Five Fab Fotos with Eric Black, A Visual Conversation with Imaginative Professionals

Meet Eric Black, Owner/Creator at Revolver Underground:

I guess you could call me a Jack of all trades…at least in the music industry it seems. I started singing when I was very young. My dad always had the radio on to a local country station so I was brought up on country but soon found rock music and have been a fan ever since. I like all music as a whole, however. I’ve been in bands since I was 18 and my current band MortalRising is an acoustic-driven rock duo.A few years back I started a booking and promotions company that booked mostly venues in my home town. I also DJ’d at a local rock station and hosted as a VJ on occasion for BalconyTV (www.balconytvnashville) and For The Record for a while in Nashville but I had my first taste of radio in mid-2008 at a privately ran station in Iowa where I hosted a spot on Saturdays. The station had a local music show and I started thinking about that and how awesome it would be to have Indie bands from all over the globe heard. In 2008 that concept was born. I call it Revolver Underground. February of 2013 marked the shows 5th year. During which time the show has been syndicated on several internet radio stations in the US and UK: reaching 100,000+ listeners a week, an artist roster of over 300, and heard in 70+ countries/territories around the world. Revolver Underground is quickly becoming a major source for Indie artists worldwide to get their music heard.

For more info: http://www.revolverunderground.com

                            http://www.reverbnation.com/mortalrising

1. This photo was taken on the plane heading back from covering the Grammy’s. What an amazing event! My radio show Revolver Underground partnered with BalconyTV Nashville. This was also my first time doing interviews period. Why not jump into the fire right?

So many memories with this photo! From the time we landed to the time we left it was non-stop videos, interviews, pictures and editing! A LOT OF WORK but so much fun!

Photo by Vince Lambert, http://www.vancelambert.com/

 2. This photo was taken by Vance Lambert. I spent 2 years with dreads. I’d never had them before. There are natural and chemical dreads. I tried both but chemical seemed to work best. It’s like a perm times a thousand. Having dreads is a process and usually frowned upon by most people. However, I am not most people. If you take care of your dreads they will stay clean and look amazing! You can’t slack on them though. If you do they will look really nappy and gross.  I had just moved to Nashville with my band MortalRising due to being in the top 4 of a talent search contest. They not only liked our sound but they also liked our look. Had such a great time sporting these! I no longer have them but they WILL be making a come back very soon!

3. I took this photo on our return to the mainland after visiting Catalina Island in California. If you ever get the chance to visit you shouldn’t hesitate.

I was invited to cover a film festival where Sharon Stone received the Stanly Kramer Social Artist Award. I had to get there a few hours early due to the ferry departure times so I had the opportunity to explore the island and all it entails! Everyone was so laid back and nice. Just happy to be on the island. This wasn’t just in the tourist spot of the island. I talked to a few locals and they said they loved it there. You’re about 45 minutes to an hour out from the mainland if you take the fairy. You don’t have to deal with the smog and busy lifestyles of living in Los Angeles. I can see why all the stars frequent this place! My wife and I were seriously contemplating moving there while we were on the fair right back. Something is always happening there but it doesn’t seem to have that busy feel. People are just simply having fun. This is a great reminder of my time spent in California!

4. I had many opportunities to attend all kinds of events. Red carpets, VIP parties, mansion parties, movie premieres, CD releases, etc. This picture is of Joan Jet. She was kicking off the Sunset Strip Music Festival on Sunset Blvd! She was opening up the festival that night at House of Blues with an award ceremony and live show! I grew up listening to her tunes and reading about her but never had the chance to actually meet someone that had such a big influence in rock music! I consider her to be a music icon. Her show was spot on! From her stage presence to her vocals to her crowd interaction, I was impressed! She still has it!

5. I know this is a pretty plain picture but it means a lot to me. This was one of the first events I did after moving to Los Angeles. It was for The World Networks website launch at the Taglyan Cultural Complex in LA. You can see it’s simply a piece of paper taped to the ground. But what you don’t see are the other pieces of paper surrounding it. Revolver Radio is short for Revolver Underground. This is my independent music show that I do every week.  For me to see this paper, where I’m supposed to stand on the record carpet was huge! I’m standing next to big names in media! It was a turning point in my own life but also the life of my show! Someone thought that it was good enough to have in the mix with all the big dogs! From this point on I was added to many “lists” that got me into many amazing events! I took pictures of A list celebs and rockstars! Went to many parties and VIP events and gained a lot of experience as a photographer. Oh..and for the record. I’m not a photographer. But I do play one in real life.