Annie C.
The Environmental Media Association hosted the Environmental Media Awards November 20, 2002 at the Ebell Theater in Los Angeles. The awards honored media that has done outstanding work to promote awareness of environmental causes. Dave Matthews Band was honored as the first ever recipient of the Missions in Music award which honors musicians that use music to educate about the environment and motivate the public to take action. Dave Matthews appeared by himself and accepted the award on behalf of the band. He was that last honoree of the night and by far the most amusing. He gave a funny acceptance speech about how important it is the stop global warming because otherwise it will get too hot and the ice bergs will melt and all the people from England will want to come over to America, but we'll tell them no they can't come in. He said he wouldn't keep us there long because he didn't want to keep us from dinner at the party afterwards. He talked for a few minutes in his typical slow and rambling style, which got several laughs from a rather uppity Hollywood industry-type crowd. Dave then played three songs. He opened with "One Sweet World," since the "One Sweet Whirled" campaign is what the band was honored for. He sat on a stool in the middle of the small stage, with a screen behind him flashing panoramic landscape images of fields, mountains and flowers. It was actually a beautiful backdrop and very unlike the typical stage setup at a concert. Then he played "Where Are You Going" and ended with "Gravedigger." All three songs were good, but seemed almost hurried. Dave left immediately after the performance and didn't make an appearance at the star-studded after party.