Live Performances at Earth Day 2011

The Rusty Boys

The Rusty Boys were formed in the summer of 2010 by three Georgia Tech students who have a passion for playing bluegrass music and saving the planet. Matt, Dan, and Sinan started out by playing covers by popular bluegrass bands and have lately moved on to writing their own music about anything from love to whiskey to fried food. They have recently been joined by talented singer/songwriter Prem Midha, who has a voice so cool it'll reverse global warming. The Rusty Boys love to entertain a crowd and regularly play at venues around Atlanta like Smith's Olde Bar and Red Light Cafe. They know that their love of energetic bluegrass music and Earthy days will prove to be infectious at Georgia Tech and around the city of Atlanta.

Dr. Dr. Mr. MD

(Dr.) Paul Mayne. Paul is a professor of geosystems engineering in the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering. During his undergraduate years at Cornell, he left college to play guitar for a living for 2 years, then returned to finish his undergraduate degree and his MS. He worked for 11 years in Washington, DC as a professional registered consulting engineer, then returned to Cornell to get his Ph.D. Prof. Mayne has been at GA Tech since 1990. He plays 4- and 5-string electric bass and sings backup vocals. He is married with one teenage daughter (and one wife).

(Dr.) Paul Neitzel. Paul is a professor in the George Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, focusing on the field of fluid mechanics. He joined his first band in 1964, and played music off and on with various groups through the summer of 1979. Prof. Neitzel did his Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins, and took his first academic job as a faculty member at Arizona State University; he has been at Georgia Tech since 1990. He plays rhythm guitar and handles most lead vocals. He is married with four grown sons (and the two most beautiful granddaughters in the world).

(Mr.) Mike Rudolph. Mike is the President of Protocol Solutions LLC, a Project Management consulting firm specializing in Project management mentoring, consulting and training. He also teaches at Keller Graduate School for courses in network and wireless technologies. He has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering Technology, an MBA from the University of Rochester Simon School and PMP certification. Mike plays drums and sings backup vocals and has over the years played in bands throughout the east cost. He is married with three children, the youngest of whom is enrolled in GA Tech in the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering.

(MD) Mike Duffee. Mike is the owner of Restaurant Equipment Services and Food Equipment Specialties, providing services to many of Atlanta's finest restaurants. He is also a graduate of Cornell University, where he met and played in bands with Paul Mayne in the mid-'70s. Mike has lived in Atlanta for 28 years and enjoys riding motorcycles (we think he's an organ donor), rollerblading, snow skiing, swimming, tennis and golf. Mike plays lead guitar and sings both lead and backup vocals. He is married and the father of two active young sons.

Captain Planet

Think the planet’s problems are too big for you to make a difference? Never underestimate your own powers! You won’t believe the amazing things that can happen when you and your friends combine to work as a team and get things done!

With the help of my special team, The Planeteers, we’ll continue to work for a cleaner, greener future that celebrates diversity and cultures from every corner of the globe. We applaud YOUR efforts as a Planeteer to make our planet home, sweet home. It’s the only home we’ve got! We have to cherish it with our OWN unique powers.

THE POWER IS YOURS! With respect, CAPTAIN PLANET

Reynard the Fox

The furry loveable red fox will be here again to remind everyone that all of the forest creatures share this planet with us and depend on us to protect the environment for them as well as for ourselves. Reynard's handler, Kevin Pittman, is a Georgia Tech graduate and current employee of OIT. In his spare time, Kevin runs his own entertainment business, 'Kevin Pittman and his Forest Friends', doing fairy tale style puppet shows and costume character greetings with his own cast of handmade animal puppets and costume characters. Kevin's characters have appeared all around the Greater Atlanta area, most notably at the Marietta Arts and Crafts Festivals, the Atlanta Parent Family Block Party, and the Children's Healthcare Festival of Trees.

Previous Earth Day Performers