Image via the Hangout Festival

What started out as the newest music festival on the block has quickly evolved into much more. In response to the environmental devastation of the Gulf oil spill, the Hangout Beach, Music & Arts Festival has been reinvented as the Concert for the Coast.

The festival – which takes place May 14-16 in Gulf Shores, Alabama – will donate all its proceeds to coastal protection and restoration.

Headliners include Trey Anastasio, John Legend, Ben Harper, The Black Crowes, Girl Talk, Michael Franti & Spearhead, and Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Festival organizers are taking a three-pronged approach to coastal recovery by: 1) promoting activism, 2) increasing public awareness, and 3) fundraising to benefit nonprofit organizations that will help the people, communities, and habitats affected by this disaster.

Activism
HeadCount will be in attendance, running a supply drive to collect needed items like baby blankets and towels and helping festival-goers write letters to Congress about offshore drilling and energy reform.

Awareness
The final day of the festival showcases a speaker panel with Adam Gardner of Guster and Reverb reknown, a national leader from the Sierra Club, and more. They’ll discuss offshore drilling, US dependence on foreign oil, and how musicians and fans can make a difference.

Fundraising
Two additional late-night benefit shows have been added to the schedule. On May 14, Alex B, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), and Big Gigantic will take the stage, with proceeds going to Mobile Baykeeper. Keller Williams’ Electronic Experiment will host a special benefit show the following evening, on May 15, to support the Rex Foundation and Mobile Baykeeper.

Limited edition posters, signed by artists performing at the festival, will be auctioned off to raise even more funds.

But wait, that’s not all! On May 16, the Concert for the Coast will extend to New Orleans as well. Calling itself Gulf Aid, the New Orleans show will feature Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, Ani DiFranco, Allen Toussaint, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Mos Def, and more. Proceeds go to Gulf Relief Foundation, which will distribute funds to help fisherman and the region’s seafood industry as well as the restoration of coastal wetlands.

via Jambase

Image via Sheryl Crow

The Green Music Group is at it again! A few weeks ago, Stefan Lessard from the Dave Matthews Band kicked off the organization’s Green Music Challenge by asking us to volunteer in our communities.

Challenge two comes from Sheryl Crow, who urges us to write a letter to our Representative or Senator in Congress in support of strong, effective environmental legislation. It’s all part of the Green Music Group’s plan to help the music industry  - and music fans – to be better environmental citizens.

Writing a letter sounds like a lot of work, but maybe the fact that it requires effort is the reason why it’s such a successful advocacy tool. Taking the time to share your opinion on environmental policy sends a powerful message to Congress that this issue matters to their constituency.

To enter the challenge’s drawing for a Patagonia prize pack plus a shot at winning a 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid, take a photo with your local representative or Congressional office staffer or even a shot outside your district office. Upload the shot to the Green Music Group’s website by noon EDT on Friday, May 7, tag it with the word “TWO,” and you’re entered to win!

Headcount is sweetening the deal by giving away a free “Best of Bonnaroo” compilation download featuring exclusive tracks from the Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, Ani Difranco, Wilco, Guster, and more to everyone that uses the Headcount tool to write their Senator, local newspaper, or the President.