Recently on The Day With Trae, host Trae Holiday sat down with Seattle’s multi-hyphenate artist, activist, and bandleader, Cameron Lavi-Jones. Wearing many hats, Lavi-Jones, the frontman for rock outfit King Youngblood and co-founder of Black and Loud Fest, joined the show to discuss the upcoming iteration of the music festival, his personal ethos, and his recent star-turn in musical theater.

Now entering its fifth year, Black and Loud Fest has grown from a grassroots vision into a multi-venue, multi-city celebration of Black-fronted alternative music. Lavi-Jones shared insights on running an independent festival, expanding the cultural lexicon of Black music, and why he finally feels he has nothing left to prove.

From the Theater to the Festival Main Stage

Holiday kicked off the conversation by publicly praising Lavi-Jones for his "incredible" and complex portrayal of Judas in the Fifth Avenue Theater's production of Jesus Christ Superstar earlier this year.

Reflecting on his first venture into musical theater, Lavi-Jones described a beautiful full-circle moment that directly linked his stage debut back to the very music festival he co-founded. He credited the team at the Fifth Avenue Theater for allowing him to "discover the joy of it as a newcomer," an experience that further amplified his already formidable stage presence.

Reclaiming Rock and Roll

For Lavi-Jones, the drive behind both King Youngblood and Black and Loud Fest stems from a childhood desire for representation in genres where Black artists are frequently sidelined.

"I started my band to be the representation that I wish I had. Especially growing up in Seattle, there wasn't a lot of people that looked like us making the kind of music that I really loved—that catharsis, that energy, that raw aggression, and channeling it into something intentional,” he said.

As King Youngblood’s mission is centered on "reclaiming rock music for Black and brown people," Black and Loud Fest serves as an open invitation to the wider community to join that reclamation. Lavi-Jones explained that the Pacific Northwest’s specific demographics require a dual educational approach when presenting Black alternative genres.

"For non-Black folks, I look at it as an opportunity to put them on to new bands, but more than that, give them an opportunity to get a better understanding of how wide the pantheon of what Black music really looks like. It's not just hip-hop, it's not just R\&B. It's rock, it's jazz, it's soul, it's punk, it's hardcore, it's alternative genres,” he said.

Simultaneously, the festival serves to remind the Black community that they "don't have to be beholden to stereotypes" and have full permission to enjoy and create within these spaces.

The DIY Spirit and Giving Artists Their Flowers

Putting together a festival of this magnitude is no small feat, particularly as music festivals across the country face economic closure. Black and Loud Fest remains resilient, powered by what Lavi-Jones describes as a small, dedicated "DIY team."

"The DIY spirit is how we cut our teeth... I don't think any powerful thing gets made without people coming together to make it happen, regardless of how big their team is,” he said.

This commitment to honoring alternative artists resonates deeply across the industry. Lavi-Jones recounted a conversation with alternative viral sensation Iniko, who is slated to perform this year.

"Iniko was sharing with me that even at their large famous status, they still struggle with the fact that because they're an alternative artist, and I think because they're a queer artist, that they aren't tapped for Black events,” he said. “I think very often folks miss out on the opportunity to recognize that representation, giving people their flowers, comes at every level within your career when you're a Black musician."

What to Expect This Year

The festival is expanding massively, taking over three separate Seattle venues: Neumos, Barboza, and The Runaway, before heading to Portland, Oregon.

As Black and Loud Fest reaches its milestone fifth year, Lavi-Jones reflects on how the journey has transformed him, shifting his mindset from defense to deliberate execution.

"I've been moving with this headspace of: 'I don't have things to prove anymore. I have things to execute.' And I think that's been making for not just a stronger festival, or even a stronger King Youngblood, but a stronger Cameron."

Festival Ticket Information

Seattle: Saturday, August 29th at Neumos, Barboza, and The Runaway.
Portland: Sunday, August 30th at The Den.
Tickets: Available online at blackandloudfest.com

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