T13C! is a band on a mission.
While pursuing its passion and sharing its music on the road, the band is helping protect the environment.
The band recently teamed up with CREx, a local nonprofit initiative started by Earth Givers, to make its recent tour carbon neutral.
This summer, the band completed a 2,963-mile, 19-show in-state tour. With the help of CREx, the band offset the environmental impact from its tour van and the electrical consumption at their venues.
Joe Loffredo, 28, and Mike Loffredo, 28, are Gainesville residents, twin brothers and bandmates in T13C!.
They sport beards and wear the same jeans to interviews. Joe sometimes wears a knitted cap on his head to avoid being confused for his brother.
T13C! appeared on the first season of "America's Got Talent" with David Hasselhoff.
"Hasslehoff is taller than most people think," Joe said. "I thought he was absolutely huge to be honest with you."
"He's as tall as a light post," Mike said.
The Gainesville-based band has three national tours and more than 20 in-state tours under its belt.
With its last tour the band decided to use the stage to educate its fans about the environment.
But the band is not just jumping on the "green" wagon for the sake of being trendy. The guys are committed to teaching young people what they can do to help the environment.
"We've recycled ever since we were kids," Joe said. "That's just something our parents instilled in us."
T13C! kept a recycling bag at all times in its touring van and at shows the members taught audiences about ways to help reduce their carbon footprint - the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly or indirectly by people or organizations.
"There are basic things you can do to help," Joe said. "I think every kid in Gainesville has a computer. Turn it off at night."
When electronics are left plugged in all day the electronics draw energy, this affects wallets and the environment adversely.
"It's like your own personal economic stimulus," Joe said.
The band also promotes the efficiency of quick showers.
"We don't shave very often either," Mike Loffredo said.
The members said carpooling, bike riding and public transportation, and if someone must drive, scooters are great alternatives to driving a car.
"You also get a free hug out of it," Joe said, about rising scooters. "When two people are on a scooter one person hugs the other."
The band chose to work with CREx because of the company's commitment to creating locally based carbon dioxide reductions in Gainesville.
"We were thrilled to be able to work with such a great band on such a unique and worthwhile project," said Jacob Cravey, co-founder of Earth Givers.
CREx calculated that T13C! would produce 10 tons of carbon dioxide during the monthlong tour.
About 75 percent came from travel, and 25 percent was attributed to venue environment.
The neutrality of the tour has been certified by an independent third-party verifier.
ClimateSafe examined the emissions caused by the tour and the reductions created by CREx.
Once it was determined that the reductions equaled the emissions, the tour was certified neutral.
Joe and Mike said they plan to book eco-friendly tours from now on.
However, if their rock-star dreams don't pan out they have backup plans.
Joe said he always wanted to be an FBI agent.
Mike is a band director at a Catholic middle school.
"I'm also a pretty good baby sitter," Joe said
