On Sunday August 7, an all-star line-up performed a benefit concert for Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA. Among the artists to take part were Crosby, Stills and Nash, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Jason Mraz, The Doobie Brothers, Tom Morello, John Hall, Kitaro, Jonathan Wilson, Sweet Honey in the Rock and many more.
Proceeds from the concert will be distributed to Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) to support Japan disaster relief efforts, and organizations worldwide working to promote safe, alternative, non-nuclear energy.
The concert follows a massive series of No Nukes shows performed at Madison Square Garden back in 1979, which were organized by Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Graham Nash and John Hall after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident.
“We’re so lucky to have been able to bring back some of the original MUSE team to collaborate with some new and younger artists for MUSE 2, so that we can immediately help with the Japan relief effort and raise funds and awareness for the no nukes issue,” says Bonnie Raitt. “I’m excited to be a part of this important and truly collaborative effort. It’s going to be a very special, one of a kind event.”
Pat Simmons, of The Doobie Brothers, who performed at the original MUSE shows adds, “We are so proud to be reuniting with so many of our talented friends, who share our concern for the safety, and sustainable future of our fragile planet. Current events have brought us to a turning point in our human existence. It’s time to consider alternatives to the present course of energy production that have been forced upon us by an aggressive corporate power structure. We join together to generate funds to help our Japanese friends, as they recover from the devastation that they have had to endure, due to man’s careless use of nuclear energy, and nature’s unpredictability. Through these efforts we also hope to raise public awareness of the challenges we are faced with, and the important responsibilities we share in moving us towards a safer, nuclear free future.”
The artists performed together throughout this year’s show, with Browne and Raitt anchoring the first set, and Crosby, Stills & Nash closing the show.
“The MUSE concert will not only be a great show, it will hopefully entice the public to become better informed of the tremendous dangers of nuclear power,” said Graham Nash before the gig. “We have to keep real and true information flowing so that people can act on it.”
“I love the fact that we are able to reach out to everyone in our fan community via posts, tweets, blogs—most of the time this is great for all artists,” says Jason Mraz. “It’s also amazing that information can spread rapidly and donations can be taken quickly for Japan disaster victims.”
The MUSE benefit was planned shortly after the meltdowns at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Shoreline Amphitheatre—the U.S.‘s largest green-certified concert venue—was chosen because of its proximity to the Pacific Rim, Northern California’s deep association with Japan—and because nuclear reactors on the California coast store spent fuel rods similarly to Fukushima. The stage was sustainably powered by an integrated system incorporating solar, biodiesel, wind, and LED technologies. In addition to raising money for disaster relief in Japan and groups worldwide working to promote safe, non-nuclear energy, the MUSE event was created to heighten awareness about the realities and dangers of nuclear power—and the many safe alternatives available.
