Rich's profile

Rich Kolm is an event producer, arts organizer, band leader, and musician. His most notable recent work has been staging local music and performing arts events that seek to break down silos within the artistic communities in Baltimore City and foster a collaborative spirit. In 2019 he led the production teams for a new multistage music festival called The Baltimore Mixtape and for a tribute show fundraiser of the Talking Heads's concert film Stop Making Sense, which was the follow up to 2018's tribute to the Band's The Last Waltz. All of these events explicitly sought to unite a wide variety of performers from around the city behind a common vision. Through all of  this he has remained committed to paying artists a fair wage as well as connecting the events to larger social issues through partnerships with The Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition, Hollaback! Baltimore, and Moveable Feast.

In addition to producing these events Rich is a musician as well, playing bass guitar and singing in a number of groups. He performed in and directed the music for Stop Making Sense and The Last Waltz in addition to his production roles. He also plays in ensembles Jackson Dean & the Outsiders, Trucker Talk, and Hollywood Blanks. Over the past three years he has helped to mentor rising country star Jackson Dean from playing local bars and festivals to opening slots in front of thousands at Sands Bethlehem, the Borgata Atlantic City, Innsbruck After Hours, and The Fillmore Silver Spring. With Trucker Talk he has scored both live theater and film including Lynn Tomlinson's The Elephant Song, Neighborhood Lights at Light City, and The Mother Load. With Hollywood Blanks he has cowritten and released an EP and produced a full length vinyl and toured 14 states to support those releases. 

Rich has appeared on WTMD several times including on "Baltimore Hit Parade" to promote both Stop Making Sense and The Baltimore Mixtape, as well as a number of live on air performances with Hollywood Blanks. He also appeared on WYPR to promote a performance by Hollywood Blanks at Artscape. He has been interviewed for print by the Baltimore Fishbowl about The Baltimore Mixtape and by Bmore Art to promote Stop Making Sense, as well as follow up after the show.
When Rich isn't playing music or running events he manages an urban farm he built in the West Baltimore neighborhood of Franklin Square. His favorite thing to grow is lemon drop peppers.

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