BLACKSTAR RISING & THE PURPLE REIGN

Celebrating the work of David Bowie and Prince, Blackstar Rising & The Purple Reign will explore the careers of two singular musicians who changed the face of popular music culture in the second half of the twentieth century. Bringing together scholars, musicians, filmmakers, artists, journalists, and students for discussion, critical listening, and musical performance, this event will examine the pathbreaking innovations of these two remarkable musicians, and explore the legacies of two artists who recognized the ways that popular music can create liberating spaces where audacious cultural and social changes and transformations might flourish. Lectures and roundtable discussions will examine how Bowie and Prince each championed aesthetic, social, and cultural freedom and rule-breaking in their respective repertoires and ultimately revolutionized racial, gender, and sexual identity politics in popular music culture. The event will culminate in a concert featuring the band TV On The Radio.