Work Trip - Part 2

My last night in LA, I've worked late, & Jules has flown home. Exploring West Hollywood has lost most of its fiz. Dinner isn't the same - scoffing at the folks standing outside Doughboys or Toast is lame when your alone. I head off to grab something from the market and I see a flier promoting a Pixies documentary. At this point I know nothing about it - I assume that it's one that I've seen before, nevertheless I depart for Arclight cinemas. It's gotta be better than sitting around a hotel in beverly hills right?

AFI Music Documentary Series presents "loudQUIETloud: A FILM ABOUT THE PIXIES"

I show up late. They don't take cash. "here go ahead, it's on us, you better hurry, you've missed the first 10min."!?!? The theatre is packed full, they're checking tickets, there's a very familiar looking bald guy (the thin one) standing against the wall near the entrance, and I realize that I've stumbled upon something important.

The documentary covers the 2004 Pixies reunion tour. The film provides some fantastic biographical material. We see Frank Black and family at the pumpkin patch, Joey Santiago spending dinner time with his family via internet camera phone, the Deal sisters discussing Kim's strategies for staying clean during the tour, and David Lovering's attempts to cope with his father's terminal cancer and eventual death. The film contains numerous performances from various cities and all shot with multiple cameras (in the QandA following the film, the creators mention that they have 300+ hours of live performance from the tour.). The on stage sequences are astounding. A conscious decision was made to follow the band on stage during these shows. We see and feel the reception that the band received an places like Brixton Academy and Fine Line Music Cafe. Having followed the 2004 warm-up tour vicariously on the internet, I sit alone in the theatre and smile as I watch and experience the reunion tour from the band's perspective. So many moments worth commenting on from this film, but one of the most enduring images for me is Kim and Franck pre-show - the first show of the warm up - in Minneapolis. Their nervous, Kim appears downright scared, and Franck is doing his best to calm her, "it's a warm-up show, everyone will understand, don't worry about it." The performance is breathtaking. The crowd is hysterical. We return to the dressing room post-performance and Kim and Franck are in a state of shock. We watch as they process what's just taken place. Kim asks - "Do you think they are all going to be this way?" They are more surprised than anyone. I've not seen a more poignant moment in a music documentary (there are many others of similar caliber throughout the film). We see the band experience the much deserved and long overdue recognition (and gratification) that blossomed in the spring/summer of 2004. It starts in places as unassuming as Saskatoon & Eugene and opens more fully and completely at Coachella (no footage - the festival wouldn't allow them to film).

So it's enough for me. The film has that rare quality - like a perfect day that you don't want to end. I'm so completely blown-away by what I've stumbled into on my last night in LA - my expectations have been exceeded. It takes a few minutes for house lights to be brought up. I notice that they are setting up seats down in front. The lights come up for question and answer time with the filmmakers (sweet! and being taped for IFC). Two two empty chairs remain? These are reserved for Joey Santiago and David Lovering. QandA ends up and the crowd is handed wristbands and directions to the after party with the filmmakers and band members. This concludes my stay in LA.
loudQUIETloud

work trip

a couple of weeks back the boss sent me to LA. grandma offered to take the kids for a few days which allowed jules to join me for most of the week. her culinary knowledge translated into us looking like locals in a variety of hollywood & beverly hills neighborhoods. the 1st time since cambodia that we traveled without the young-ins. great time together.

the social absurdities of this place are countered (almost) by tiny cultural surprises* that can be found in odd places - like the radio. if you pay attention to what rollingstone & fader think, this is the best "commercial-radio" station in the nation indie 103.1 as a result of this find, i'm now neglecting everything else that i could listen to. the shows & personalities can be engaging. they seem to blow-off their podcasting & other technology (this is no KEXP.ORG). it acts like a public station (kind of). it's something else really. personality driven - a college style radio station programmed by celebs. big biz cashing in on internet music and indie rock probably. they display an appreciation and understanding of LA music pedigree (a most endearing quality in my opinion). a punk show, a metal show, a steve jones show, and a sometimes funny show on monday nights - feel my heat . in the end it's not unlike the rest of the city - trendy, smug, and painfully self-aware, BUT you can hear "billy squire" alongside bloc party, the rakes, or cypress hill. few experiences can compare to blasting "the stroke" while driving your rental car after dark in sunset strip traffic.

*more to come