PAIGE ROTH

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Paige Roth is the Director of Volunteer & Community Programs for REVERB, an environmental nonprofit based in Maine that works to make live music more sustainable while engaging fans to take action for people and the planet. Paige has been part of the REVERB team since 2013 and directs the organization’s volunteer, nonprofit partner, internship, and farm programs. Notable REVERB partners include Billie Eilish, Dave Matthews Band, Dead & Company, Lollapalooza, and many more! 

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Héloïse Paillard: 

Could you describe what REVERB is, talk about your role within the organization and your missions?

 

Paige Roth: 

I'm the director of volunteer and community programs for REVERB. REVERB is an environmental non-profit that partners with live music events in the live music industry in general, to put programs in place to reduce that industry's impact on the environment. So we'll partner with music tours and festivals and venues and implement what we call backstage screening practices. And then we also use music as a platform for activism and engagement around environmental and other social caucus. The relevance to your subject is that we partnered with a number of different music festivals and helped them reduce their footprint.

 

HP:

You mentioned using music as a platform; on your website, you highlight the value of an “action village”. Could you walk me through exactly what that is?

 

PR: 

Yeah, so one of our long running and primary programs is offering to carry what we call an “Action village” or an “Eco village” on a music tour or a festival. And basically, we'll work with our partner to advance space in the concourse so that we can set up a series of tents and tables, sort of like you'd see at any music event. But instead of using that space to sell things, we invite out local nonprofits or national nonprofits to have a table where they can engage 

 fans. We often have campaigns that REVERB are running, or on behalf of another nonprofit; and it's all run by fan volunteers. We'll set up the materials that's typically branded to go with the events, and invite out the nonprofits and volunteers to work with us to engage fans. When we break down–which is typically right before the headlining artists start–we're able to release the volunteers and also the nonprofits who are joining us to watch the show. So it's a really fun way of engaging people in activism and doing so through inviting people they have something in common with, which is the artist or the event. 

 

HP:

And what other changes do you implement to promote sustainability in festivals and music tours you work with? 

 

PR:

The “Action Village” is that sort of outreach activism piece. And then the other side is the implementation of the greening. For a music festival specifically, we’ll usually advise that they have free filtered water available, either through a water station provided by REVERB or through a contracted company that can manage it on a larger scale, depending on the size of the event. We encourage festivals to allow fans to bring in their own empty, reusable vessels so they can stay hydrated without using single-use plastic. We'll work with festivals to eliminate single-use plastic across the board. For example, if single-use water is provided, we recommend moving to aluminum cans. We also collaborate with vendors to ensure that plates, cutlery, and service ware are compostable, and that a composting company is contracted to handle the waste and have it commercially composted. We suggest looking at the source of merchandise to ensure ethical labor practices and that the materials used are as sustainable as possible. Additionally, we have a program called the Music Decarbonization Project. Through this initiative, we can introduce battery power for stages or festival lighting, reducing reliance on diesel gas generators. We're really trying to demonstrate that the battery power is an option, that it works and that it's cost efficient. 

 

HP: 

You mentioned different changes depending on the size of the festival or tour you're working with, and I saw that you're working with Billie Eilish right now for the “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour. Are there any specific things that you implemented at that one because I imagine the scale must be insane.

 

PR: 

That is an especially big project. And you know, we're really lucky to be partnered with that tour because the focus on sustainability and activism comes from the top down, from the artist and from her mother, Maggie Baird, who has a nonprofit that partners with REVERB. So our team has been working alongside their team all year to get ready for this tour. They're doing things like making sure that there are plant based options available in the concourse, really working with the venues ahead of time to find out what those options will be, and message that out to fans. We also have some additional staff out on that tour, so they're able to take everything that's being done to a bigger level, to demonstrate that these things can be done at venues across the country and in the world. That leaves behind an example. Hopefully venues and other tours will keep some of those practices, and we'll see the change become permanent.

 

HP: 

Chicago Humanities being a nomadic festival, what do you think could be implemented in those types of festivals where events move around and there is no actual set.

 

PR:

Well, this festival moves; they're not like building a festival in the middle of the field, which is sort of more the festivals that we are typically used to working with. So, I think it’s about looking at what infrastructure and sustainability practices the venues already have in place, and then working with their team from there. For example, finding out if the venues have the capability to wash all the cups so they’re not single-use, since it’s a permanent venue. Do they have a kitchen? Do they have access to water to allow people to bring their own reusable vessels? Even though you’re likely contracting with vendors for refreshments, consider steps like reducing meat options and ensuring there are plant-based options that can be composted. The advantage of the festival you’re working on is that it’s in the city, where many of these services are more accessible. I would assume that if they face obstacles, it’s likely related to funding. So, I would definitely recommend including fundraising in the budget to cover these sustainability aspects. When contracting with venues for the event, make sure to ask questions about what’s already in place and push for improvements where needed.

 

HP: 

Yeah, I was also considering this because, similar to tours with significant transportation and flying, Chicago Humanities faces the same challenge. Often, when they have speakers, they need to fly them in and I know they’ve been thinking about ways to address that.

 

PR:

The nice thing is that you are bringing the speakers to the people of Chicago instead of trying to move a bunch of people to the speaker. And so that's one of the really great things about festivals, too. There are many different elements to consider, though. I’m not being very specific right now, but I will send you some resources.* Festivals often consider materials recovery, too. This means finding ways to repurpose items used at the event instead of just throwing them into a landfill or even recycling them. For example, at large outdoor music festivals, things like sod, grass, and fencing might be used, and organizers will look for garden clubs or schools that could benefit from them afterwards. Similarly, if an event like the Humanities Festival is catered, any leftover food could potentially be repurposed or donated. It’s about reviewing existing practices and brainstorming ways to enhance them for sustainability. Or like, if you're using batteries, and you are very concerned about having a microphone that is able to last for an entire concert, they might put a fresh battery in every time, but that battery might not be fully spent. So is there somewhere else that the battery can go? 

 

I think there are things that happen across music tours or any event that have just been done for a long time. Part of it is that these speakers or musicians are special guests, and we want them to feel cared for and valued. So, we might produce a bunch of new items—like when you go into a venue and they create a vinyl banner that says "Welcome” or they'll have a ton of food available. We also work with our artists on this, and it’s available online too. I can send it to you. We help put together a rider for musicians or speakers when they agree to perform or speak. The rider includes a list of things they need to feel comfortable. Additionally, we offer a sustainability rider that can be included. It includes requests like, "Don’t produce anything extra for me," in an effort to reframe the thinking around it. I think a lot of events do things because of tradition, and maybe that tradition is changing.

 

HP:  

What are the biggest challenges you are facing right now in order to implement that change? 

 

PR:

For us, we’re hoping that new technologies can develop and change some of these things, and that festivals, venues, and music tours will start using them. This would, in turn, drive down costs and prove that these changes are possible. I also love seeing the activism side of it—if an event can also support a local nonprofit. Or, if a musician or speaker requests that the money that would’ve been spent on gifts be donated to a nonprofit instead. We see this a lot at music festivals, and I think it’s an important part of any event—to incorporate that community aspect.

 

HP:

Absolutely. I have one last question for you, how does REVERB connect and collaborate with other organizations and what does that language look like?

 

PR: 

There are a lot of organizations working in music sustainability and music activism. We tend to see each other a lot at events and through networking, as we all kind of came up in the same space. That’s led to some long-term, strong partnerships. At the same time, we’re always taking meetings and phone calls from other organizations who want to connect, and we want to talk with them and learn from each other. REVERB also has this great platform through the Action Village, where we can hopefully invite these organizations to join us and have space to connect. This allows us to have that face-to-face contact as well. There are a lot of different ways we can collaborate.