The biodiesel fuel-powered Campus Consciousness Tour will pull into UB this Sunday for Spring Fest.
Not a bad idea, considering that gas prices are upwards of $3 a gallon in some parts of Western New York.
Running the tour is Reverb, an organization started in 2004 by Guster guitarist Adam Gardner and his wife Lauren Sullivan. The group focuses on raising awareness and empowering people, especially college students, to get active with their environment. The driving force behind Reverb's mission is Sullivan, who Gardner describes as the group's backbone.
"She's been in the environmental world for as long as I've been in music, that's sixteen years," Gardner said in an exclusive interview with The Spectrum. "She brought the idea of starting an environmentally sound tour to my attention. It just made sense for our two worlds to come together."
There are many different ways in which Reverb and the CCT are drawing college students into their cause.
"The key is not to do it in a preachy way. Do it in a way that everybody wins," Gardner said.
It is partly because of this positive, unpretentious attitude that Guster fans tend to be more at ease with the message they are hearing.
"If people don't agree, they can just enjoy the music," he said.
Upon realizing that his band's tour bus was achieving a maximum of seven miles to the gallon, the Gardner decided that it was time to reform, not only within the group, but also throughout the musical world. Their tour bus now runs on biodiesel fuel.
"We've reduced plastic waste and recycled out of our desire to lessen our harmful impact," Gardner said.
Bands such as The Barenaked Ladies, The Dave Matthews Band, The Fray, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Sheryl Crow have all asked Guster and Reverb to aide them in lessening their own harmful impact on the environment.
"Over twenty major tours joined. They came to us - a lot of bands want to be doing it, but they simply don't have the resources," Gardner said.
Reverb provides this central source, which is vital in fighting the battle against harmful environmental trends across the world.
"The goal of the Campus Consciousness Tour is to educate, invigorate, and inspire college students for the environment."
Of the many elements that the CCT will be using, including a biodiesel tour bus segment called "Pimp My Clean Ride," the biggest aspect is the Town Hall Forum.
"The Forum is open for discussion for students to get active, and to show what we're doing and what they can do to be more green," Gardner said.
"There are a lot of problems. Global warming certainly looms over my head. CO2 is the number one cause of global warming, and there is a lot that needs to be done, fuel and energy efficiency especially. We can do a lot on an individual and corporate level."
Though Guster is known as an environmentally conscious and active band, their ideals don't take away from their sound.
"We keep our activism and music separate. We don't write a 'Save the Whales' song. It's a matter of doing business more responsibly. Maybe we've gotten more exposure through our activism, but the majority of our success is through word of mouth. We're a grassroots phenomenon," Gardner said.
What Gardner loves most about touring is playing in front of a live audience, not only for the rush of the crowd, but for immediate interaction he receives with his fans.
"Campuses can influence change," Gardner said.
The Campus Consciousness Tour will be at UB's Alumni Arena Sunday, April 22 at 6 p.m.
