FANS and KEEN x Garcia Announce Full List of Artists and Conversations for Rainforest Benefit Concert: Protect the Tongass

Article Contributed by The Capitol Theater | Published on Tuesday, April 13, 2021

FANS and KEEN x Garcia present the full list of artists invited to livestream on Earth Day to raise awareness about Alaska's Tongass National Forest — the largest temperate rainforest, and one of the most carbon-storing terrestrial ecosystems on Earth. The livestream will be a totally unique experience with artist performances coming from unique spaces and iconic venues across the country.

In the spirit of the Grateful Dead’s Rainforest Benefit Concert, held at Madison Square Garden on September 24, 1988, the livestream event honors Jerry Garcia’s enduring musical, artistic, and environmental legacy. To bring things full circle, FANS and KEEN x Garcia are thrilled to welcome Suzanne Vega and Jack Casady (Hot Tuna) — who played 33 years ago at the Grateful Dead’s Rainforest Benefit — to participate with a musical performance.

The full line-up of artists scheduled to perform are:

ALO 

Benevento/Russo Duo 

Cassandra Jenkins 

Doom Flamingo 

Duane Betts 

Emilio Castillo (Tower of Power)

Fruit Bats

Infamous Stringdusters

Jack Casady 

Jackie Venson 

JoJo Hermann 

Kellen Asebroek (Fruition) 

Keller Williams 

Kitchen Dwellers 

Lael Neale

Lettuce 

Lureto (robotrio) 

MIkaela Davis 

Moon Taxi 

Nicki Bluhm 

Olivia Reid 

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

Rocky Mountain Grateful Dead Revue

Southern Avenue

St. Paul & The Broken Bones

Stella Blues Band

Suzanne Vega 

Tash Neal

TAUK

The Hold Steady

In addition to the musical performances, notable discussions include: A Conversation with Dave Matthews (Dave Matthews Band and a member of The Wilderness Society's Governing Council), Trixie Garcia (head of the Jerry Garcia family estate and daughter of Jerry Garcia), and The Wilderness Society, and A Conversation with Gary Lambert (Tales from the Golden Road on SiriusXM's Grateful Dead Channel), Ebet Roberts (legendary photographer who captured the Grateful Dead’s Rainforest Benefit Concert on September 24, 1988 at Madison Square Garden), and Charlie Miller (renowned Grateful Dead taper).

KEEN—the presenting sponsor for the Rainforest Benefit Concert: Protect the Tongass—in partnership with the Jerry Garcia Family, will expand the KEEN x Garcia limited edition collection that combines Jerry Garcia’s artwork with KEEN’s iconic Newport sandal, KEEN Yogui Slip-On, and KEEN Elsa Lite Sneaker starting April 22. A portion of sales from the new collection will be donated to The Wilderness Society’s ‘Protect The Tongass’ campaign.

“In the press conference for the 1988 Rainforest Benefit Concert, Jerry Garcia famously stated ‘Somebody has to do something, and it’s just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us.’ Thirty years later, we see the world’s largest temperate rainforest under constant attack. We’re again voicing Jerry’s words and hoping that the world takes notice and works to save this critical piece of the Earth's ecosystem. We’re proud to be working with The Garcia Family and The Wilderness Society in this effort” says Erik Burbank, Vice President of The KEEN Effect, “because somebody has to do something.”

KEEN x Garcia Present: Rainforest Benefit Concert — Protect The Tongass is a free event, but donations are encouraged to protect the Tongass rainforest of Alaska. Fans watching from home will also be motivated to sign a petition asking President Biden and his administration to protect the Tongass National Forest.

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