Really thrilled to have helped TheRoot.com round out its Black Music Month coverage with an article on the state of black rock. Thanks again to all who contributed responses and provided quotes. Also, shout out to senior editor Teresa Wiltz who tapped me for the assignment and who also asked me to help them pull together a photo gallery of artists worth checking out. Let me say immediately that no, it’s not an exhaustive list. And, yes, there are some folks who, in hindsight, I should’ve added. But that’s the problem when there are, literally, hundreds (seriously) of talented artists to choose from.
Anyway, here’s the opening:
It’s blazing down on the field at Central Park Summerstage. On this
hot June day, there’s partial shade in the bleachers, but those aren’t
at all close to the stage, and who really wants to be that far from the
action?The growing crowd gladly suffers through the heat. On this day,
they’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Black
Rock Coalition, the progressive arts organization that was formed
in 1985 by Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, journalist and cultural
critic Greg Tate and artist/manager Konda Mason. Yes, folks are here to
check out local rock favorites Pillow Theory, London-born, day-glo
electro artist Ebony Bones, and innovative DJ and sound sculptor CX
Kidtronik, but the main draw is the Black Rock Coalition’s flagship
band, Living
Colour. It’s a meeting of the trailblazers and the new jacks, all
coming together under the flag of black rock. And it’s all happening at a
time when black rock is gaining momentum as a cultural force.
Check out the full article on TheRoot.com.
