CRIMSON FEST - FINALE PART TWO
I set a goal for thirty-one, and I made it to thirty-one! While I’m a little tired(and a month late on this), I had a good time here at Crimson Fest. There were a lot of really good and amazing ones in there(not you, Graffiti Bridge). There is so much out there that I haven’t watched, so, I might do this again in the future. For now, here’s the last five things I watched for Crimson Fest.
The Beatles - Yellow Submarine: We’re getting closer, but on our first stop, I took another journey to Pepperland. By that, I mean I did a rewatch of The Beatle’s Yellow Submarine. This movie is really cute. A little unsettling, but it’s really cute. I also find it fascinating because it's one of the rare animated movies from the 60s or 70s that’s not from Disney. With that and the fact that the team behind this movie didn’t have a big budget, it would probably stand out with or without The Beatles. But since it has the Fab Four, it adds so much more to the experience.
The main set pieces are obviously the song sequences. All the iconic Beatles tracks get extremely creative and psychedelic visuals. It has the same wonder and creativity that Sesame Street and Schoolhouse Rock would have a few years later. Also, these caricatures of the band are such a joy to follow. They get charming one-liners and puns all day. They also bounce off characters like Old Fred, the Blue Meanies, and Jeremy Hillary Boob Ph.D very well. This movie is just a grand old time, and you should absolutely watch it.
The Black Keys - Live At The Crystal Ballroom: If you miss the time when The Black Keys were exciting, I recommend Live At The Crystal Ballroom. Just like the White Stripes one I talked about last time, this one is also fun and scrappy. Also just like that one, it’s a straight forward performance. It pretty much covers the first half of their discography since they were touring for “Attack And Release.” My favorite cuts are “Thickfreakness,” “Psychotic Girl,” “Set You Free,” and “I Got Mine.” Also, I like the packaging for the DVD. It has a bootleg charm to it, and is kinda my inspiration for the posters for this series.
Rush - R30: Rush has tons of live concert films and live albums that I could have chosen from. That side of their discography is one of the many reasons why they were so prolific. I ended up going with their 30th anniversary recording, R30. Out of the more traditional concert films, this one is actually pretty trippy. At certain parts during the set, they had really bizarre skits, like the opening with Jerry Stiller waking up from a Rush fever dream. They're a fun addition, though they go on just a little too long. As for the actual performance, they kill it! They start off with a massive medley of some of their iconic jams, then slamming into “The Spirit of Radio.” Probably the biggest highlight is Neil Peart’s(the GOAT) drum solo. That transitioned into Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson doing a few acoustic songs, before ending with a string of iconic songs. Also, this DVD set probably has the most bonus features out of any other concert film I’ve watched this month. There are quite a few interviews, performances from other shows, and even easter eggs on the menus. I definitely recommend to Rush fans young and old.
The Blues Brothers: I’ve surprisingly never seen The Blues Brothers before this month. Like a lot of people my age, I first heard about the movie from a classic Drake and Josh episode. I just never saw the full movie for some reason. But, this month was a good time to finally get around to it. It starts with several minutes of mostly silence, building up the title brothers reuniting. From there, it’s music and explosions till the very end. Outside of Dan Aykroyd's and John Belushi’s iconic chemistry, one of the things that give this movie even more of an unrelenting energy is the cameos. James Brown, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin(“Everybody wants to party with Aretha!!”) are in on the fun of the film's musical numbers.
Just like Yellow Submarine, this movie is just an absolute joy and it has an infectiously positive spirit to the credits. All the musical pieces hit, and they go even more absurd with the action and humor. Akroyd and Belushi just brush off all the destruction debris like Fast and Furious characters, but instead of it being an ego thing, it’s funny every time. It’s yet another thing this month that was definitely worth the hype.
Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense: We’re at the end!! We did it!! For the finale, there was only one that I wanted to cap this festival off with. I watched quite a few iconic movies this month, but the one that tons of people say is the best concert film of all time: Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense, directed by Jonathan Demme(a few years before he would direct Silence of the Lambs). What sets Stop Making Sense apart from other concert films is the way the show is set up. It starts with David Byrne walking on stage by himself, playing “Psycho Killer” on guitar with a drum track. After every song, another member of the band would come out on stage, with the entire group uniting for “Burning Down The House.” While it’s an expertly thought out setlist and stage setup, it also feels really scrappy and chaotic.
What I love about it is how it’s shot. The performance feels so immersive by how often it gets up close with the musicians. Every song also gets a defining look, David Byrne does his iconic dance moves, and you see all the pieces slide in and out of place as the show goes on. Also, everything just looks and sounds amazing. My favorite part is when they start off jamming to “Crosseyed and Painless” at a slower tempo, and then going into overdrive with the song to close out the set. It’s funky. It’s pure energy. It’s as perfect as you can get for a concert film. Watch it with the best and biggest screen and soundsystem possible.
If there’s any complaint, it’s not on the show itself. So, A24 did a remaster of it a couple years ago, and they did an amazing job on the video and sound quality. But, it’s not really that easy to obtain. The only physical release of it is a $60 special edition. While it’s a quality release, that price is a bit much. I can easily recommend the film itself, whether you’re into the band or don’t know anything about them. I say track down a digital version or pick up the blu ray on sale.
In Conclusion: So, that was it. Thirty-one concert films, documentaries, music bio-pics, movies starring musicians, and plenty more in thirty-one days. I can say I covered a lot of ground. It was also a lot of fun digging through used DVD stores and thrift stores to find them. There’s some I came across that I wouldn’t have thought of either immediately or even ever. For the concert films, even the more rough quality ones, I’m glad they have been preserved. Watching those, as well as documentaries from different time periods, just give a large variety of perspectives on the music making experience. I had loads of fun bouncing around music history. Thank you to those that joined me for this, and I plan to do this again at some point. CRIMSON FEST WILL RETURN!!
This Week’s Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/59S9JqaMq1f4ka62RaGnH7?si=LAo8bndlS1CzGmnK3Jll9w
