Sign up for our mailing list Real artists creating records on their own terms

News

Watch Mavis Staples' New "If All I Was Was Black" Video
Monday, February 12th, 2018

Watch Mavis Staples' New "If All I Was Was Black" Video

In honor of Black History Month, legendary soul singer Mavis Staples teaches how to look past skin color in the new video for her latest album’s titular track “If All I Was Was Black”.

[youtube id=K5L1fDK_7Xo]

"In 2017 I watched as all the Confederate monuments came down in New Orleans, but the conversation never arose as to what would replace them,” explained director Zac Manuel. “This video imagines a reality where we venerate people who are truly deserving of being immortalized in public spaces, a reality in which Black people can be proud to see themselves on pedestals in the air, cast in iron and stone. The intent of this video is to highlight black excellence, and to provoke and encourage a larger public appreciation of the labor - physical and emotional - the people of color often are expected to bear.”

The album If All I Was Was Black was produced by Jeff Tweedy and released in the fall of 2017 to much critical acclaim and late night appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Later… with Jools Holland and most recently a Martin Luther King Jr. Day performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! “Mavis Staples is a hit-maker, a civil rights activist, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and a true believer in her God, in this country and in the power of good over evil. If we need a voice to listen to right now—to educate us, to comfort us, to spur us into action—it’s hard to think of a better one than hers,” proclaimed Paste. All upcoming Mavis Staples tour dates are listed below.

TOUR DATES
2/16 – Bow, WA – Skagit Valley Casino Resort
2/17 – Bow, WA – Skagit Valley Casino Resort
2/21 – Greenville, SC – Peace Center
2/23 – Charleston, SC – Galliard Center
2/25 – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL – Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
3/3 – Park City, UT – Eccles Center
3/15 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
4/28 – Long Beach, CA – Carpenter Center
5/11 – Atlanta, GA – Wolf Creek Amphitheater
5/15 – 5/17 – Santa Barbara, CA – Live Oak Fest
6/7 – 6/10 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo

Browse by Artist

2116All Artists 100Tom Waits 74Mavis Staples 59Neko Case 51Lost In The Trees 50Sean Rowe 48Dr. Dog 45The Milk Carton Kids
41Jolie Holland 40Bettye LaVette 37Man Man 36Son Little 35Tinariwen 33Tim Fite 33DeVotchKa 31Islands 31Grinderman 29Glen Hansard 28Saintseneca 27Galactic 27Delicate Steve 27Wilco 26Andy Shauf 25The Drums 24Xenia Rubinos 24Michael Franti and Spe... 22Bob Mould 22Doe Paoro 22William Elliott Whitmo... 21Nick Cave & The Bad Se... 21The Frames 20Joe Henry 20Christopher Paul Stell... 19Cass McCombs 19Sage Francis 19Yves Jarvis 19Booker T. Jones 18Calexico 18Deafheaven 18Gary V 17Yann Tiersen 17John K. Samson 16The Antlers 16Jason Lytle 16Danny Elfman 16Ramblin Jack Elliott 14Madi Diaz 14Jeremy Ivey 14Half Waif 14Daniel Lanois 13Billy Bragg 13The Dream Syndicate 12Combo Chimbita 12Peter Silberman 12Leyla McCalla 12Girlpool 12Xavier Rudd 11Lido Pimienta 11Mose Allison 11Japandroids 11Lyrics Born 11Rain Machine 11Purr 11The Weakerthans 11Jade Jackson 11Ryan Pollie 11Glitterer 11Roky Erickson 10Moor Mother 10The Melodic 10Christian Lee Hutson 10The Swell Season 10So Much Light 10Alfa Mist 10Curtis Harding 10High Pulp 10Darrin Bradbury 9Marianne Faithfull 9Josiah Johnson 9Hey, King! 9Wynonna 9M. Ward 9Cameron Avery 9N.A.S.A. 8Kate Davis 8Katy Kirby 8Slow Pulp 8Solillaquists of Sound 8James Brandon Lewis 8Cadence Weapon 8The Coup 8Rafiq Bhatia 8Greg Graffin 7Beth Orton 7Kelly Hogan 7Title Fight 7Eddie Izzard 7Ben Harper 7Dead Man's Bones 7Alec Ounsworth 7Ben Harper and Charlie... 7Richard Reed Parry 7Elliott Smith 6Bonny Doon 6Deradoorian 6Os Mutantes 6Waxahatchee 6Kate Bush 6Busdriver 6MJ Lenderman 6Broken Twin 6A Girl Called Eddy 5Ezra Furman 5One Day As A Lion 5Beat Connection 5Sam Akpro 5Art Moore 5Jasmyn 5Kristine Leschper 5Keaton Henson 5The Field 5Foxwarren 5Scott McMicken and THE... 5The Tallest Man On Ear... 4Marketa Irglova 4Pops Staples 4Ersi Arvizu 4Jackson+Sellers 4sunking 4The Good Ones 4Sparklehorse 3Mothers 3Petra Haden 3Plains 3Danny Cohen 3Mavis Staples & Levon... 3Sierra Leones Refugee... 3Walter Wolfman Washing... 3Marc Ribot 2Fleet Foxes 2Jeff Tweedy 2ANTI- Records 2Various Artists: RANGO 1Solomon Burke 1case/lang/veirs 1Merle Haggard 1Youth Group 1Blackalicious 1Taylor Vick 1The Beths 1Lightman Jarvis Ecstat... 1Simian Mobile Disco 1Porter Wagoner 1Rogue's Gallery 1Antibalas 1Various Artists: ROGUE... 1Kronos Quartet with Br... 1Joe Strummer And The M... 1Tricky 1The Locust
See Full List+