Two Great Shows (Circa Survive!!!!) and Two Excellent Films
I have to catch up on a couple of concerts to kick off my new year, 2017, which will hopefully again be another year of amazing concerts. I had discovered the band Big Thief only recently, thanks to finding them on so many "Top Albums" lists for the year of 2016. Their album Masterpiece is a great work of what seems to be personal narratives. And seeing them live, I could tell just how personal the singer/songwriter/guitarist Adrianne Lenker gets with her craft. Watching her play guitar and sing these songs almost felt invasive yet emotionally moving at the same time. One song in particular, about halfway through the set definitely induced goosebumps.
A couple of great indie artists opened the show, as well. Twain (one guy, a guitar and a truly powerful voice).
And Sam Evian, as well.
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This week, I got to see Circa Survive, for I believe the 7th time. They have blown me away every single time. For this tour, they are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their album "On Letting Go" which is probably in my Top Ten Favorite Albums. The first time I saw them was for this album, 10 years ago (!) even though I'd been into them since their debut "Juturna" came out a couple years prior. I guess I wasn't an avid concert-goer back then. The energy that the whole band has every time is incredible and quite infectious. Anthony Green is one of the most energetic lead singers I've ever had the pleasure of watching perform. The man is electric!
I would say the only thing that disappointed me was that they solely focused on playing this album in its entirety and then did not have another set of songs, as I've previously seen them do, when they celebrated the 10th anniversary of "Juturna" on their last tour. I wanted more music, greedily. But, still, this was an amazing show.
And to see mewithoutyou open for one of my favorite bands was absolutely awesome. I have seen them previously open for Brand New, almost ten years ago now.
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"Petting Zoo"
starring: Devon Keller, Deztiny Gonzales, Jocko Sims, Kiowa Tucker, Adrienne Harrell, Emily Lape, Cory Criswell
written and directed by: Micah Magee
This film belongs to the quiet demeanor and powerful performance of an unknown actress, Devon Keller. She owns this film.
As Micah Magee’s Petting Zoo begins, Layla (Devon Keller) is living with her shaggy-haired, slacker boyfriend, who lazes around their apartment, perpetually getting high and drunk with his friends. The constant party atmosphere at home never seems to distract Layla from being a responsible young adult, as she maintains her status on the high school honor roll, while also holding down a part-time job.
I feel like this is an all-too-familiar case for so many high school teenagers, whose home-lives are less than fortunate and they have been forced to grow up a bit too fast for their own good, because part of being a teenager and coming-of-age is pushing the boundaries, yet silently begging for guidance and support. Layla really has no opportunities for either as she is forced to navigate through the murky waters and deal with the consequences of her actions.
The ground beneath Layla’s feet is far from stable, yet she handles the highs and lows of her life with tenacious stoicism. After justifiably breaking up with her boyfriend and spending a sleepless night outside, Layla somehow holds herself together and attends school the next day seemingly unscathed. Layla’s greatest high comes when she receives a full-ride scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin, but the afterglow from that news is quickly extinguished once she discovers that she is pregnant.
If Layla is to have any chance of breaking free her near-poverty struggle, abortion seems to be her only option. At 17-years of age, Layla is forced to beg for her parents’ permission to abort her unplanned fetus. Unfortunately for Layla, her ultra-conservative parents echo the Texas state government’s mantra about women’s reproductive rights; they would rather watch their only daughter’s life crumble into ruins as moral punishment for getting knocked up.
It is pretty clear for the start that Layla is not the type of girl to wallow in self-pity as we get glimpses of what her "home life" is like, her school days, time with her boyfriend(s), learning how to drive a stick-shift, etc. Just all normal teenage stuff, with the added punch of being pregnant. The secret to life is to roll with the punches and Layla uses her life's hurdles to learn and grow.
Micah Magee's low-key naturalism approach to the film is perfect. Layla's life unfolds before our eyes in a very subtle, graceful way and Magee avoids the cliche of being overly "preachy" about the subjects of teen pregnancy (as it is just something that happened here) as well as abortion (should she or shouldn't she?). It is not a melodramatic film nor is it an after-school special. It's an observational film and we are invited into Layla's life for a brief bit of time as she struggles through her plight.
I absolutely loved this quiet and subtle film.
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"It Follows"
starring: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Lili Sepe, Debbie Williams, Olivia Luccardi, Jake Weary, Daniel Zovatto, Ruby Harris, Loren Bass, Bailey Spry
written and directed by: David Robert Mitchell
Writer/director Mitchell only has two films to his credit at this point, seeming to pick his work methodically, but damn is this guy the real deal. His first film was "The Myth of the American Sleepover" which was great. And his follow-up (pun intended) is the intense horror film "It Follows" which takes one of the original concepts of horror films from the 1970s and 1980s (re: Friday the 13th and Nightmare of Elm St. et al) as a way to speak out for abstinence (ever wonder why the first people to go are the ones who have sex in hte film?? Yeah, pay attention the next time you watch a horror film that follows this story structure). Well, here, Mitchell has decided to make the "invisible monster" an STD, and much like in real life, IT FOLLOWS, and transfers to others you come in contact with. Perhaps they should show this film to middle school students!
The concept is simple: something is coming for us. Here, the unstoppable force is an invisible monster to most, which can take the human form of someone we know, track its victims down through sexual intercourse and once the entity gets to you, you are through, as is potentially everyone back through the chain of sexual liaisons. The only recourse you can take is to pass it on, have more sex! What?!? Instead of being punished for having sex, like in most other horror films, here your survival and sanity depend on passing it on.
After a prologue in which we see the gruesome effects of this curse, we meet Jay (Monroe), your average teenage girl living in the suburbs of Detroit. She and her sister Kelly (Sepe), and their small group of friends are whiling away the summer watching old monster movies and playing card games. Jay has a date, though, with new boyfriend Hugh (Weary) that ends first in the backseat of a car, and then with Jay duct-taped to a wheelchair in a dilapidated parking garage while Hugh frantically explains that he just gave her the worst STD imaginable. She returns home freaked out, and soon enough is benignly stalked (it is called It Follows, not It Chases). Convincing her sister and friends that she is in mortal danger, they try to help her track down the source and stop the monster.
The monster, It, can only be seen by the ones infected, which adds to the suspense. The mood of the film is mixed with excellent mis-en-scene found in early John Carpenter horror films, but it is the soundtrack by Disasterpiece that plays in the background throughout the whole film that nearly steals the film, acting like a monster in its own regard. This is one of the creepiest and evocative films I've seen in a long while. A true masterpiece of filmmaking. I am sorry it took me this long to see it as I had heard incredible things about it, but it finally made its way to Netflix and I jumped on it, immediately. This is one I could watch over and over.
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- (Unknown)("my best friend"; Buck solo)
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- Encore:
- (new song)("trail")
A couple of great indie artists opened the show, as well. Twain (one guy, a guitar and a truly powerful voice).
And Sam Evian, as well.
______________________________________________
This week, I got to see Circa Survive, for I believe the 7th time. They have blown me away every single time. For this tour, they are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their album "On Letting Go" which is probably in my Top Ten Favorite Albums. The first time I saw them was for this album, 10 years ago (!) even though I'd been into them since their debut "Juturna" came out a couple years prior. I guess I wasn't an avid concert-goer back then. The energy that the whole band has every time is incredible and quite infectious. Anthony Green is one of the most energetic lead singers I've ever had the pleasure of watching perform. The man is electric!
I would say the only thing that disappointed me was that they solely focused on playing this album in its entirety and then did not have another set of songs, as I've previously seen them do, when they celebrated the 10th anniversary of "Juturna" on their last tour. I wanted more music, greedily. But, still, this was an amazing show.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(Live Debut)
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- Encore:
And to see mewithoutyou open for one of my favorite bands was absolutely awesome. I have seen them previously open for Brand New, almost ten years ago now.
.............................................................................
"Petting Zoo"
starring: Devon Keller, Deztiny Gonzales, Jocko Sims, Kiowa Tucker, Adrienne Harrell, Emily Lape, Cory Criswell
written and directed by: Micah Magee
This film belongs to the quiet demeanor and powerful performance of an unknown actress, Devon Keller. She owns this film.
As Micah Magee’s Petting Zoo begins, Layla (Devon Keller) is living with her shaggy-haired, slacker boyfriend, who lazes around their apartment, perpetually getting high and drunk with his friends. The constant party atmosphere at home never seems to distract Layla from being a responsible young adult, as she maintains her status on the high school honor roll, while also holding down a part-time job.
I feel like this is an all-too-familiar case for so many high school teenagers, whose home-lives are less than fortunate and they have been forced to grow up a bit too fast for their own good, because part of being a teenager and coming-of-age is pushing the boundaries, yet silently begging for guidance and support. Layla really has no opportunities for either as she is forced to navigate through the murky waters and deal with the consequences of her actions.
The ground beneath Layla’s feet is far from stable, yet she handles the highs and lows of her life with tenacious stoicism. After justifiably breaking up with her boyfriend and spending a sleepless night outside, Layla somehow holds herself together and attends school the next day seemingly unscathed. Layla’s greatest high comes when she receives a full-ride scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin, but the afterglow from that news is quickly extinguished once she discovers that she is pregnant.
If Layla is to have any chance of breaking free her near-poverty struggle, abortion seems to be her only option. At 17-years of age, Layla is forced to beg for her parents’ permission to abort her unplanned fetus. Unfortunately for Layla, her ultra-conservative parents echo the Texas state government’s mantra about women’s reproductive rights; they would rather watch their only daughter’s life crumble into ruins as moral punishment for getting knocked up.
It is pretty clear for the start that Layla is not the type of girl to wallow in self-pity as we get glimpses of what her "home life" is like, her school days, time with her boyfriend(s), learning how to drive a stick-shift, etc. Just all normal teenage stuff, with the added punch of being pregnant. The secret to life is to roll with the punches and Layla uses her life's hurdles to learn and grow.
Micah Magee's low-key naturalism approach to the film is perfect. Layla's life unfolds before our eyes in a very subtle, graceful way and Magee avoids the cliche of being overly "preachy" about the subjects of teen pregnancy (as it is just something that happened here) as well as abortion (should she or shouldn't she?). It is not a melodramatic film nor is it an after-school special. It's an observational film and we are invited into Layla's life for a brief bit of time as she struggles through her plight.
I absolutely loved this quiet and subtle film.
..................................................................................
"It Follows"
starring: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Lili Sepe, Debbie Williams, Olivia Luccardi, Jake Weary, Daniel Zovatto, Ruby Harris, Loren Bass, Bailey Spry
written and directed by: David Robert Mitchell
Writer/director Mitchell only has two films to his credit at this point, seeming to pick his work methodically, but damn is this guy the real deal. His first film was "The Myth of the American Sleepover" which was great. And his follow-up (pun intended) is the intense horror film "It Follows" which takes one of the original concepts of horror films from the 1970s and 1980s (re: Friday the 13th and Nightmare of Elm St. et al) as a way to speak out for abstinence (ever wonder why the first people to go are the ones who have sex in hte film?? Yeah, pay attention the next time you watch a horror film that follows this story structure). Well, here, Mitchell has decided to make the "invisible monster" an STD, and much like in real life, IT FOLLOWS, and transfers to others you come in contact with. Perhaps they should show this film to middle school students!
The concept is simple: something is coming for us. Here, the unstoppable force is an invisible monster to most, which can take the human form of someone we know, track its victims down through sexual intercourse and once the entity gets to you, you are through, as is potentially everyone back through the chain of sexual liaisons. The only recourse you can take is to pass it on, have more sex! What?!? Instead of being punished for having sex, like in most other horror films, here your survival and sanity depend on passing it on.
After a prologue in which we see the gruesome effects of this curse, we meet Jay (Monroe), your average teenage girl living in the suburbs of Detroit. She and her sister Kelly (Sepe), and their small group of friends are whiling away the summer watching old monster movies and playing card games. Jay has a date, though, with new boyfriend Hugh (Weary) that ends first in the backseat of a car, and then with Jay duct-taped to a wheelchair in a dilapidated parking garage while Hugh frantically explains that he just gave her the worst STD imaginable. She returns home freaked out, and soon enough is benignly stalked (it is called It Follows, not It Chases). Convincing her sister and friends that she is in mortal danger, they try to help her track down the source and stop the monster.
The monster, It, can only be seen by the ones infected, which adds to the suspense. The mood of the film is mixed with excellent mis-en-scene found in early John Carpenter horror films, but it is the soundtrack by Disasterpiece that plays in the background throughout the whole film that nearly steals the film, acting like a monster in its own regard. This is one of the creepiest and evocative films I've seen in a long while. A true masterpiece of filmmaking. I am sorry it took me this long to see it as I had heard incredible things about it, but it finally made its way to Netflix and I jumped on it, immediately. This is one I could watch over and over.
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