Hello everyone,

Back by popular demand, we feature the encore airing of Part Two of one of our past ‘Green Rocks at Red Rocks’ events, this one originally taped in 2007. We recorded it live at the exquisite Red Rocks Amphitheatre in front of a packed house of 9,000 attendees. This particular ‘Green Rocks’ live taping was quite the eco-event: we brought recycling, zero waste zones, renewable energy use, biodiesel bus transportation, carpool incentives, and more to Red Rocks for the very first time. This week as in last week (when we re-aired part one of this 2007 Green Rocks show), you’ll hear exciting live performances and intimate, ‘behind-the-scenes’ artist interviews. There’s more music from Michael Franti & Spearhead, plus a great live performance from (and candid conversation with) the John Butler Trio. Tune in this week!

(Please note: If you’re in the Denver area this Friday, July 30, we are taping THIS year’s Green Rock event, this time with full concert sets from Lyle Lovett and Taj Mahal. It’ll be another great evening at Red Rocks, a full evening of music that we will tape and then work into a two-part broadcast for the air, scheduled to air this fall. The Eco Square is back too, at the top of Red Rocks on the Plaza, featuring booths with eco-info, product sampling, tons of fun AND those fabulous views! It’ll take your breath away.

Tickets are still available, so come be with the whole eTown gang, as we tape eTown’s Green Rocks at Red Rocks 2010. It’s an evening not to be missed, (again, it’s a full concert night of music) at one of the most stunning outdoor venues in the world. Find more information about this wonderful live event, or learn how to buy tickets at our website www.etown.org – I’ll look for you there!).

Helen

Hello All,

I hope your summer continues to go well. We’re enjoying a welcome break from the intense heat here in eTown. It’s a pleasant, comfortable, summery day, one that is making it truly hard to be indoors at my desk working! I’m relishing the slightly cooler weather, though, as long as it lasts. I’m sure we’ll be right back into the heat of things in relatively short order.

Hey, I want to encourage you to be sure to check out this week’s eTown broadcast/podcast. In this encore airing, eTown returns to the stunningly beautiful natural amphitheatre Red Rocks, with this special two-part broadcast taped in front of a packed house of 9,000 attendees. (Originally aired in 2007, this show was, at the time, the greenest event ever held at Red Rocks; eTown brought for the first time ever recycling, zero waste zones, carbon offsets, renewable energy use, biodiesel bus transportation, carpool incentives, and more to Red Rocks at the time and we’re happy to say that it inspired the management there to instill recycling and other green practices at this famous venue on a regular basis ever since.) Part One of this two-part program brings you exciting live performances and intimate, ‘behind-the-scenes’ artist interviews with Mavis Staples and Michael Franti. And, there’s the presentation of the E-Chievement Award to a dedicated national park ranger who has spearheaded the impressive effort to green the world’s first national park, Yellowstone. Tune in to this special show this week (and be sure not to miss Part Two next week!). I know you’ll enjoy it.

I’ll look forward to seeing you in eTown.

Best,

Helen

Hi everyone,

Hey, happy summer! We are indeed in the thick of it. It is, in a word, HOT.

Speaking of hot, I’m excited to tell you about this week’s very hot eTown broadcast! eTown celebrates the return one of the world’s most respected recording artists, Natalie Merchant. It’s been ten years (yup, a full decade) since she was last with us, so this is a very special show indeed. Backed by her friends Gabriel Gordon, Erik Della Penna and Mary Wooten, Natalie shares great tunes from her latest CD project. It’s called “Leave Your Sleep,” it took seven years to complete, and it is truly fantastic. No less than 130 musicians contribute to the work, and there’s a great story behind the CD (rather than tell you here, go to Natalie’s website www.Nataliemerchant.com and learn about it, then buy the CD!).

We also welcome the Horse Flies for their first-ever eTown appearance, bringing their mesmerizing blend of rock, roots, folk, bluegrass and ethnic grooves (we’ve been trying to get these guys on the show since day one, so you can imagine how thrilled we are to have them with us). Listen for a collaboration or two between them and Natalie (they all live in New York state and know and respect each other’s music) one of those typical ‘one-of-a-kind’ magical musical happenings that occur on eTown. The finale with all of us out there on stage is an almost meditative version of a David Byrne song (nope, I’m not spilling the beans, you’ll just have to tune in to find out which one it is).

And the E-Chievement Award this week honors noted oceans expert, award-winning journalist, author, filmmaker, and adventurer, Jon Bowermaster, who joins us in person. There’s something for everyone waiting for you this week in eTown, so be sure to join us!

Best,

Helen

Happy Fourth of July to you all! I hope you had fun last weekend. We had a bit of intrigue here in Boulder on the 4th, when a huge storm blew in, threatening the traditional fireworks display that both Boulder and KBCO are so well loved for, for sponsoring. As the local populace gathered at either Folsom Field or at various night spots or homes around town, we watched as the universe offered its own fireworks display, with thunder and lightning galore; then the rain came pouring down. Yikes. It began to look as if the fireworks were not going to happen after all – kids young and old alike were trying to come to terms with the disappointment  . . . when kaboom! There they were! We adults rushed outside like excited children and ooh’d and ahh’d our way a spectacular fireworks display, made all the sweeter by the previous doubt and drama. Speaking of doubt and drama, this week’s broadcast contains its own fair share. Nick and I and the eTown crew welcome back two of our most favorite folks: the beloved duo Indigo Girls — Emily Saliers and Amy Ray. This week’s show is another in the ‘eTown on the road’ series (this time coming to you from the Lincoln Center in Fort Collins, Colorado), and this particular program has a significant bit of intrigue thrown in: When Amy misses her plane, Nick and I and the rest of the eTones are enlisted last minute to fill in in her absence!  While we make music with Emily in the first portion of the broadcast, the question arises: Will Amy make it to the theater in time to join her fellow Indigo Girl Emily for their second set in the show? Well, I’m not saying. You’ll just have to tune in to find out. BTW: Also joining us for his first visit is up-and-coming singer-songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff, along with his fine band, offering dramatic three part harmonies and intriguing lyrics and arrangements. And this week’s E-Chievement Award honors a really amazing guy, a Fort Collins citizen who joins us us in-person to give us the scoop on the work he does (I’m not spilling the beans on his story either). So, if you are a fan of mystery and intrigue, this week’s eTown’s broadcast is right up your alley! I hope you’ll join us. Remember, you can tune into your local station or podcast the show. Until next week, have a great week! Best always, Helen