Eco-Punks

Eco-Punks explores what emerges when Detroit’s rock music histories are examined through an eco-critical lens grounded in the region’s geological properties. The program considers rock as both material substrate and cultural form, connecting the formation of land to the formation of sound. By convening artists, scholars, and community partners, the workshop’s themes investigate how industrialization and climate change have shaped both Detroit’s physical landscape and its musical and social movements.

Eco-Punks will convene geologists, environmental researchers, music historians, musicians, archivists, and community practitioners to examine how industrialization, extraction, and climate change have shaped Detroit’s physical landscape and cultural movements.

Hosted on Belle Isle, the convening situates these conversations within a site that embodies both geological history and civic assembly.

Schedule:

4:00 – 4:10pm – Opening Remarks: Detroit Rock City (Ash Arder)

4:10 – 4:40pm – Detroit Dowsing Rods (Ryan C. Clarke)

4:40 – 5:00pm – Rituals of Geology: Indigenous Copper Mining in the Great Lakes (Dr. Michelle Bebber)

5:00 – 5:45pm – Strolling Dinner and Music from the Mountains: African Rhythms and Instrumentation (Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sr.)

5:45 – 6:30pm – Keynote: Race, Rock, and Cultural Gatekeeping (Dr. Kimberly Mack)

6:30 – 7:15pm – Panel Conversation: The Pit: Notes on Collectivity (Moderated by Dr. Robin K. Williams, featuring Ryan C. Clarke, Dr. Michelle Bebber, Rev. Robert B. Jones, and Dr. Kimberly Mack)

7:15 – 8:00pm – Closing Concert: 1967 Love-In featuring Marcus Elliot

Click here to register and learn more.