ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

June 17th 2009

Ginnifer Goodwin And Nellie McKay Attend Taking Action for Animals Conference

Filed under: events — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 4:14 pm

How many times have you sat around the house thinking, ” Gosh - I ‘d like to do more, but I really just don’t know how to take it to the next level?” Well good news — I’m about to open your peepers!

From July 24-27th, the best of the best will be heading to Arlington, VA to attend the Taking Action for Animals Conference –  the largest national conference for the animal protection movement.

According to their site, you’ll have the chance to “join advocates from around the globe to brush up on the basics, learn about the latest cutting-edge campaigns, and attend dynamic workshops that will help you improve your work for animals.”

And of course no badass event would be complete without a little celebrity action. Well-known folks in attendance include: Carol Leifer, Ginnifer Goodwin, Rep John Conyers, Rep Jim Moran and a special performance by Nellie McKay. We’ve featured Nellie before and give her the ultimate two thumbs up. We’ve never chilled with Ginnifer, but we’re excited to finally meet her (especially after titling her one our Top 5 Vegans of 2009)!

I’ll be there representing both Ecorazzi and VEGdaily as I blog live, update our twitter like crazy and make some cool ass videos! So what are you waiting for? Visit TakingActionForAnimals.org and come play!

February 10th 2009

Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary Presents Star-Studded Komedy For Karma

Filed under: events, events: nyc — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 4:18 pm

Listen up all you New York City dwellers out there — have I got an event for YOU!

The Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary is teaming up Gotham Comedy Club for a one night only event that you won’t want to miss. 

Stars like Janeane Garofalo, Louis CK, Judy Gold, Dan Piraro, Gary Gulman and Judah Friedlander will be cracking you up to help raise money for the rescue organization that  has provided shelter to hundreds of animals from cases of abuse, neglect and abandonment.

Last year, Ecorazzi brought news of Morgan Spurlock’s trip to the farm and Nellie McKay and Dan Piraro’s two person show, and now Ecorazzi is going to see for ourselves (yes, we’ll be at the event too) just what all the fuss is with these do-gooders upstate. 

The event will be held tomorrow, February 11th at 8 pm sharp at Gotham Comedy Club in NYC. Tickets to the event are $60 at the door or $50 if you scurry on over to the website and buy them in advance. Oh, and if you want to rock the VIP status, you can get special reserved seats for 100 smackers. Also, students tickets are available for those youngins out there who want a little komedy and karma in their lives.  So visit Woodstock FAS’s website today and join myself and the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary team for what I’m sure will be an awesome evening!!

November 25th 2008

The Green Quote: Nellie McKay Thinks Vegan Junk Food Might Help

Filed under: food & drink — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 11:29 am

“I think we need more vegan junk food. Who has time when you’re out in the world to get something quick? Why can’t we have a dollar menu? So many people don’t respond to animal rights as a whole because they know they will have to change their lifestyle so drastically. Why not make it easier for them?”

- Singer Nellie Mckay telling the Vegetarian Journal what she thinks might help the movement. To check out the entire interview, visit the Vegetarian Journal. If you’d like to read Ecorazzi’s convo with the star, simply click here!

October 14th 2008

Ecorazzi Celebrates Vegetarian Awareness Month With Singer Sensation Nellie McKay

Filed under: ecorazzi exclusive, interviews — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 2:50 pm

Oh man — you guys are in for a treat, today! Last week we kicked off our Vegetarian Awareness Month interview series with some inspirational words by groundbreaking author, Peter Singer. This week, Ecorazzi got the chance to chat it up with singer/actress extraordinaire, Nellie McKay.

I won’t lie to you readers, I am totally smitten with Miss McKay and make no attempt to hide it for even a second. With a voice like buttah and a heart of gold, Nellie is genuine in her music and generous in her activism.  As a fellow twenty-something (just 364 days older than me), Nellie has managed to avoid the rather dismal template of young stardom with grace and integrity, radiating the kind of artisic honesty that’s rare in even the most seasoned of veterans. Earlier this year I attended one of McKay’s concerts, and this weekend I’ll once again get the honor of watching her perform at Farm Sanctuary’s Party for the Pigs in Washington D.C.  In preparation for the event, Nellie sat down with Ecorazzi to discuss music, politics and, of course, that vegetarian pride we love so much. Enjoy!

At the age of 26 you’ve already recorded three albums, starred on Broadway and been featured in major motion pictures. How, through it all, have you managed to stay so committed to fighting for the issues that you think are important?

Oh, well I’d certainly like to stand for a lot more. Yeah I think it’s hard on everybody because every place you turn there’s something being offered to you that comes from another kind of suffering. Whether it’s an animal product which comes from a factory farm, or a product that comes from a sweatshop, or a product based on the raping of the earth, there’s basically no way to avoid hurting others and that’s kind of a devastating thing. So you just try to hurt as little as possible, but I’m not sure that it’s possible for a person to get out of it altogether.

Click here to continue reading Ecorazzi’s exclusive interview with Nellie McKay.

September 10th 2008

Nellie McKay and Dan Piraro Combine Talents For Animal Sanctuary Benefit

Filed under: events, food & drink, music — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 10:14 am

While Ecorazzi is a bicoastal operation, I’m stationed here in NYC and often brag about the wonderful green events that take place on my little island. But the Big Apple isn’t the only city in New York State that knows how to throw a good party!!

On September 20th, Nellie McKay & Dan Piraro will be combining their talents for a one night only event at the Colony Café in Woodstock, NY to benefit the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. So what do a soulful cabaret singer and a hysterical cartoonist have in common? THEY’RE BOTH ALL ABOUT THE VEGANISM…DUH!

The evening is hosted by the Mid-Hudson Vegetarian Society (MHVS) and tickets are just $20. Doors open at 7 and its first come first serve…so get there early, people! Also make sure to bring that appetite! Because while the Colony Café isn’t regularly a vegan establishment, the restaurant will be veganizing their menu for the event.

To find out more about this kickass event, visit WoodstockFAS.org!

September 5th 2008

The Green Quote: Vegan Singer Nellie McKay Is A Junkatarian

Filed under: food & drink — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 10:37 am

“I’m a junkatarian meaning I’m vegan to the best of my ability but I like to order French fries all the time. To displace feminism, I don’t like to cook much so I order out a lot and often I order French fries. I find being a vegan very hard. It’s a huge pain in the ass, everyday I try but it’s hard. But if everyone cuts down just a little, like cut one meat product out of your life or cut back a day of meat a week, that will make a change. I finally decided to become a vegan while I was eating a Sunday at Denny’s, I thought it’s time, I know whats going on, I need to make a change, it needs to happen. The animals, if they could, they’d thank you.”

- Vegan singer (and one of my celebrity crushes) tells the audience at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival.

via: fantasticweapon.com

June 2nd 2008

The Green Review: Vegan Singer Nellie McKay Performs Live

Filed under: events, events: nyc, green and famous, music — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 3:02 pm

There’s something about Nellie McKay that’s utterly desirable. A soulful pre-World War Two jazz singer stuck in the body of a — well rather beautiful – twenty-something piano/ukulele player, McKay’s syrupy voice, clever lyrics and snappy piano playing gently contradicts her rather choppy speaking pattern and random series of impassioned tangents. When watching McKay perform there is no doubt that this chick is way beyond her years and possesses the single quality that most of us quarter-lifers lack: she’s simply, and quite unapologetically, herself.

I have been a fan of Nellie for years, but it wasn’t until this past Saturday that I had the chance to check her out live at the Zipper Factory in NYC. The space was warm and intimate and embodied the fleeting off-off Broadway spirit that once flourished on the western side of midtown Manhattan. I suck at pretty much anything fashion so excuse me if I cannot explain to you what she was wearing, but I’ll give you this: it was sparkly and corset-like. Later in the concert Nellie joked that she got the outfit from Shania Twain who donated her clothes to the Vegetarian Relief Fund after the divorce — prompting McKay to ask the audience if Shania was a vegetarian or vegan. I quickly yelled out vegan…come on it’s my job to know these things! (Note: While famousveggie.com reports that Shania is vegan, I have found other reports saying she eats dairy. Anyone know?)

  Click here to continue reading out review…

March 28th 2008

San Francisco’s ‘Outside Lands Music And Arts Festival’ Gets SUPER GREEN!

Filed under: events, events: bay area, green and famous, music, thegreenpicture — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 1:52 pm

Solve this math problem: take a dozen or so musicians, add one super green city and multiply it all by three days of good old fashion summer fun. What did you get? If you came up with the Outside Lands Music And Arts Festival then you’ve got it right! 2 gold stars!

The first ever Outside Lands Music And Arts Festival will be held in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on August 22-24 and will feature some of today’s hottest musicians. So far the roster includes: Beck, Wilco, Widespread Panic, Primus, Radiohead, Tom Petty, Jack Johnson Manu Chao, Ben Harper, Steve Winwood, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Drive-By Truckers, Cafe Tacuba, Devendra Banhart, Regina Spektor, Cold War Kids, and Nellie McKay.

OLMAF is taking it a step further by making the event as green as possible. First off, when you buy your tickets you’ll be given the option of donating $3 to the National Arbor Day Foundation to help reforest California. Or if you’d rather, you could donate $3 to help ‘green’ your ticket. These donations will be used to purchase (and then retire) pollution credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange. Once you’ve got your slot, leave that car at home and take advantage of the complimentary bike valet service. Yes, you heard me…bike valet!

The festival itself is like green heaven with almost all the products on sale being either recyclable or compostable. You can also win prizes just for recycling! The Outside Lands Recycling Store will be stocked with items you can “buy” with your used bottles and cans as currency. And finally don’t forget to bring your old cell phone to be refurbished and redistributed throughout other countries. Once you’ve done all your good deeds for the day you can sit back and relax in front of a fully solar-powered stage and watch your favorite musicians rock away!

Sounds like an event you HAVE TO BE AT? Tickets are $225.50 (plus fees) for all three days and go on sale March 30th. So scoot on over to sfoutsidelands.com to learn more and get your green on!