The Independent Culture Project: What It Means

I thought it would be nice to use this Thanksgiving weekend lull to put up a more detailed account of what this project is about. Where it came from, why we're doing it, all that fun stuff. Here's the official mission statement, composed by Nathan (aka. Director/Fearless Leader).

Note: This was written in July 2008, before we began speaking with some of the bands in the film. The project has naturally evolved into something bigger, but this provides a nice glimpse into ICP when it was just a seed.

Austin, TX is known worldwide as the "Live Music Capital of the World." But what exactly does this mean? Certainly the SXSW and Austin City Limits music festivals both provide powerhouse performances from cutting edge local and international musicians. But, when the herds of fans flock home and the stages are torn down, where does the music go? It is alive and well and it can be found in the main stages, back rooms, and rooftops of Austin's premiere music venues. Club de Ville and the Mohawk are part of Austin's Red River music district and feature nightly an array of genre-splitting artists like Belaire, White Denim, Peter & the Wolf, and Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. Situated side-by-side, Mohawk and De Ville rest in the heart of a city changing at a feverish pace.

Belaire

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears

White Denim

Like the watershed music documentary 'Heartworn Highways,' which covers the country music scene in Austin and Nashville in the early 1970s, our documentary will focus on the creative process of each band. As we drift through the musings, personalities, and dreams of each artist, the puzzle pieces will begin to lock together and a larger picture will be revealed. Some of these groups find themselves at the cusp of commercial success (whether they want it or not), a great triumph in a city where you can see hundreds of performers every night of the week. This film will be a crucial document in the years to come. It will allow the distant viewer to look through opera glasses into the mythic music culture of central Texas.

In 1979, UCLA graduate Penelope Spheeris (later to be the director of Wayne's World) and a film crew took their 16mm cameras into the ruinous streets of the so-called L.A. punk scene. In her documentary 'The Decline of Western Civilization,' Spheeris depicts a world in a state of near-anarchy, as groups like X, Black Flag, and the Germs blur the lines between rage, politics, poverty, and music. The beauty of her particular form of documentary lies in that it confronts a particular moment in history, when the future seemed unwritten. Unlike later documentaries about the same period like 'American Hardcore,' 'Western Civilization' is not looking back on an era with rosy-colored glasses. It is made by a fan wanting to dig deeper not only into the music itself, but the surrounding sociological factors, the press, and the upheaval of the American identity proper. It feels unsafe, volatile, alive. The film acts as a primary influence for ours.

A feature film will be created, interweaving night after night of performances with the footage we gather throughout the city's many vibrant corners, from renovated churches-turn-private studios to highway overpasses housing secret performances to the rising star Fun Fun Fun fest. We'll also gather rare interviews with local members of the press, fans, managers, skeptics, and independent record company owners, like Dániel Perlaky of Indierect Records. The movie's format and aesthetic will change according to the sounds and attitudes of the musicians. For instance, because Belaire's style is full of popping, bright colors, pristine High Definition Video is most suitable, while White Denim's aggressive, ramshackle threesome might best be represented with black and white 16mm film.

Our film will tell not only a fascinating story about the way of the modern artist, but will reveal something about the kaleidoscopic world of Austin.

PSA

If anyone in Austin has a truck, van, or minivan that they'd like to lend us for a week in December, please let me know ASAP. You'll get a thank you credit in the film at the very least. Email me at icpblog@gmail.com -- thanks!

Day 9 - rain is not my friend today

We had to cancel our shoot today because of the weather. So, we did some work around the office, mostly catching up on footage and preliminary editing. We watched a lot of the stuff we got of various scenesters commenting on Austin's music, and... ok, it's not Williamsburg, I'll grant you that. But there is some serious douchebaggery afoot in this town. I guess that's any scene, though. You're always going to get your share of self-important idiots, and putting them in front of a camera will just inflate their ego. So really, we're kind of asking for it. If you think about it, these people are a pretty big part of this culture, so regardless of how ridiclous they can be (and believe me, there are no boundaries), it's all a part of the whole picture.

Then went over to the Drafthouse theatre to see Let The Right One In, a Swedish sort-of-horror/vampire movie. I'm a total and utter wuss and normally it's impossible to get me into anything scary and/or gory, but the guys said it wasn't really bloody. Plus, at this stage in the game, I'd feel like kind of a jerk passing up a "bonding" opportunity with the crew. I mean, the more we know each other, the better, so I can probably live with a few scenes worth of staring at my shoes.

They weren't lying either, the gore was pretty minimal and the film was actually pretty good. Beautifully shot and composed, and an interesting story at that. The vampire in question is actually a 12 year old girl and the story is more about the relationship between her and a boy she befriends. In a way it was lovely, and in another it was horribly depressing. I don't want to spoil it, but you should see it if you can (before some big American studio buys it and disembowels it of all its atmosphere and soul only to give it a few week run and send it to DVD).

What's almost more significant, though, is that I had my first introduction to the Drafthouse theatre chain (I've only been here a week y'all - I don't know much of what's around town, I just know I can use "y'all" all the time and no one even blinks!). OK, so the Drafthouse is awesome because they have wooden boards (aka. tables) like two feet from your seat in every row, which have menus on them. From which you can order. Food. And drinks. And waiters come and fill your order during the movie. I'm not sure why this is so exciting to me, but it really is. In case you're interested (and I know you are), I ordered a hummus plate - red pepper hummus, pita, and vegetables. The hummus was pretty great and the pita soft and fresh. As for the vegetables, I can only speak for the pepper and carrot sticks, which were fresh and crunchy and all sorts of delicious. The celery remained untouched, since I hate that vegetable with the fire of a thousand prehistoric volcanoes.

All in all, it was still a productive day, in more ways than originally planned. We went back to the office afterward, and Nathan was still editing when I left. We're breaking for Thanksgiving on Tuesday, but I may still go in and mess around with editing some stuff. I may or may not be blogging about that, though. I think I'll save my literary prowess for the shows we're filming on the 3rd and 4th (Mckinney Park campfire and a show at Creekside - {{{SUNSET}}}, Peter and the Wolf, School Police, and oh! so much more). And of course there will be the Peter and the Wolf tour, and the hot Belaire action that'll be going down before Christmas.

Day 8

The boys went to Church House Studios and shot some great stuff with Trey Brown. Tomorrow we're filming some interviews and probably going through footage.

We also went to Cari's birthday party (Cari of Belaire fame), where we spent far too much time sitting around the fire and talking about work. Not that we didn't have other stuff to talk about, we're just all workaholics. So it goes. We did do some socializing, and you just can't go wrong with a fire pit. Dave is really good at stoking a fire, by the way. I hear he does parties, if anyone out there needs a professional fire-stoker.

Did I mention we're slated to go on tour with Red Hunter and Peter & the Wolf for a week? Because we are. What's got two thumbs and is the most excited, ever? That's right.

Day 6

The crew met up at the office and went over to Antone's at noon, for the march to City Hall in support of the Live Music Task Force (or rather, of creating a central music office for it). The mood at Antone's was anticipatory and lively. People brought guitars and drums, which usually show up at every protest anyway, but for once they were being played by professionals (and man, does that make all the difference). A few local news crews showed up as well - it was definitely an event.

We got some really interesting footage I think, mostly of people just having conversations. Nathan and Rob would literally find people who seemed to be having interesting discussions, roll up behind them and start filming (naturally we got their permission to actually use the footage afterward - or rather, I did, being the one with the release forms in hand). There were all sorts of people: a young guy and a girl, two dapper gentlemen in nice shirts, a bunch of dudes just hanging out outside talking about music etc.


Rob and Nathan inside Antone's, finding their shot


Dave and Nathan casually recording these dudes' conversation (Rob's arm stage right)

Finally, we all walked over a few blocks to City Hall, holding signs and singing and doing your run of the mill protest-y things. Nathan was running back and forth in the crowd trying to get all the good moments, while Dave tailed him and tried to stay out of shot. Rob was somewhere too, but I didn't see him since I was busy following Nathan's trail of close-ups with my relentless pursuit of signed release forms.

When we got into City Hall, the march ground to a halt - ironically - as we all passed through the security checkpoint one by one. The rest of the crew went ahead into the main chamber to set up and find good spots - I followed eventually, with the camera bags in tow.

The agenda finally got to the central music office (momentum was dented again a bit as we walked in on a meeting about libraries), and the crowd went nuts. After various aspects of the case in favor of the office were presented, it was approved, to many cheers. The mood was jubilant, and people seemed pretty happy. I've only been here a week (well, a week tomorrow), but even I could perceive the wave of relief and pleasant expectation that swept through the crowd. Well, what was left of it, anyway - a few people had drifted away, most likely back to their places of work, since this meeting was in the middle of the day on a Thursday.


Awaiting the decision in the City Hall main chamber


The Austin City Council - check out Rob crouched on the left!


Post-decision revelling. Still finding shots. We don't rest. Ever.

Day 5

We shot a great interview with James Moody of the Mohawk today. We set up before they opened for the night, so the lights were pretty bright and the place was empty. There's always something eerie about being at a music venue before or after hours when the lights are on. Like it's just another room or something -- the magic of the sounds and atmosphere are somehow crushed and melted away by the brightness.

The interview was really interesting. Nathan and Moody talked a lot about the Live Music Task Force, and the march to City Hall tomorrow to hand over the new list of recommendations. There was also a lot of talk about the Mohawk and other Austin venues, and some interesting stuff about White Denim.

Then we headed back to the office to go over footage. Now, however, I am tired and have a big day to prep for...

Day 4 - The Crew Smells Like Fish

So, when he's not busy rocking everyone's face off, Joe Lewis has a day job delivering goods for Quality Seafood. We tagged along - both in the back of the delivery van, and following him with one of our cars. Oh, yeah. We're good. Though we may end up not using most of the footage we shot from our car, but Joe is pretty rad and said some great things. Which made it totally worthwhile for Nathan to be sitting in whatever miscellaneous liquid it was that he was sitting in all morning. My bet is on fish juice.


Dave and Rob getting Joe stocking his van.


Nathan, Dave and Rob filming Joe making a delivery.

He and Dave spent a good portion of the morning in the back of the van - so our cameras couldn't see them - as Rob and I shot out the back window of our car. Rob was tied down with some slack line, the back window tied up with rope, the seats folded down and both of us doing our best to keep the cameras steady (which, of course, was much more important than our actual safety - we're just bad ass like that). Eventually Rob ended up in the back of the van, and Nathan got to ride up front.


Rob shooting out of the back of the car.

After a brief pause for tacos and regrouping at the office (sharing cars and small offices with fishy boys = not recommended), Nathan, Dave and I went over to Cari's house to meet with Belaire about the coming weeks of filming as they prep for recording their new album. I was kind of concerned before going in, because, after all, they're a tight-knit group and we're fast becoming one of our own, too. I think the greatest worry Nathan and I share is that our cameras may be invasive to the artists and their work. Once the meeting got going, though, all my fears were dispelled. The band are all open to us and the collaboration, and I think that once we begin sharing space and figuring out how we all work together, things will really take off. I can't wait to see their new material and how they develop it into the album.

Seriously, I actually get paid for this.

Day 3

I've spent the past couple of days catching up on footage, mostly of the ATX Converge show. It all looks amazing. We've invested what money we have in camera equipment, and it was really really worth it. Everything looks and sounds amazing. I'd already seen the cut of the White Denim show and their energy is unbelievable. Black Joe Lewis really blew me away too, with their funk and their rhythm and badass vibe. And Belaire's stage version of one of the new songs they've been working on is all sorts of awesome.

I'm so excited about this project, I... I don't even know what to say. I can't believe I actually get to do this, and work with these people, both the film crew and the musicians. Tomorrow we're shooting with Black Joe Lewis while he works, and then meet with Cari from Belaire and the band's manager, Dániel. Danny, the drummer/sound engineer may attend too. It's promising to be a pretty amazing few months from here on out.

Day 1(ish)

"Hey, how would you like to move to Austin, TX and get paid to work with your favorite bands?"

Would you say no? I sure didn't. Which is why I packed up my car and drove to Austin to work on this film. Nathan, our fearless leader and director, Rob, the man behind the camera, and Dave, the master of sound, have already gotten some amazing footage of White Denim and Trey Brown. We'll be spending time with Black Joe Lewis, Bill Baird and {{{Sunset}}}, a week touring with Red Hunter and Peter & the Wolf, a good chunk of time in the studio with Belaire as they record their new album, and various other bands as we go along. We'll also be following the effects of the noise restrictions the city has imposed on the Red River District and the rift between the music culture and City Hall.

We're trying to capture this music and its home in the most authentic way we can. All of us are pretty broke and are in it for the love of the work and the music - which sounds too good to be true, but it actually is. Finally, I am among my people. In fact, all the random knowledge I have about Austin bands seems to suddenly be a special skill. I'm not even sure what to do with that much awesome, but I'm sure I'll figure something out.

All I know right now is that I'm beyond thrilled to be working with these bands, especially Belaire, who are very near and dear to my heart. I thought that since the internet and the music blog world was what brought me to this scene, I would chronicle this experience in a blog as well. I'll try to write every day and follow the story as it unfolds. Occasionally other crew members may post a guest entry, so keep your eyes peeled. As of today, my life will be nothing but a total and complete immersion in the Austin indie rock scene. Awesome? You bet it is.