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The gender and racial imbalance at music festivals of all stripes is a known concern among savvy cultural commenters and fans. The inequality only gets worse when it comes to those multiday or multistage events centered on alternative music.
Such was the case a few years back, when Seattle-based alt-rock bands King Youngblood and down north were both booked at a music festival. The group’s respective leaders, Cameron Lavi-Jones and Anthony Briscoe, both noticed that they were the only Black artists on the bill. It wasn’t an unusual realization, but one that inspired the two men to take action.
“We both come from the realm of that DIY punk spirit of, ‘Listen, if it doesn’t exist, you’ve got to build it yourself,’” Lavi-Jones says.
He and Briscoe created Black & Loud, an all-day showcase for Black artists that debuted in Seattle in 2022 with a wide-ranging lineup that included self-proclaimed “gunk pop” trio Black Ends, hip-hop artist 52 Kings, and poet Jamaar Smiley. The next year, the event grew exponentially, with three times as many artists and bigger names like Austin-based noise-rockers Pleasure Venom and London punk trio Big Joanie.
Though the event will be back in Seattle in September, Black & Loud is expanding its range by holding its first-ever event in Portland this coming Saturday, April 6, at Bossanova Ballroom. Some impressive names dot the lineup for this first-time foray by the organization into our fair city. Headlining the bill is Dr. Madd Vibe and the Missin’ Links, a project led by Angelo Moore of punk-funk icons Fishbone with support coming from the darkwave-inspired Terra Nobody and OBGMs, a Toronto punk group flying in specifically for this event.
Black & Loud is also making sure to do right by the scene it is leaping into, with a second stage dedicated to all Portland acts, topped by reggae artist Aaron Nigel Smith and rounded out by rapper Kingsley, blues guitarist Gregg Wright, jazz/R&B vocalist Tahirah Memory, and punk-rockers Splinterhead.
Asked why Black & Loud wanted to cross state lines, Lavi-Jones was blunt in his assessment of how marginalized most Black alternative artists continue to feel in the current musical climate.
“It’s not a Seattle-localized issue,” he says. “A lot of places are having very similar issues of Black folks feeling like they’re in an ocean and feeling incredibly isolated when it comes to being able to be their authentic selves. Portland is one of those places where, very historically, the Black population has not had the same type of support, let alone within the arts community. When we were thinking about other places where Black & Loud Fest could have a proper impact, Portland seemed like the next place that we really wanted to try to start showcasing to folks that Black people do this, and you’re invited to celebrate them too.’”
GO: Black & Loud Fest is at Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside St., 503-206-7630. 7 pm Saturday, April 6. $25 advance, $50 VIP tickets. 21+.