Richard Gehr, one of the first national music writers to cover Phish and other improvisational rock acts, has been named the editor of the HeadCount organization’s blog, found at: www.HeadCount.org/blog. The blog chronicles “music, politics and everything in between,” with a particular focus on how music and musicians are a driving force behind causes and societal trends.
The blog, updated several times daily, features regular interviews with artists regarding their beliefs and philanthropic initiatives. It also covers the government inquiries into secondary ticketing and recent lawsuits against citizens for downloading music. On a lighter note, it features humorous “Man on the Lot” videos where concertgoers are asked what issues they care about most, and also provides regular food reviews from concert festivals with a vegetarian and organic slant.
The blog is one of many new media platforms HeadCount is using to fulfill its mission of “inspiring participation in democracy.”
“When I was asked to take this on I discovered there really are no blogs out there covering the intersection of politics and music,” Gehr said. “It's been a lot of fun so far, and I hope it will broaden this rich music community's world view a tad."
He is joined by a long list of guest bloggers and contributors, including JamBase founder Andy Gadiel, who recently penned a story on all the newfangled ways Phish fans can access their favorite band through Web 2.0 media. Contributors also provide stories related to the specific topics that are the focus of HeadCount’s 2009 “What’s Your Issue?” campaign. They include Food and Farm Policy, Gulf Coast Recovery, Health Care, Human Rights, Personal Liberty and Sustainability and Conservation.
Gehr has been writing and editing about music – and many other things – for more than two decades. He arrived in New York during the early 80s to help edit Spin magazine and has subsequently written for Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Musician, Blender, Artforum and countless other publications both living and archived. He continues to write for the Village Voice, eMusic, Relix and Oprah's O magazine. In 1998 he co-authored The Phish Book with the Burlington quartet. He continues to freelance from polyethnic Brooklyn, where he resides with his wife and two daughters.