Silverback Music Management will expand its operation with a New Orleans office, their fourth location ater Los Angeles, San Diego and Denver. The company currently manages Slightly Stoopid, Fishbone, The Expendables, New Orleans’ own Dumpstaphunk and more. They also run a label with Slightly Stoopid called Stoopid Records, along with another label called Controlled Substance Sound Labs.
Local artist manager Alex Bowen will bring his clients into the fold, joining Jon Phillips, Matt Phillips, and the rest of the Silverback team. Bowen’s roster includes funk icon George Porter Jr., New Orleans rock outfit Flow Tribe and Foundation of Funk, a new project from Porter and Zigaboo Modeliste.
“Having worked with Silverback for years as a promoter, I could not be more thrilled to be joining The Phillips Brothers team and continuing to create unforgettable experiences for musicians and fans alike,” said Bowen.
A native of Lafayette, Bowen has been an integral part of the Louisiana music community for a number of years. He started his career as an independent promoter before becoming the talent buyer at the Varsity Theatre in Baton Rouge, where he brought in artists like Kendrick Lamar, Arctic Monkeys, Willie Nelson and J. Cole. Over the past few years, Bowen has also managed clients like Porter, Flow Tribe and Earphunk, while continuing to work as talent buyer for the Varsity and Mobile, AL’s Soul Kitchen. He now calls New Orleans home.
“New Orleans has been a passion of Silverback Music for a long time,” Jon Phillips explains. “While we’ve only been representing New Orleans artists since 2010, most notably Ivan Neville and Dumpstaphunk, we are excited to expand in the market, and to become further entrenched in one of the greatest, if not greatest music city in the world.”
Silverback was officially founded by the Phillips Brothers in 1998. As a young A&R rep, Jon signed iconic California rock band Sublime to Gasoline Alley/MCA Records in 1994. Jon and his brother Matt, who signed Slightly Stoopid in 1998, have spent the past two decades building the firm’s roster and reputation. Jon and Silverback were even awarded the Manager of the Year Award at OffBeat’s 2015 Best of the Beat Business Awards.
“I first came here in ’92 and saw Dr. John do ‘The Night Tripper’ at Riverwalk Plaza, saw The Neville Bros and The Rads at Tips, and saw Allen Toussaint get out of his gold Rolls Royce and ‘sneak sally in the alley’ at Snug Harbor right off Frenchmen St, and was totally hooked,” Phillips continues. “Years later I met George Porter at Langerado festival in Florida in 2004, which Slightly Stoopid was also on. We were at the same hotel and George ended up taking me in his van to get Cheeseburgers for the band. It was there I got to rap with one of my musical idols about some of the similarities between ’70s funk and Jamaican Dub! When I met Ivan and Ian Neville and Tony Hall, I became friendly with them, discussing the genre bending of Cali reggae with Nola funk, and we kinda all got along even if they thought I was a little crazy. Silverback has always wanted to work with legend George Porter Jr. and it’s sometimes funny how things come full circle. Everything is about timing! We feel this is a great fit, and Alex Bowen is a very talented young manager, so we couldn’t be more honored to create this relationship and call them family! We definitely want to push the envelope for New Orleans artists and beyond, and this gives the company a nice platform in the South to do so.”
Bowen will be joined in the New Orleans office by current manager of The Expendables and recent New Orleans transplant, Donovan Haney, as well as Jack Baus, who will serve as Assistant Manager to Bowen’s roster.
