Artist and activist Thomas Basil will be celebrating the planet on the Gorge Hall stage this Saturday for a musical Earth Day fundraiser.

The beneficiaries for the Earth Day celebration are the Streamkeepers, a stream stewardship program run by the environmental group Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI), and the event will feature a number of local musical artists throughout the day.

Basil and fellow artist Rhythm are two of the fundraiser's organizers and performers. Performing a show together on Cortes on Earth Day, surrounded by the forests their music was inspired by, is very fitting, according to Basil.

“I'm glad to have this be synchronizing on Earth Day and to raise funds for the Streamkeepers and hear Michael Keith play, finally. Such a fun person to run into, but I've not heard him play yet. Hear Rue and sing with Rhythm and then get to dance. I'm glad that there's gonna be some dancing too.”

The multi-genre performer embraces opportunities to collaborate. Basil says music has the power to bring people and the planet together.

“So [Rhthym] she'll back me on some of my songs and I'll back her on some of her songs and it's powerful," Basil said. "Like it's powerful music that's full of love and healing and also some things that need to be said around industry and opening discussions around how things need to be different for the sake of the wellbeing of all. It's pertinent to Earth Day, although I heard someone say every day's Earth Day, and I think that's true."

Basil has been writing love songs for the planet for about five years and was originally inspired to make the music while spending time on Cortes Island, when they became aware the Island Timberlands forestry company planned to log here.

Basil has been featured on Cortes stages twice now: once before with Rhythm in September 2022, at a private music festival on Cortes called the Intergalactic Space Rodeo, and the artist was also present during the winter solstice for a rap opera called Dragon Songs.

In the future, Basil is looking forward to a collaborative show called Moonrise.

The Earth Day celebration on April 22 will feature other performers like a magical bard named Oisin Ruadh, Michael Keith, and DJ Pom Poko. 

To hear more about Basil’s artistic journey with the earth, listen to the CKTZ News Update below: