On November 6^th, The Polish Ambassador and his crew of activist musicians brought the funk to Philly for their Permaculture Action Tour.  Joined by Mr. Lif, and Ayla Nereo with their unique musical styles, and Liminus providing live visuals, The Polish Ambassador is also travelling with a crew of Permaculture activists, spreading sweat and positive messages to communities all over the US.  It started with a IndieGoGo campaign to fund their idea for a music tour that left behind a positive footprint in each community they visit.  Their mission is to spread the ideas of permaculture and regenerative living to their audience, engaging people who come to enjoy their music, and inspiring them to participate in making their community a better place.  The tour is over now, but for six weeks they travelled across the country organizing community volunteer days to plant permaculture-style gardens, reclaiming abandoned lots for guerilla gardens, and teaching their fans about living a regenerative lifestyle.

Ryan Rising seemed to be the resident permaculture expert on the tour, and before the show in Philly, Ryan gave a 20-ish minute presentation on what they’ve done so far with the tour, planting permaculture gardens, guerilla gardening, and spreading information about permaculture.  Then, he invited Robyn Mello to speak about the Philly Orchard Project (POP), and their ongoing work in Philadelphia to plant food forests and educate people about permaculture.  POP does amazing work organizing volunteers to plant trees, and help with city gardens and farms, and even holds workshops on all kinds of awesome topics related to permaculture.   Paul Glover, another Philly activist for regenerative living and recent candidate for PA Governor, spoke about Car Free Cities.  Imagine, in a very possible future, a Philadelphia where all the streets are transformed to bike paths, public transportation, and green space; farms, gardens, and parks running down every street.  It sounds like paradise to me.

Some of The Polish Ambassador’s fans have reacted negatively on the musician’s facebook fan page.  Some think that they’re neglecting the music aspect of the tour by focusing on their permaculture message.  The Polish Ambassador responded in a Facebook post:

Here’s a video that I took during the concert.  Ayla Nereo and Mr. Lif improvised, using a loop pedal, collaborating with a beatboxer from the crowd, and created this awesome freestyle experience: