I Made Rock 'N' Roll Festival

GANGGANG & Forty5 Present the inaugural I Made Rock ‘N’ Roll Festival at The American Legion Mall in Indianapolis, IN on Saturday, May 18, 2024!

The I Made Rock ‘N’ Roll festival is Indiana’s first one-day Black rock festival, designed to honor the true origins of rock ‘n’ roll all while celebrating the ongoing legacy of Black rock and promoting equity in the genre.

Featuring live performances by Janelle Monáe, Gary Clark Jr., Robert Randolph Band, Joy Oladokun, Meet Me @ The Altar, and Inner Peace, the I Made Rock ‘N’ Roll Festival will take place on Saturday, May 18 at The American Legion Mall downtown (St. Clair Street to North Street between Meridian and Pennsylvania Streets).

“We are doing this to celebrate the significance of Black artistry in rock music, a sound with direct ties to the rhythm and blues of Black people,” said Alan Bacon, GANGGANG co-founder. “This festival is about the longstanding presence of Black artistry and authorship in rock ‘n’ roll, as much as it is about racism, cultural appropriation, and economic justice.”

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Janelle Monáe

Janelle Monáe, music’s foremost freeassmuthafucka, is back in action with the release of her highly-anticipated single, “Float,” featuring horns by Seun Kuti + Egypt 80. “Float” is available now via Wondaland Arts Society/Atlantic Records HERE.

According to sources closest to Monáe, “Float” is inspired by Muhammed Ali talking shit in Zaire, 1974, Jane’s evolution, Mary Poppins’ umbrella, Aladdin’s magic carpet, Ja Morant’s flotation to the rim while dunking on his ops, Sara Elise’s ropes, excerpts from Paramahmsa Nithyananda’s talks on levitation, Raul’s toast on Dec 1, and Bruce Lee’s mighty philosophy on being “shapeless, formless,” and becoming one with your surroundings, to be like water…

“Float” — which Monáe recently teased on her hugely popular Instagram — was first heard late last year as the official anthem of ABC/ESPN’s NBA Saturday Primetime campaign, with Janelle contributing voiceover narration to promo spots highlighting the biggest matchups and stars in the league. The track will be used extensively throughout all NBA coverage through mid-March, spanning promos, Primetime matchups, in-game placement, social media, and more. Most recently, “Float” was featured in an animated piece marking Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the # 1 spot on the NBA’s all-time regular-season scoring list, shared across ESPN’s socials and James’ Instagram to reach more than 275M combined followers.

Gary Clark Jr.

Steeped in the grand tradition of the American songbook, Gary Clark Jr. has emerged as a 21st-century rock ‘n’ roll messiah; a blues virtuoso who blends in reggae, punk, R&B, hip-hop, and soul, re-shaping the genre for our time. He’s been doing his thing since he was a kid in Texas, but made global waves in 2014 following his first GRAMMY Award®: Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Please Come Home” from his 2012 debut Blak And Blu. Clark ascended to greater heights in 2019 with his third full-length, the sensual and socially conscious This Land, which hit #6 on the Billboard Top 200, his third consecutive Top 10 debut. This Land garnered acclaim from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and many more. Clark topped bills at festivals and venues like the Hollywood Bowl, made appearances sharing the stage with The Rolling Stones, and performed at the White House for the Obamas. In 2020, Clark cleaned up at the GRAMMYs®, taking home Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song (“This Land”), and Best Contemporary Blues Album. He performed “This Land” backed by The Roots during the ceremony, releasing the live version as a single. To date, Clark has six GRAMMY® nominations and four wins. He has performed on national TV, making stops at Saturday Night Live, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and more. Clark is currently working on a follow-up to This Land, continuing to experiment and push the possibilities of American roots music.

Robert Randolph Band

What do classic rock heavyweights Elton John, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, singer-songwriters Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Leanne Rhymes, Darius Rucker, and some of the biggest arena rock acts like Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica all have in common? At some point in their career they wanted to incorporate the singing sound of the pedal steel guitar, and they all called in the same person to do it: Robert Randolph.

Robert’s innovative approach to the pedal steel guitar has earned him four Grammy nominations, multiple Blues Music Awards, a BMI award, and Rolling Stone named Randolph one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”. His work can be heard on numerous tv and film broadcasts, including his long standing theme song for the New York Knicks “Get There”, and “Ain’t Nothing Wrong With That”, the current theme song for NFL Thursday Night Football.

Off stage, Robert has a long demonstrated history of community involvement and driving meaningful social change. He utilizes his passion for humanity and his diverse talents to bring people of all backgrounds together to create empowered communities that allow everyone to live their best lives.

Joy Oladokun

One of music’s most unique and vulnerable voices, Joy Oladokun is in the midst of a landmark year following the release of her acclaimed new album, Proof of Life (Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records). Across its thirteen tracks — including collaborations with Chris Stapleton, Noah Kahan, Manchester Orchestra, Mt. Joy and Maxo Kream — Joy celebrates the simple pleasures of being alive, while also giving voice to some of life’s most complex experiences. Of the album, The New York Times proclaims, “her songs are conversational and confessional, and her hooky but profound melodies turn her lyrics into mantras,” while the Associated Press declares, “one of the most appealing artists working in the music scene these days.” A singular artist, Joy continues to forge her own path, sharing the unique perspective gained from living in today’s world as a black, queer person and first-generation child of Nigerian immigrants. Known for her captivating live performances, Joy is currently on the road with Noah Kahan and will embark on an extensive headline tour this fall including shows in Denver, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Austin, San Francisco and many more. Since her debut, Joy has performed at the White House as part of the Respect for Marriage Act signing ceremony as well as on “CBS Saturday Morning,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “TODAY,” PBS’ “Austin City Limits and NPR Music’s “Tiny Desk (Home) Concert” series. Joy’s music has also been included in Loudmouth, the recent Al Sharpton documentary, CBS’ “CSI: Vegas,” NBC’s “This Is Us,” ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC’s “Station 19,” NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and HBO’s “And Just Like That” among many others.

Meet Me at the Altar

Meet Me @ The Altar is here to dismantle rock music’s stereotypes riff by riff. The band–comprised of guitarist-bassist Téa Campbell, drummer Ada Juarez and lead vocalist Edith Victoria–has reignited the genre with their refreshing mix of earworm pop melodies, blazing guitar riffs, and punk attitude. Now, the band is ready to stake their claim in rock history with their debut album, Past // Present // Future, arriving via Fueled By Ramen.

The record finds the bandmates experimenting more than ever as they solidify a signature sound while also ripping apart the “nostalgia act” box they didn’t ask to be placed in. Each word in the album title holds a significant meaning: “Past” pays respect to the iconic bands who’ve influenced them (including Paramore, Twenty One Pilots, P!NK, Demi Lovato, and Avril Lavigne). “Present” finds the band redefining what a modern-day rock band looks and sounds like, while “Future” looks ahead at how the band will impact the genre and where they might go from here.

Calling upon iconic producer John Fields (Jonas Brothers, P!NK, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato), Past // Present // Future sheds any notion of sonic limitations. “We wanted this album to have a throwback sound but still feel like it was produced today,” Edith says. “John did all those early ‘00s Jonas Brothers records that we are obsessed with – he was the perfect person to work with.” This inspiration is best captured in lead single “Kool.” A perfect balance of pop and rock with whispers of a flirty R&B groove, “Kool” is a song for anyone with a crush, shaking up typical song structure to deliver an ultra-catchy, straightforward chorus: “You’re so kool.”

Inner Peace

Inner Peace is a new Indianapolis hardcore punk band that makes songs that are hotter than the Motor Speedway. The group includes members of some of your favorite Indy bands (Big Hog, L.I.B., The Resource Network) and is fronted by veteran rapper Drayco McCoy. Though it’s clear in Drayco’s vocal delivery that he’s released over a dozen mixtapes and EPs, this is far from a cheesy rap-rock crossover — it’s the real deal.

ABOUT GANGGANG

GANGGANG is a creative advocacy agency based in Indianapolis working to center culture, equity, and beauty in cities through major initiatives like BUTTER: A Fine Art Fair. For more information on the founding organization, visit www.ganggangculture.com or follow on social media @ganggangculture. For more information on BUTTER, visit www.butterartfair.com or follow on social @butterartfair.

ABOUT FORTY5

Music is in Forty5’s DNA. Forty5 exists as a live events organization to bring people together through music via talent buying, event production, ticketing, box office management, and promotion for events at venues across Indianapolis and the surrounding areas including The Vogue Theatre, Rock the Ruins at Holliday Park, and The Toby at Newfields, all powered by the technology platform, Opendate. For more information on Forty5, visit www.forty5.com or follow on social @forty5presents.

I MADE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL FESTIVAL

SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2024

AMERICAN LEGION MALL

INDIANAPOLIS, IN

TICKETS AT IMADEROCKNROLL.COM

PLEASE NOTE:

‍All tickets are non-transferrable and non-refundable. This event is rain or shine. This event is General Admission, and seating is not provided. Guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs. For a full list of permitted and prohibited items, parking and transportation details, information on ADA seating, and answers to other frequently asked questions, visit the FAQ page.