Thu 6/13 @ 7PM
Every year when they Rock Hall nominees are announced, social media is filled with posts announcing that this or that one “isn’t rock and roll.” Virtually any act that isn’t four or five white guitar playing guitars will receive this feedback. To many rock fans, there’s a protective wall around that type of music and others should not try to open the door.
Kicking off its events to commemorate Juneteenth, the Rock Hall will be hosting a panel discussion that addresses this issue. Dubbed “Black Music Now,” it looks at how Black music connects with such typically “white” rock music forms as metal, punk, alternative and mainstream commercial rock ala Foreigner (one of the least deserving of this year’s inductees). The panelists will explore the question “If rock n’ roll emerged from African American music history, why is the music of Black artists often ignored?” (or treated like an interloper).
The panel features a group of Cleveland-based musicians whose music is incorporates an eclectic range of styles, including Dante Foley, LaToya Kent and Jah Nada, all members of Mourning [A] BLKStar, which draws on soul, jazz, electronic music, spoken work and more, and Lamont Thomas aka NOX, formerly OBNOX, whose musical range extends from blues to hardcore to hip hop and stops in between. CWRU musicologist Dr. Laina Dawes will moderate. NOX will do a live performance following the discussion.
Admission is free with RSVP; go here.
rockhall/juneteenth-black-music-now/
1100 Rock and Roll Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44114