It's a location I think would be great for you to play, Matt! It's in Sonoma County so maybe a tad far for the SFBay crowd, but if you haven't found a place, it's Hopmonk Sebastopol.
Well, I just found this better late than never. We just recently watched a Steven Van Zandt-Disciple. Never knew all the back story of him-very interesting and well done. I'm glad someone mentioned "standing in the shadows of Motown-the Funk brothers.
but I was surprised that 2 others were not mentioned
Brian Wilson-long promised road (What a genius!)
and believe it or not How do you mend a broken heart-The Bee Gees both of these Docs had a very poignant similar ending-With them both missing their brothers. Loved them both but The Bee Gees really surprised me. I see there is a new doc on Disney about The Beach Boys so I'll see that too.
I love the early Bee Gees stuff so damned much. Their folks records are just incredible. Like the disco stuff is fine, but that early stuff with the ridiculous harmonies just kills me. I haven't seen the doc on them yet. I don't know what my problem is.
The Motown doc is really good, but I would have loved more archival and interview footage instead of newer performances of those beautiful songs. And I really need to see the Beach Boys doc too.
I'm not necessarily a big fan of the BEE GEES but if you watch the doc they were shoved into the disco stuff it was not their intention. From beginning to end it is a fabulous documentary and gave me new respect for the work they did. I just watched the Disney Beach boys doc it was real good too and I learned even more about them. As for Motown unfortunately they probably had all the archival stuff there was. I liked the focus on the funk brothers and it made me listen to the music more deeply.
Moonage Daydream blew my mind. It really was amazing. I'm sure you know Montage of Heck (on your list too) was directed by the same person, Brett Morgan. He was there when I saw Moonage Daydream. Searching For Sugarman is another great one. And I did really love the Amy and Sinead docs.
I spent several weeks on a UK/European tour with Brian Jonestown, in 2006. I eventually intend to write that story and publish it here. Sadly, I have personally seen that side of Anton shown in 'Dig.' I love BJM and have seen them live more than any band, but when I left their show in Oct. 2023, I said to myself it was my final BJM show (and I have seen them a lot over the years). The audience's love for a mental breakdown is tragic and on par with a Circus sideshow and I will no longer spend money on it or the toxicity I witnessed on stage. Nobody's mental health or Addiction should be fodder for others' entertainment. That said, I am not criticizing 'Dig' as I believe the Director left it to the audience to decide how they felt about both of the main men. It also plays into that notion of what some have written about concerning the 90s accusatory power trip of 'Selling Out.'
I will add that the MC5 doc, "A True Testimonial," which sadly has never been released, is extraordinary. I hope that it one day does see a release.
And, while I respect them, I am not a Bee Gees fan, however, I really enjoyed 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart.' I found it a brilliant story, that made me reassess them and Disco. Ultimately, I also found it quite a sad story.
I would love to read/hear more about your time with BJM. That said, I'm 100% with you on the idea of someone's mental state being used as entertainment. When Anton's name comes up, it usually means there was some sort of onstage drama, a breakdown, or both. it bums me out.
As for the Dandy Warhols, I'm old enough to remeber when bands like Nirvana opened for them. At the time, if you'd have asked which one would make a bigger impact, I would've said the Warhols for sure.
I will definitely finish it (I have started it, but it gets relegated as other ideas either pop up or I finish them before my Jonestown tour diaries).
The Dandies still do their thing. In fact, they just did a DJ set at Music Millennium and they always play a Christmas show somewhere in town (similar to the Grateful Dead always doing a NYE show in SF). The last time I saw them live tho was at the Wonder Ballroom in 2013 when they played '13 Tales' in its entirety and recorded it for their double album 'Live at the Wonder Ballroom.'
Well, I’m old so I have to mention the documentary, Laurel Canyon. Wonderful interviews and incredible footage of my favorite bands as young adults. David Crosby looks like a little elf and Jackson Brown like a teenager. Echo’s in the Canyon by Jakob Dylan was good but not as good.
Also, Stop Making Sense, a Talking Heads up close concert film and Hitsville, The Making of Motown.
I also want to do a shout out for the PBS series on the history of country music. Not a big country fan but it was fascinating, none the less.
And Matty, you can never have too much Robbie Robertson.
Love to you and the family, and good luck on the road this summer!
I remember watching The Devil and Daniel Johnston for the first time years ago and thinking, "Wow, I know several folks in the business just like this". All musical prodigies/geniuses and all in that same circumstance, a terrific documentary.
I don't know how I have missed Dig! It's now on my watchlist.
I would cautiously recommend My Name Is Lopez (about Trini Lopez). About 30% of the movie doesn't add very much, but I found the remaining 70% really interesting.
The docs that are on my "intending to watch" list are
Fuck yeah. Great choice. I have the DVD and watch it annually. Was just listening to Double Nickles last week. I am grateful to have gotten to see them perform in '84 and got hit by D. Boon's sweat half the show.
I saw the documentary only knowing a few of their songs and having a vague sense of them as a band and it was great -- I was left with a strong sense of them as quirky people who were very much doing things for the right reasons. Their story just felt really personal to who they were.
It also has such a wealth of great material to work with. I only had a vague sense of Linda Rondstadt before seeing it, and was impressed to see one amazing song or story after another.
I'm ashamedly terrible at sitting down to watch a feature length something and choosing a music documentary. So many of the ones you listed have been on my "some day" watchlist and now all the ones mentioned here in the comments. I might need to dedicate a weekend to finally getting cultured.
Love it! Check out the Fishbone doc when you can as well.
Also, the Anvil one is great but with one problem - they are a HORRIBLE band. There are thousands of bands they could have picked instead of them. Now those guys are more popular than they should be. It's kinda funny and terrible at the same time.
I'm happy to see the Fishbone doc getting some love. I listened to a review of it, and they basically summed it up as an entire movie of Angelo Moore & Norwood Fisher fighting w/each other, and that turned me off from watching until now.
Great list. I need to check out the ones of these I haven’t seen! The Kenny G documentary “Songbird” on HBO is actually really, really fascinating even though I’m not a Kenny G fan at all.
The Last Waltz
Summer of Soul
New Order Story
Stop Making Sense (maybe not a doc per se, but I'm counting it)
Sparks Brothers
Pearl Jam Twenty
Woodstock '99 and/or The Fyre Festival one
Classic Albums- Steely Dan's 'Aja'
Edit to add:
Don’t Break Down
I really need to see that Sparks Bros. doc. I hear it's tremendous.
It’s really good!
How have I not seen Storefront Hitchcock?? And directed by Johnathan Demme?? Definitely going to hunt it up!
It's a treat. Hope you dig it.
It's so good. I'm seeing him in 4 weeks at a beer garden that holds 100 people. Super excited. I'm gonna request "Clean Steve."
Love this. Also, wicked jealous.
It's a location I think would be great for you to play, Matt! It's in Sonoma County so maybe a tad far for the SFBay crowd, but if you haven't found a place, it's Hopmonk Sebastopol.
Well, I just found this better late than never. We just recently watched a Steven Van Zandt-Disciple. Never knew all the back story of him-very interesting and well done. I'm glad someone mentioned "standing in the shadows of Motown-the Funk brothers.
but I was surprised that 2 others were not mentioned
Brian Wilson-long promised road (What a genius!)
and believe it or not How do you mend a broken heart-The Bee Gees both of these Docs had a very poignant similar ending-With them both missing their brothers. Loved them both but The Bee Gees really surprised me. I see there is a new doc on Disney about The Beach Boys so I'll see that too.
I love the early Bee Gees stuff so damned much. Their folks records are just incredible. Like the disco stuff is fine, but that early stuff with the ridiculous harmonies just kills me. I haven't seen the doc on them yet. I don't know what my problem is.
The Motown doc is really good, but I would have loved more archival and interview footage instead of newer performances of those beautiful songs. And I really need to see the Beach Boys doc too.
Glad you dug this one, Cindy!
I'm not necessarily a big fan of the BEE GEES but if you watch the doc they were shoved into the disco stuff it was not their intention. From beginning to end it is a fabulous documentary and gave me new respect for the work they did. I just watched the Disney Beach boys doc it was real good too and I learned even more about them. As for Motown unfortunately they probably had all the archival stuff there was. I liked the focus on the funk brothers and it made me listen to the music more deeply.
Fantastic list. I also highly recommend The Searcher, a two part HBO documentary on Elvis Presley.
The Searcher is so good. The Elvis story is so damned fascinating, especially the era around the Comeback Special. Great suggestion.
The films that come to mind first:
The Go-Go's
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
Amy
Moonage Daydream
Nothing Compares
Score: A Film Music Documentary
Searching for Sugar Man
The Velvet Underground
History of the Eagles
Moonage Daydream blew my mind. It really was amazing. I'm sure you know Montage of Heck (on your list too) was directed by the same person, Brett Morgan. He was there when I saw Moonage Daydream. Searching For Sugarman is another great one. And I did really love the Amy and Sinead docs.
Yes! Those really are some great docs!
I spent several weeks on a UK/European tour with Brian Jonestown, in 2006. I eventually intend to write that story and publish it here. Sadly, I have personally seen that side of Anton shown in 'Dig.' I love BJM and have seen them live more than any band, but when I left their show in Oct. 2023, I said to myself it was my final BJM show (and I have seen them a lot over the years). The audience's love for a mental breakdown is tragic and on par with a Circus sideshow and I will no longer spend money on it or the toxicity I witnessed on stage. Nobody's mental health or Addiction should be fodder for others' entertainment. That said, I am not criticizing 'Dig' as I believe the Director left it to the audience to decide how they felt about both of the main men. It also plays into that notion of what some have written about concerning the 90s accusatory power trip of 'Selling Out.'
I will add that the MC5 doc, "A True Testimonial," which sadly has never been released, is extraordinary. I hope that it one day does see a release.
And, while I respect them, I am not a Bee Gees fan, however, I really enjoyed 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart.' I found it a brilliant story, that made me reassess them and Disco. Ultimately, I also found it quite a sad story.
I would love to read/hear more about your time with BJM. That said, I'm 100% with you on the idea of someone's mental state being used as entertainment. When Anton's name comes up, it usually means there was some sort of onstage drama, a breakdown, or both. it bums me out.
As for the Dandy Warhols, I'm old enough to remeber when bands like Nirvana opened for them. At the time, if you'd have asked which one would make a bigger impact, I would've said the Warhols for sure.
I will definitely finish it (I have started it, but it gets relegated as other ideas either pop up or I finish them before my Jonestown tour diaries).
The Dandies still do their thing. In fact, they just did a DJ set at Music Millennium and they always play a Christmas show somewhere in town (similar to the Grateful Dead always doing a NYE show in SF). The last time I saw them live tho was at the Wonder Ballroom in 2013 when they played '13 Tales' in its entirety and recorded it for their double album 'Live at the Wonder Ballroom.'
Well, I’m old so I have to mention the documentary, Laurel Canyon. Wonderful interviews and incredible footage of my favorite bands as young adults. David Crosby looks like a little elf and Jackson Brown like a teenager. Echo’s in the Canyon by Jakob Dylan was good but not as good.
Also, Stop Making Sense, a Talking Heads up close concert film and Hitsville, The Making of Motown.
I also want to do a shout out for the PBS series on the history of country music. Not a big country fan but it was fascinating, none the less.
And Matty, you can never have too much Robbie Robertson.
Love to you and the family, and good luck on the road this summer!
Aunt Cathie
Oh, I should've mentioned 'Laurel Canyon' on my list! I really enjoyed it.
Great list!
I remember watching The Devil and Daniel Johnston for the first time years ago and thinking, "Wow, I know several folks in the business just like this". All musical prodigies/geniuses and all in that same circumstance, a terrific documentary.
I don't know how I have missed Dig! It's now on my watchlist.
In addition to the 2 mentioned here (Summer of Soul & Respect Yourself): https://whatamimaking.substack.com/p/13-films-to-get-to-know-nick-s
I'd add
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice
32 Short Films About Glenn Gould
Standing In The Shadows Of Motown
This RadioLab story (it's only 20 minutes, and not film, but so remarkable it's worth including on the list): https://radiolab.org/podcast/148670-4-track-mind
I would cautiously recommend My Name Is Lopez (about Trini Lopez). About 30% of the movie doesn't add very much, but I found the remaining 70% really interesting.
The docs that are on my "intending to watch" list are
What Happened, Miss Simone
Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind
I should add: We Jam Econo - The Story of the Minutemen
Fuck yeah. Great choice. I have the DVD and watch it annually. Was just listening to Double Nickles last week. I am grateful to have gotten to see them perform in '84 and got hit by D. Boon's sweat half the show.
Double Nickles is a great album.
I saw the documentary only knowing a few of their songs and having a vague sense of them as a band and it was great -- I was left with a strong sense of them as quirky people who were very much doing things for the right reasons. Their story just felt really personal to who they were.
'The Sound of My Voice' is really well done.
It also has such a wealth of great material to work with. I only had a vague sense of Linda Rondstadt before seeing it, and was impressed to see one amazing song or story after another.
I'm ashamedly terrible at sitting down to watch a feature length something and choosing a music documentary. So many of the ones you listed have been on my "some day" watchlist and now all the ones mentioned here in the comments. I might need to dedicate a weekend to finally getting cultured.
Love it! Check out the Fishbone doc when you can as well.
Also, the Anvil one is great but with one problem - they are a HORRIBLE band. There are thousands of bands they could have picked instead of them. Now those guys are more popular than they should be. It's kinda funny and terrible at the same time.
I'm happy to see the Fishbone doc getting some love. I listened to a review of it, and they basically summed it up as an entire movie of Angelo Moore & Norwood Fisher fighting w/each other, and that turned me off from watching until now.
Some Kind of Monster...mainly because it is funny.
The music equivalent of _Conan O'Brian Can't Stop_
Ha!
Great list. I need to check out the ones of these I haven’t seen! The Kenny G documentary “Songbird” on HBO is actually really, really fascinating even though I’m not a Kenny G fan at all.
The four-hour long Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers documentary. It's incredible!
Great list. I definitely have a few things to watch now.
You know I almost chose this subject for my 13 Films to get to know me post...:)
I suppose one of my pics, Spinal Tap, was in that list...
My favorite is the wonderful parody of that genre, "This Is Spinal Tap".