Musical Urbanism offers a forum to think about three questions:
1. How do cities sustain creative milieux and cultural movements?
2. How are cities and the urban condition represented in art and popular culture?
3. What’s local (to a city, neighborhood, group) in any given art form or cultural movement?
Popular music is as good an example as any other in which to pose these questions. It’s better, in fact, since music provokes excitement, individual interpretations, and debate, all of which I encourage. I don’t expect reaching definitive answers here, but only hypotheses, reflections, elaborations, tangents, and further questions. I also anticipate there will be posts about just music or just urban stuff.
Musical Urbanism is inspired by a seminar I’ve taught at Vassar College in 2007,2008, and most recently in 2011. Thanks to my brilliant co-teachers, Heesok Chang and Hua Hsu.
Image credits:
Capitol Hill Block Party 2008 by deejayres.
Partytunnel by cosmonautirussi.
notting hill carnival 2006 by rootskontrolla.
Reproduced and modified respectfully via Creative Commons.
4 comments
Ralph Alfonso says:
Sep 13, 2017
Hi Leonard
Just a quick note (although you may have already heard from others) that the Dishes did not open for Talking Heads at A-Space. There was no opening act. I was there. I can send you a Facebook post by the late Steven Davey where he dispells Dishes myths :)
Enjoying the read.
Ralph Alfonso
Leonard Nevarez says:
Sep 13, 2017
Thanks for the correction, Ralph. John Catto told me the same thing earlier today. I’d love to see that Facebook post you’re talking about.
Leonard Nevarez says:
Sep 13, 2017
Just a follow-up: one source where I heard that the Dishes opened up for Talking Heads was Scott Davey, in an interview this year. So, I’d really like to see that Facebook post!
Harri Palm says:
Feb 18, 2019
One correction for the G-Rays history. (your Sept. 12 2017 post) I did not walk out during the recording of Every Twist Reminds. We finished the album and we were very proud of it. I left the band later while on tour in Ottawa. Harri