Celebrating Black Excellence and Rock Legacy: Black and Loud Fest Marks Its 5th Anniversary
Celebrating music, culture, and community, Neumos recently hosted the fifth annual Black and Loud Fest. Designed to center Black-fronted artists, rock bands, and musicians, the festival provided a platform where culture and genre-defying music took the spotlight.
Co-founder of Black and Loud Fest and member of King Youngblood, Cameron Lavi-Jones, highlighted the original inspiration behind establishing the festival.
"We started this festival to make sure that Black folks were given their flowers now, not waiting until they passed. And especially in Seattle, there's a very long history of Black folks not getting their due credit for their contributions,” he said, citing the “godmother of grunge” and Bam Bam frontwoman Tina Bell.
Lavi-Jones reflected on how this mission translated onto the stage during the event, noting an emphasis on Afro-Latino representation in the lineup.
“King Youngblood's set represented more of how multifaceted we are as a band and [set] a lot more of those intentions in our activism,” he said. The band closed out their set with a surprise finale of Bam Bam’s “Ground Zero.” “We wanted to make sure that we gave her a proper ode, and Tina, you are not forgotten."
Beyond paying homage to musical pioneers, the event was an intentional space for community connection, education, and representation.
"The biggest feeling I feel tonight is pride,” Lavi-Jones said. “With Black and Loud Fest, a lot of the education that we do is showing non-Black people that Black folks don't have to be within a stereotype of what they think Black music is.”
The festival offered a space for artists, performers, and attendees to see themselves reflected in the Seattle music scene. Members of the radical, queer, punk band Toxic Tears noted how rare it can be to find spaces dedicated specifically to Black and other underrepresented musicians across various genres in Seattle.
In a local climate where many music festivals face closure, reaching a fifth year is a significant milestone for the small DIY team behind the event.
"I'm so grateful to how many different people showed up, how many different people understand that being a part of a celebration of Black folks doesn't mean it's only Black folks that are supposed to show up,” Lavi-Jones said.
Learn more about Black and Loud Fest at www.blackandloudfest.com
Looking to book a space for your upcoming event? Check out Colman Commons for all your event space needs at colmancommons.com
