Thanks for stopping by!
I’m Rob Fields and I started Bold As Love to provide a platform for people–particularly African Americans–to discover Black rock music. I also want to explore how the increasing prominence of Black rock is impacting Black imagination and how we conceive of and understand ourselves in the world. I believe that Black rock can save Black culture and ultimately change this country for the better.
So the focus here is on providing context for audiences to understand and enjoy what they’re hearing. For artists, I’ll also get into ways that you can make Black rock matter in the marketplace (can’t help thinking this way: I’m a marketer through and through).
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
How did I get started in Black rock? Here’s the short version: I got turned onto Black rock from my early days in PR, when I ran PR for the Black Rock Coalition. From there, I went onto artist management and represented alternative artists such as trombonist and Groove Collective alum Josh Roseman and cornettist and M-Base co-founder Graham Haynes.
A longer exploration is here in a piece that I wrote for Blackpower.com, “My Life in Black Rock”.
KEY POSTS (aka WHERE I’M COMIN’ FROM)
To help you get oriented, here are some key posts that will give you a good overview of what’s going on here:
- Can Black rock save Black culture? I originally wrote this on another blog a few months prior to starting Bold As Love. I guess this subject was bubbling up in my mind
- Start, which explores the goals I had upon finally starting the blog.
- What is Black rock? A fair question, right? Here’s a hint: It’s much more than a musical genre.
- Do we have to call it “Black” rock? I say yes, and here’s why.
- What is the role of “Black” rock in the age of Obama? On the other hand, to what extent to identity politics still matter now that we have an African-American president?
- Where to find Black rock. Some online communities to get plugged into.
OTHER USEFUL LINKS
Also, I’d suggest that you check out:
Listening Posts. I share tracks on a regular basis.
Video interviews. Meet some of people who make this community so vibrant.
Photos. I shoot at some of the shows I attend.
IN THE MEDIA
I’ve had the privilege of being a guest on NPR several times of the last year. Check out my musical “punditry” here
SPEAKING
After reading all of this, if you’d like to have me come speak to you school or organization, simply email me at rafields [at] gmail [dot] com, and we’ll work out the details!
If you need a headshot for a speaking engagement, download either of these:
FINALLY. . .
A blog thrives on feedback. So, if you see something you like, leave a comment. Better yet, share it via the Digg or ShareThis links. Likewise, if you see something you don’t agree with, let me know why.
