Arjan Writes

Need to Wake Up: Live Earth Preview

July 05, 2007

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Bravo TV will be broadcasting the Live Earth concert series this Saturday. It is by far one of the largest global music events in history that aims to raise awareness about the worldwide climate crisis and encourage people to take action. There's nothing really specifically gay about this 7-continent, 24-hour media marathon, but after celebrating Gay Pride last month, this is another good reason to huddle your friends, turn off the lights, power down your AC and heat things up in front of the television screen with some amazing performers.

Here's a brief run-down of what to look out for:

Madonna (London)
The Queen of Pop will be taking the stage in London on Saturday. After her incredibly successful show at Live8 in 2005, I'm sure Madge was eager to return and show the world her capabilities as a live performer. She closes the London show, and her set list is rumored to include "Hey You," "Ray Of Light," "La Isla Bonita" and "Hung Up." Excuse me? "La Isla Bonita"? I kid you not. "Hey You" is Madonna's version of a protest song that she penned together with Pharell Williams and was inspired by the global concert series. The song is mediocre at best, but hey, it's the message that counts.

Melissa Etheridge (New York)
This lesbian icon knows how to rock an anthem. Etheridge wrote the compelling”I Need To Wake Up" for Al Gore's documentary An Inconvenient Truth. The song impressed many and took home the award for Best Original Song Written For A Motion Picture at this year's Academy Awards ceremony. It makes sense for her to perform this song at this concert, hopefully with a few guest musicians. If you have never seen or heard the song, you can watch it here.