washingtonpost.com

Gore's Live Earth Concert May Be Staged at Capitol

By J. Freedom du Lac
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 13, 2007; C02

Rock on, Al Gore.

That's the message coming from Capitol Hill, where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) introduced a resolution yesterday to allow Gore to stage a global-warming concert on the Capitol grounds.

If the bipartisan resolution is approved by the Senate and the House, it will clear the way for the former vice president to produce his free "Live Earth" concert on July 7 on the Capitol's west side.

Gore and other promoters had hoped to stage the nighttime event on the Mall but have been unable to secure a permit from the National Park Service. Gore called Reid to request his help, according to the senator's spokesman, Jim Manley.

"Senator Reid is hopeful we can get this resolution passed as quickly as possible," Manley said last night. "After all, no one likes a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert better than Senator Harry Reid."

Said Chad Griffin, a public-affairs strategist for Live Earth: "Given that this has bipartisan support and is led by a bipartisan team, I think the only thing that could stop this would be someone's attempt to intentionally derail it."

Using popular music to bring attention to his pet issue of global climate change, Gore is planning a single-day, worldwide series of concerts modeled after Live 8. Live Earth will feature seven major concerts on seven continents, with scheduled performers to include the Police, Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Fall Out Boy, Genesis, Akon, Bon Jovi and, yes, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Gore was out of the country and not available for comment.

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/12/AR2007031201620.html