Film Festival
Mon, April 5-Fri, April 9
All shows at 7:30 pm
Hollywood Theatre
4122 NE Sandy
Rock fans rejoice! Jackpot records is throwing a five-day long festival of rare documentaries and live concert footage from some of rock history's best and most legendary moments. And to top it all off, the entire fest is absolutely free! Damn, free stuff is so sweet.
Monday, April 5 is DEVO: The Complete Truth About De-Evolution--70 minutes of every video Devo ever made. And since they put it all together themselves, you know it's gonna be bizarre. Plus, it includes footage from their Lollapalooza reunion. After that comes Wire: Rockpalast, 14 Feb 1979, a live performance of the band in Germany. It's one of their best performances and a rare chance to see footage of one of rock's most camera shy legends, from the days before they turned their heads and style popwards
The next night (Tuesday, April 6) is all about Mr. Iggy Pop, a ceaselessly entertaining fellow and pioneer of raunchy stage antics. The first is Iggy Pop & The Stooges: Live In Detroit 2003. It's the original lineup playing for their hometown--well, almost the original lineup. The bass playing duties have been relegated to Mike Watt for this show, so you know... boo-hoo. Following that is a must-see for fans of Iggy & The Stooges as well as scatological folks the world over. That's right, it's the infamous "Cincinnati Pop Festival; July 13th, 1970." On this fine day of entertainment, Iggy caused a ruckus by smearing himself in shit. Okay, it was actually peanut butter, but nobody knew and the audience and media flipped out. A classy night of entertainment.
Wednesday, April 7, the fest takes you on a little trip to Argentina with Rock Hasta que se Ponga el Sol (Rock Until Sunset 1972). This untranslated documentary features the country during a time when Argentina was facing serious political strife and dissenters would just disappear. Not only is it an awesome taste of a bygone music scene featuring garage heavy psych, it also goes nice with weed. Wink, wink.
This is followed by Amon Duul II: Play Phallus Dei, which hardcore psych fans will be pooping their britches over. The cult outfit wasn't too into making videos, so this is a rare chance to actually see what they look like.
Thursday night, April 8 brings Roxy Music--Musikladen, a taped performance on a German TV show in the early '70s, back when Brian Eno was still on board. Rock stars just don't dress like they used to, and these guys prove it by being glam out to here with bigass boots and glitz. Up next is Captain Beefheart: The Artist Formerly Known As... This documentary features interviews with former band members like the human curiosity Frank Zappa, as well as non-affiliated fans like Matt Groening. It covers the legendary making of the album Trout Mask Replica, for which the band ensconced themselves in a mansion, periodically sending a messenger out to ferret groceries back to them. It also provides some insightful commentary from Beefheart, discussing his decision to change his medium completely, moving away from music and concentrating on visual arts exclusively.
The last day of this mega-festival is a real doozy. Friday, April 9 starts off with Rolling Stones: Live at Hyde Park, July 5th 1969. An incredibly intense, soulful live performance, it was filmed just two days after original member Brian Jones was found dead. It's an amazing chance to see the Stones at one of their darkest moments. After that, you'll want some comedy, and it comes in the form of Sly Stone! Sly & The Family Stone: Dick Cavett Show 1970-71 documents Sly's appearances on one of the most uptight talk shows ever. What the hell would these two have in common? Well, don't ask Sly, because he's obviously whacked out on goofballs as he and Dick stumble their way through some of the funniest and most awkward conversations in talk show history. Finally, the festival ends with The Cramps: Live at the Napa State Mental Hospital. Doing their usual spastic, flailing stage moves, this newly released footage is odd because the band seems completely straight-faced. Is it supposed to be a joke? Crazy people get up and sing with them. Is it because they're fans? Because they're crazy? Decide for yourself.
