I received a note from fellow green blogger John-Paul Maxfield yesterday about his new Colorado-based concert promotion company Simple Folks Present. John-Paul's a pretty green guy himself, but he'd like some help in figuring out how to make his new venture more eco-friendly:

I would love your input on ways to green the company and bring people together in a way that allows them to enjoy the music they choose, while also giving them the opportunity to give back to that upon which they groove.

As a fairly regular concert-goer (though not as regular as I once was), I know greening these events is a pretty big challenge. Once need only look at the packed parking lots (in which most cars are all idling in the bumper-to-bumper race to leave after the show), and the packed, usually overflowing, trash cans to recognize the need for green. Yet bands, venues and promoters are all on the job:

• Berkeley's Greek Theatre, in parnership with Clif Bar and Native Energy, hosted a carbon-neutral concert series last year.
• Pearl Jam, Gomez and Jack Johnson are among the many performers taking efforts to lighten the impact of their tours and concerts.
• And, of course, there's the big concert planned for this summer.

Those are the fex examples that come to mind immediately. What have I missed? Give John-Paul your own ideas in the comments, or join in the discussion on this topic in the Forum.