asked Ms. Sullivan about the process and preparation of Reverb. She replied, “Even though I am a environmentalist, I enjoy my pop culture. I do like my music and the arts. The idea came from brainstorming.” She explained that Reverb was developed from the success of her work with Bonnie Raitt, and (now manager) Kathy Kanes's “Green Highway” concept. “It was all the things [my husband and I] had been discussing, and then some,” she says. In 2004 the Sullivan-Gardner team connected with the Barenaked Ladies, who, Lauren says “are friends with all the Guster guys, and approached them about setting up eco-friendly info at their shows.” Lauren told me she cold-called Ms. Kanes and introduced herself, her interest and her ideas, and Kanes said, “Why don't you take this [Green Highway] idea and run with it. Spread it to other tours, go talk with other artists and see what happens.” And that's how Reverb was born.

It’s not just Sullivan’s confidence and enthusiasm that got this green show on the road. “This took a good deal of research,” Lauren says. “At the time, biodiesel was not as readily available as it is now. For the BNL 'green tour' in 2004, [Reverb] needed to do a ton of research to understand where these distributors were located, how it worked, and learn about biodiesel in general. Like when is it safe to use, when is it not safe to use, what vehicles are adaptable. But aligning ourselves with people who are experts in this field, with folks like the National Biodiesel Board, and Native Energy, is a great way for us to learn as we go. [They've helped] guide us along the path to sustainable energy, and doing it well, and in a way that is effective for the bands in terms of touring schedules.” Reverb is also helping to support local biodiesel suppliers around the country.

I asked Lauren about the most difficult transition she had to make in terms of going green. She replied, “We’re definitely still in the process. Our big thing is trying to convey within the organization that we're not holier than though, we're not purists, we're not looking down our noses at anybody, [because] we are learning as we go, through the organizations we get to work with. Through our partners, like Native Energy, and the National Biodiesel board. And we're learning from the green sponsors we’re working with, by pushing the envelope in the industry.”

She then shares a personal green dilemma with me: “My husband and I drive around in these beater cars. They're hand-me-down cars from our family, and they are not biodiesel, they’re not hybrids, they are not phenomenally fuel efficient. But that is what Adam and I are grappling with. ‘Do we buy a new car? Do we buy a used car? Do we buy a biodiesel? Do we buy a hybrid electric plug-in? How do work it out financially?’ So we are dealing with what a lot of people are dealing with, which is how to green their own lives. We do use real energy to power our home in Portland Maine.”

I asked Lauren about the most rewarding aspect of Reverb, within the organization, and her lifestyle. She said, “I get a lot of joy from very odd and simple things now, environmentally speaking.” She tells the story of her and a colleague: “[We were] sitting in the back lounge of the bus, and I picked up this water bottle, and I’m looking at the bottom of it to find the triangle symbol to see what kind of plastic it is. So we're like, 'Oh yeah, sweet it's a one or a two, you can recycle it, that's great'.” [We laugh] She continues, “So we are amused by simple things. Something also that has been a lot of fun, is learning about all the different technologies that are out there, and having those ‘ah ha’ moments when you’re both discovering something new, that is really one of the best things. Also, connecting with people who you know would otherwise never being talking about environmental issues, and they are able to talk about it, and excited to talk about it because they're in that kind of environment. They're there to see their favourite band, and finding out something new, and that is incredibly rewarding.”

While on Guster’s College Campus Tour, only eco-friendly cleaning products are used, along with compostable plates, knives, forks, and spoons, that are made from potato starch and sugar cane. They use aluminum water canteens on the tour, and have reduced their plastic bottle use by about 75 per cent. Between 2006 and 2007, the Campus Conscious Tour will have reached over 200,000 students across America, creating social awareness about environmental and social responsibility.

Reverb is in hot demand. “Most of the time, bands are approaching us right now,” Lauren tells me. Reverb has coordinated biodiesel fueling for the touring vehicles of Grammy-winner Sheryl Crow, and Global Warming activist Laurie David. Ms. Crow and Ms. David continue their 12-city visit in the US that began April 9 and concludes April 22 at George Washington University's Smith Center, for a celebration of Earth Day.

Reverb works with a band's contract rider. “We help bands look at what they need with their contract rider to make sure there is no styrofoam, make sure the band is using china and cloth napkins, and silverware, where ever possible. We request giant water jugs, instead of water bottles,” to prepare bands for a greener tour. Indie-rocker Andrew Bird is next in line to be Reverb(ed). His tour is equipped with a biodiesel-powered tour bus, eco-friendly rider, and green merchandise. What makes Reverb stand out from the rest of these humble environmental nonprofit organizations? Reverb is about providing practical and feasible solutions for the general public to take small steps toward big change. More importantly, the founders of Reverb, (the Sullivan-Gardner team), have combined their passions for music and environment to create a sound awareness.