Many athletes are superstitious. Whenever they get on a streak, they try and do the same thing before each game. For example, they may wear the same shirt and the same socks, or they may eat the same food before each game.

Are musicians similarly superstitious? I.e. if you gig regularly, do you have a pre-gig ritual that you must follow before every show? Do you have to listen to the same song before every show? Do you have to have a group hug before every show?

I haven’t gigged in a long time, so I don’t have any pre-gig rituals. However, if you gig regularly, let us know if you have any pre-gig rituals!

CNN recently posted an article titled Jack Johnson’s big green business machine, which discusses Johnson’s eco-friendly recording and touring:

“We shrink our carbon footprint always, but we have all these nonprofit groups that we all work with,” says Johnson. “Money from the shows goes to these groups and helps bolster their memberships so that after we leave the town, these groups can continue to do good things. So more than just lessening our negative [environmental] impact, it’s actually leaving a positive impact [wherever we tour],” says Johnson.

Additional actions taken by Brushfire tours will include fueling tour vehicles with sustainable biodiesel, offering eco-friendly merchandise, working with venues to create waste management programs, onsite recycling and encouraging fans to use alternative transportation.

It’s good to see Johnson’s efforts getting national attention. Hopefully, more artists will consider their impact on the cities they play in as they travel across the nation and the world.