And it Was Good!

It is written that God created the entire world in seven days. That didn't seem long enough until I saw Live Earth. The 24 hours it lasted on 07/07/07 illuminated just how much the committed can accomplish in a single day.

 While not divine, Live Earth was frankly awesome -- in the original sense of the word. If you missed it, you missed a world-changing moment that lasted for one of this planet's most jam-packed days. Lucky for you, MSN is still streaming the concerts and you can watch them at your leisure.

Live Earth spanned all seven continents with an estimated 2 billion people watching the shows live in person, at over 7,000 viewing events, or by tuning in on television, radio and the Internet.

First to begin, the Sydney concert dawned with a welcoming wail of Aboriginal didgeridoo. That call was echoed clear on the other side of the planet at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, where Al Gore kicked off the Washington, D.C., event with Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.

Hitting the highlights of all the Live Earth shows is like trying to condense world history on a napkin, but I'll try. Tokyo thundered to Linkin Park, Shanghai swooned to Sarah Brightman, and Hamburg shook its hips to Shakira. In Australia, Crowded House staged its triumphant return singing "Don't Dream It's Over," reminding us that this is just the beginning.

At the South Africa show, the audience went nuts for Joss Stone and stayed on their feet for all nine acts, ending with UB40. Despite rain in Shanghai and Hamburg, audiences flocked to the cause. Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens) played his classic "Wild World" in Germany, and

then as the sun emerged, the crowd shone brightly

for Enrique Iglesias' set. In China, superstar Huang Xiao Ming evoked screaming delight from the stands and rockers Soler raised the roof.

The concert in London was so full of highlights it resembled a blonde fresh from the salon. It kicked off with a drum jam featuring Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters, Queen's Roger Taylor, and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and it never let up. Metallica, Paolo Nutini, and James Blunt joined Spinal Tap for onstage mayhem; Corinne Bailey Rae and John Legend sang Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" as a duet; and Damien Rice and David Gray played "Que Sera Sera" acoustic! Did I mention Madonna? The pop goddess took the stage in a dazzling darkness lit only by flashbulbs. She closed the show with "Hey You," written especially for Live Earth, plus another three songs. Keeping the energy levels pushing into the red, Madonna laid down the law,

"If you want to save the planet, let me see you jump!"

Across the world in Brazil, 400,000 people grooved to Macy Gray, Pharrell, and powerhouse closer, Lenny Kravitz. How did Lenny display his thanks to those who showed their support? Stage dive! Not bad for a free show!

I was in New Jersey and I wouldn't have been anywhere else -- except perhaps Antarctica. Nunatak, a band composed of residents of the Rothera Research Station, covered continent number seven by rocking out over the broadcast feed. For their first public performance, they shook off stage fright and snowflakes to entertain one of the largest audiences ever assembled.

The U.S. concert was quite a bit warmer than its Antarctic sibling. Giants Stadium ate up world class act after act. KT Tunstall called for "an emotional awareness revolution" and started the wave. Keith Urban and Alicia Keys played a surprise duet. Melissa Etheridge strummed her heart out and set a new standard for devotion to the cause. Al Gore introduced Bon Jovi, and the entire stadium shouted along to "Living on a Prayer" as if they meant it. Roger Waters floated out a giant inflatable pig emblazoned with "Save Our Sausage" and The Police closed the show. Joined by John Mayer and Kanye West, their thrilling "Message in a Bottle" was the perfect song to end a livelong day. The chorus, resounding around the stadium and the world, echoed the Live Earth mantra: "We're sending out an S.O.S."

Days later, Live Earth is still going strong. That makes perfect sense. After all, regardless of how stellar it was, it's not about the music. Live Earth is about pledging to combat climate change. If you haven't already, I hope you answer the call.