Season 2, Episode 3: Mike Calabrese

 
 

Aug. 5, 2021

How do we achieve happiness in the face of the climate crisis? The climate crisis can be really depressing, but it doesn’t have to make you depressed. That’s the message of drummer Mike Calabrese of the hit band Lake Street Dive.

Mike joins us in this episode of the Mother Earth Podcast for a deep conversation on how he went from climate despair to climate hope. From the outside, you would never guess that Mike has struggled with depression or that the climate crisis at one point in his life not too long ago had him seriously down in the dumps.

But Mike has an uplifting message for you, a message of hope and renewal; a message about how he went from feeling bad to feeling good by taking action to do his part as a musician and human being to mitigate the climate crisis. He explains how he became much happier, first through meditation and Buddhist philosophy and more recently through actions he’s taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in his personal life, to write music about the climate crisis, and to work with his bandmates to offset the emissions from their touring. Most of all, Mike is now on a mission to speak out and share his passion for solving the climate crisis. We’re honored that he joined us on the Mother Earth Podcast as part of his mission. And we know that you’ll love hearing some of Lake Street Dive’s music that we feature in this episode, including the climate crisis song, Making Do, from the band’s latest album, Obviously.

black and white photo of Mike Calabrese playing drums
““As human beings, it’s not just survival of the fittest. We’re also social animals and we thrive when we share. That applies to everything. If the world is going to survive in the least violent way possible, it’s going to happen through sharing.”
”
— Mike Calabrese

Show Notes

Paul Kingsworth: Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist 

Union of Concerned Scientists: Climate Solutions: We Need to Act Now

American Songwriter: Album Review: Lake Street Dive ‘Obviously’ Found Its Formula

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Delco drummer fires up funky lake Lake Street Dive

Guerrilla Candy: Interview: Mike Calabrese of Lake Street Dive

Modern Drummer: Mike Calabrese of Lake Street Dive In On The Beat

Vic Firth Video Interview: Artist Spotlight: Mike Calabrese | Lake Street Dive

Lovin’ Food Rescue Video Interview: Calabrese on Food Rescue

Dig Boston: Lake Street Dive:  A New Voice In Hard Times 

Virtual Lessons For Actual Change: Home Page 

Artists, Bands, Albums, and Genres mentioned:

Mental Health Resources:

New York Times: House, Setting a Marker for Talks, Passes $715 Billion Infrastructure Bill 

GoodReads: Joan Baez Quotes “Action is the antidote to despair.”