SHARING THE SHOWS
It’s a good thing I’m not a professional movie critic who was assigned to write about The Music Never Stopped; I knew I was going to like it based on the trailer (which essentially gave away the Grateful Dead-driven plot). That’s the halo effect for you. At any rate, though, I don’t see too many concerts in the near future (damn ‘demic!), so I’ll post a music-themed movie review instead.
Based on Oliver Sacks’s essay, “The Last Hippie,” this movie presents J.K. Simmons in an emotional performance as Henry, an uptight father who became estranged from his son, Gabriel, due to a conflict they had twenty years ago due to music and teenage rebellion. At the beginning of the film, Henry and his wife Helen receive a phone call from the hospital, informing them Gabriel has a brain tumor that has inhibited his ability to form new short-term memories. In Gabriel’s mind, it’s still 1970. Initially catatonic, Gabriel’s therapist, Diane, discovers that Gabriel comes alive when she plays the music that he loved: Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and especially, the Grateful Dead. Henry couldn’t stand these artists, which eventually led to his estrangement from Gabriel. Now he has to become a Deadhead to communicate with his son. While I agree with critic Phillip Martin that the movie does have the feel and look of a disease-of-the-week Lifetime movie special, I didn’t care. The scenes of Henry getting into Gabriel’s world pack an emotional punch, and the music rocks (of course). Simmons plays it gently in his portrayal of a devoted but rigid husband and father who gradually learns he has to accept Gabriel on Gabriel’s terms if he wants to have a relationship with him. As the film progresses, Simmons’s acting becomes more non-verbal, as he begins to really listen to Gabriel. It’s a much gentler performance than his Vern Schillinger (Oz) or Terrence Fletcher (Whiplash). Likewise, Pucci conveys youthful innocence as a flower child, both in present-day and in flashbacks to the 60s. The supporting performances are first-rate as well. Cara Seymour’s Helen has a nice arc where she starts out as an obedient wife, but is forced to liberate herself due to the circumstances of her family, and Julia Ormond is a delight as the therapist who remains professional in the midst of rock concert-like sessions with Gabriel. There’s also a nice touch from Mia Maestro as a hospital cafeteria worker Gabriel crushes on. The movie wisely doesn’t force a romantic subplot on them (it just wouldn’t be practical), but her life is changed for the better as a result of their friendship, even if it has to end. SPOILER ALERT: If I do have one nit to pick, it’s in the portrayal of the Grateful Dead concert Henry and Gabriel attend toward the end of the film, which is supposed to cement the relationship. Henry, who’s recently had a heart attack, essentially railroads Gabriel’s doctor into allowing them to attend the show. The doc rightfully protests against a cardio present escorting an amnesiac going to a Dead show , which, while fun, wouldn’t be known for being predictable. However, they have to go for the purposes of the screenplay. Additionally, while I haven’t seen any depictions of Dead shows on film, this one is pretty awful. First off, by the 1980s, the Dead weren’t playing smaller venues like the Hammerstein. They were packing the likes of Madison Square Garden. There were probably some practical concerns with respect to where they could film, but still… Those quibbles aside, I enjoyed the film. It tells a touching story, and the symbolism of “Touch of Grey” as an indication that Gabriel may be able to start forming new memories is not unlike the role of that song starting a new era introducing Generation Xers to the Dead (this one included). Works Cited “Grateful Dead Setlists: 1987.” Web. 31 October 2020. https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mleone/gdead/87.html Martin, Philip. “Movie Review: The Music Never Stopped.” Arkansas Democrat Gazette. 6 May 2011. Web. 21 October 2020. MoviemaniacsDE. “The Music Never Stopped Trailer.” YouTube, 16 February 2011. Web. 31 October 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOKP4I5Y2zY Sacks, Oliver. “The Last Hippie.” The New York Review. 26 March 1992. Web. 31 October 2020. https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1992/03/26/the-last-hippie/
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Yonder Mountain String Band - B Chord Brewing Company - Round Hill, VA - October 11, 202010/12/2020 This past Saturday I co-organized the first ever Singles Studies Conference with my friend and colleague Ketaki, and while I derived a great deal of intellectual pleasure from it, to say I was ready to see some live music would be an understatement. Plus, this will more than likely be my last concert until spring.
I drove into Loudon County, Virginia, uncharted territory for me. The rain didn’t add to the trip, and Route 267 doesn’t have much in the way of scenery, but once I pulled onto Route 7, I was mystified by the rural landscape, including a sign that said “Mama’s Apple Pies” and another one for “Fresh Crabs.” I devoured a personal BBQ chicken pizza before Angela and Paul came in. We had a bit of a puzzle in setting up Angela’s rain shelter, but we made it! Angela and I know each other virtually through the Community of Single People (COSP), but as it turns out, she’s a friend of my friend Paul. Small world! The rain came down during the show, but Angela and I hung toward the front (away from the clusters of people), and I got to know her in person a little bit. The band had been playing since before we arrived, but as we got to the front, they announced a rain-themed sequence, including “Don’t The Rain Still Fall on the Way Back Home” and Blind Melon’s classic “No Rain.” At the lyric “They see banjos and look into the heaven,” Angela said, “I’m gonna pick up my banjo!” I encouraged her. I don’t know YSMB’s catalog by heart the way I do Phish or WSP (speaking of which, I broke in the “Bear’s Gone Fishin’” shirt Mark/Brodysseus got me), but I did pick up on “Boots.” They also sang Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” which got me thinking of this lovely pandemic-inspired parody. Apparently, the band had some behind-the-scenes issues with their monitors, but they still managed to pull it off. Another good dialogue exchange between me and Angela, inspired the band singing, “You Only Had One Corona.” Angela: Great lyrics! Me: Not as good as “Boy, man, God, shit.” A really profound line though: “I wish I knew I what know now when I was younger; I wish I knew what I know now when I as stronger” Couldn’t be more true, but I find it’s best to just embrace the past for what it was and the present for what it is. After the show ended, we broke down Angela’s rain shelter and discussed the possibility of some hikes in this area. Angela’s mention of a book about great hikes within 60 miles of DC got me thinking I want to explore this part of town. I wish I could end this blog post with “the ride home was peaceful,” but I can’t. I had a collision with a pick-up truck on the way home. I’d rather not go into the details of it, and I was very keyed up at the time, but after having had some time to process my feelings on the incident (writing about it helped), I’ll say I’m grateful for these things: 1)Neither of us were hurt. Better to be the car than us. 2)I made it home safely. 3)I have good friends that helped talked me through my emotions (Maggie, Paul, and Angela, you rock). Greetings, folks! Since the last time I’ve blogged here, I’ve moved to Washington, DC for my new job. Moving during the pandemic has been a challenge for sure, but I’m making it and exploring my new surroundings as much as possible during the pandemic. With all the excitement and stress of this transition, I needed to get my Dead on.
Maggie made it up a little after noon on Saturday, and we had a nice hike in Rock Creek Park before I dropped her off at the Days Inn just down the street from me (I’m not having anyone stay over during the pandemic). After a quick power nap, I picked her up at 4:30 and we headed to Vienna. The drive was uncharted territory for me, and most of it was pretty. I found Northern Virginia drivers are even more aggressive than DC drivers; when I signaled left to turn into Jammin’ Java’s parking lot, I had to wait for cars to pass, and two people honked. Don’t get that… The venue had sectioned off part of the parking lot for a dance floor and seating area. We placed our lawn chairs toward the back of the dance floor, stage left. I had been hankering from some of their thin-crust Jersey-style pie all week, and, true to form, I devoured a pepperoni pizza. That fasting day, combined with the hike, increased my appetite for sure. The venue graced us with some Rolling Stones tunes, including “Wild Horses” and “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking.” I observed that while most people weren’t wearing masks, quite a few were, way more than at Last Fair Deal, and this was outside! In general, people seem to “get it” here. The band opened at 6 sharp with “Cold Rain and Snow,” with Eli Gonzalez on saxophone (whom I was referring to as “Special Guest” until they introduced him). They revealed it was their first time in public since February before launching into “Feel Like a Stranger,” at which point I observed that the venue seemed to be divided: Deadheads were off to the side with their lawn chairs, while the normies out for an evening were seated at the tables and would stay seated for the night. “Tennessee Jed” and “Looks Like Rain” followed, and I REALLY grooved during “Mr. Charlie.” “Cassidy” followed, and my groove reached another height with “Samson and Delilah.” Maggie’s request for “St. Stephen” was denied in favor of “Jack Straw,” and the band closed out the first set with “Deal.” During setbreak, I felt my eyes starting to droop whilst in my lawn chair. The spirit of the 60s echoed through the speakers with some Jefferson Airplane tunes. The band made their one Dead departure by opening up the second set with Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.” “The Music Never Stopped” followed. I sat down during “Bird Song,” which is “not my favorite,” according to Maggie’s. It an okay tune, nothing special IMO. The highlight for me came through “Viola Lee Blues,” which I had never a Dead cover band play. By that point, I had woken back up. “Shakedown Street” came next, during which I hit the bathroom. During this trip, I saw that the Deadheads were doing a much better job of social distancing than the normies, who appeared to be clustered outside the door of the venue. I sat back down for a break during “Black Peter,” but got back up for “New Speedway Boogie.” I called “One More Saturday Night,” and they closed with “Truckin’,” the lyrics of which have a good moral lesson: just keep truckin’, no matter what, which definitely applies to my situation as a person adjusting to a new work/life environment. The ride home was spent discussing the possibility of concerts getting back to the way they used to be. While I’d love to see that, I’m a bit skeptical of that happening soon; vaccines take time to develop, test, and distribute. This was my first show in three months, and I found the absence was good, as I raged in a way that I might not have if I had seen a show this past weekend. I’m also learning that concerts are more fun when done more infrequently. My plan is to see Yonder Mountain String Band next weekend (health permitting), but that will probably be it until the spring. For now, I want to get outside as much as I can before I essentially become a hermit this winter. At this time, though, I’m enjoying the moments when they come. Like when Maggie visited this past weekend. I’ve spent most weekends with takeout and Netflix, which I enjoy, but this was a nice (and needed) change of pace. Misti, you were missed for sure! A random notes: Jammin’ Java is positioned right next to a bedding store called Urban Mattress. Maggie asked the question, “Do you think you can get Jammin’ Java with your Urban Mattress?” I also wondered aloud if you could get java at Jammin’ Java. I laughed at both jokes for ten minutes each. Misti, my equal in humor, would have appreciated it. True story. |
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