press summary 2013
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press summary 2013
PRESS SUMMARY 2013 PETER CASE CHRIS SMITHER MARY GAUTHIER DAVE ALVIN in a film by TOM WEBER TROUBADOUR BLUES PRESS KIT 2013 Troubadour Blues is a journey into the world of well-traveled singer-songwriters like Peter Case, Mary Gauthier, Chris Smither, Dave Alvin, Slaid Cleaves and many more. Filmmaker Tom Weber spent nearly 10 years gathering material for this feature-length documentary, which provides a revealing look at the heartbreaks and joys of these modern-day wandering minstrels. The 95-minute film premiered Oct. 14, 2011, at the Buffalo International Film Festival, and has since been shown at theaters and music venues throughout the United States and Canada. Many of the screenings have featured live performances by artists featured in the documentary. Troubadour Blues features live performances of 40 songs by the artists who wrote them, including Case's "Icewater" and "Entella Hotel," Gauthier's "Drag Queens In Limousines" and "Wheel Inside The Wheel," Alvin's "Ashgrove" and Smither's breathtaking rendition of "No Love Today." We see the artists both on and off stage. In revealing interviews, the artists discuss their craft and the state of the music business today. Case's story provides the film's main narrative, and we go with him to Hamburg, NY, where he grew up and learned to sing the blues, to San Francisco, where he polished his craft as a street musician, and to Los Angeles, where he played in influential bands like the Nerves and Plimsouls before launching a 30-year solo career. This is a story that needs to be heard. In our media-saturated age of instant pop stardom, there is real danger that the tradition of the itinerant working musician is being diluted or lost. This is a concern expressed in the film by a number of artists. Troubadour Blues explores the hidden corners of our culture, where honest, authentic songs reflecting the human experience are still being written and sung. North American DVD and digital distribution is through MVD Entertainment Group. For information on rights for other territories, contact Dan Gurlitz, Soundview Media Partners. For information on screenings and personal appearances by the filmmaker and featured artists, contact: Tom Weber Films LLC [email protected] http://tomweberfilms.com http://www.troubadour-blues.com 1283 Cedar Blvd. Pittsburgh PA 15228 (412) 370-1736 (m) TRUE STORIES FROM THE FRONT LINES OF AMERICAN MUSIC Ten years in the making, this music-filled documentary explores the world of modern-day troubadours like PETER CASE, MARY GAUTHIER, CHRIS SMITHER, DAVE ALVIN and more – gifted musicians who travel 21st century America on highways of song. “Troubadours didn't just live during the '60s folk scare. A new generation is among us today -- and they're captured eloquently and beautifully in this richly detailed, musically first-rate movie.” (Boston Globe) “The major strength of this film comes from the trust and bond apparent between the filmmaker and the artists captured during interviews and performances.” (No Depression) With electrifying live performances of 40 songs by some of America’s finest songwriters. Includes “Ice Water” and “Entella Hotel” by Peter Case, Mary Gauthier’s award-winning “Camelot Motel,” Slaid Cleaves’ #1 Americana hit “Broke Down,” Chris Smither’s evocative “No Love Today,” and more. ARTIST: Various Artists TITLE: Troubadour Blues SKU #: TW01 UPC: 735885349493 PREBOOK: 12/11/12 STREET: 01/15/13 RETAIL: 19.95 GENRE: Documentary RUN TIME: 93 min. BOX LOT: 30 LABEL: Tom Weber Films FORMAT: DVD 800.888.0486 • F 610.650.9102 • PO Box 280, Oaks, PA 19456 • www.MVDb2b.com Links to Published Reviews of Troubadour Blues Nashville Tennesseean by Peter Cooper January 18, 2013 http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2013/01/18/troubadour-blues-showcases-worldclass-working-musicians/ USA Today/Arizona Republic by Ed Masley June 17, 2012 http://www.usatoday.com/USCP/PNI/Features/2012-06-17-PNI0617ae-troubadourblues_ST_U.htm Pasadena Weekly by Bliss Bowen May 31, 2012 http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/troubadour_blues/11265/ Boston Globe by James Sullivan Jan. 1, 2012 http://articles.boston.com/2012-01-01/arts/30575761_1_mark-erelli-songwriters-lorimckenna Boston Herald by Jim Sullivan Dec. 31, 2011 http://bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/general/view/2011_1231troubadour_sings_ tales_of_life_on_road No Depression (online magazine) by Terry Roland Nov. 18, 2011 http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/film-review-troubadour-blues-reaches-outto-touch-us-all Erie Times-News by Dave Richards Oct. 27, 2011 http://www.goerie.com/article/20111027/ENTERTAINMENT0702/310269899/Eriefilmmaker%27s-%27Troubadour-Blues%27-screens-at-museum Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by Manny Theiner Oct. 20, 2011 http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/movies/mt-lebanon-filmmaker-tom-weber-givesus-the-troubadour-blues-319886/?print=1 Buffalo Artvoice by Kevin Hosey Oct. 13, 2011 http://artvoice.com/issues/v10n41/film_reviews/troubadour_blues Buffalo News by Jeff Miers Oct. 7, 2011 http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/gusto/music/sound-check/article584787.ece TROUBADOUR BLUES SCREENING HISTORY 2011-13 Sept. 30, 2011 First pressing of 1,000 DVDs delivered (release date). Oct. 14, 2011 World Premiere, Buffalo, NY, Buffalo International Film Festival Oct. 25, 2011 Pittsburgh, PA, Hollywood Theater, with Mark Dignam Oct. 28, 2011 Erie, PA, Erie Art Museum, with Mark Dignam Jan. 1, 2012 Shelburne Falls, MA, Mocha Maya Cafe. Jan. 2, 2012 Cambridge, MA, Club Passim, with Brendan Hogan Jan. 4, 2012 Williamstown, MA, Billsville House Concerts Feb. 23, 2012 Memphis, TN, Folk Alliance International Conference Feb. 25, 2012 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Winter Roots & Blues Roundup March 15, 2012 Austin, TX, Austin Recreation Center (SXSW Music) May 23, 2012 Nashville, TN, Douglas Corner, with Joe Scutella June 5, 2012 Altadena, CA, Coffee Gallery Backstage w/Julie Christensen June 7, 2012 Sacramento, CA, Swell Productions at Antiquité, with Peter Case June 9, 2012 San Francisco, CA, KC Turner Presents, with Peter Case June 13, 2012 Houston, TX, Anderson Fair, with Vince Bell June 14, 2012 Austin, TX, Jax Neighborhood Cafe, w/House of Songs June 20, 2012 Marfa, TX, Padre's, with Primo Carrasco and David Beebe June 23, 2012 Phoenix, AZ, Rhythm Room, with Bob Corritore & Rocket 88 June 29-30, 2012 Easton, Suffolk, UK, Maverick Festival, with Amy Speace Sept. 7, 2012 State Theatre, State College, PA, Woody Guthrie Centennial Sept. 12, 2012 Cambridge, MA, Club Passim, with Scott Alarik and guests TBA Sept. 13, 2012 Nashville, TN, Americana Music Association conference Oct. 18, 2012 Greensburg, PA, DV8 Espresso Bar and Gallery, with Habatat Oct. 26, 2012 Erie, PA, PACA Performing Arts Center, with Acoustic Grammar Nov. 7, 2012 Columbus, OH, Natalie's Coal-Fired Pizza, w/Peter Case Nov. 8, 2012 Kent, OH, The Kent Stage, with Peter Case Dec. 4, 2012 Berryville, VA, The Barns at Rose Hill Dec. 5, 2012 Ashland, VA, Ashland Coffee and Tea, with Charles "King" Arthur Feb. 28, 2013 Somerville, MA, Somerville Arts Council, with Thea Hopkins April 3, 2013 Carrboro, NC, ArtsCenter Live, with Peter Case April 13, 2013 Atlanta, GA, Red Light Cafe, with Peter Case April 14, 2013 Charlotte, NC, The Evening Muse, with Peter Case Press Reactions “The implicit theme of the Troubadour Blues film -- that we, as a culture, have undervalued the role of the storyteller and the authentic musician in our fascination with glittering, overproduced and largely disposably pop art -- is rather difficult to dismiss. The craft of the troubadour should not become a museum piece. Artists like [Peter] Case have devoted their entire lives to holding up their end of the bargain. The rest is up to us.” -- JEFF MIERS, Buffalo News music writer "Troubadours didn't just live during the '60s folk scare. A new generation is among us today -- and they're captured eloquently and beautifully in this richly detailed, musically first-rate movie. The highway footage is evocative, but it's the interviews and performances by the likes of Peter Case, Dave Alvin, Amy Speace, Mary Gauthier and Mark Erelli that really bring this to life. These folks are a long way from the 'American Idol' experience, but they're at the heart of American music.''' -- STEVE MORSE, music critic (Boston Globe, Billboard, Rolling Stone) “Should you be a lover of music, a lover of songs where the words mean something, a lover of spending nights listening to tall tales and short stories, a lover of laughter and intimacy, this film is for you.” -- EASY ED, No Depression “The music keeps welling up underneath, in good times and bad, reshaping and revitalizing itself, and whether or not there are riches to be had there are still people who have the gifts and determination to make it their life’s work, and even make a living out of it.” -- CHRIS KEARIN, Dreamers Rise “Music careers with longevity are constructed on hard work and time spent learning the trade, not on a few weeks of prime-time television exposure ... Thankfully the art of songwriting is alive and well in the hands of the traveling troubadours.” -- ARTHUR WOOD, Maverick Magazine (U.K.) “The major strength of this film, which overcomes any technical limitations presented by a small budget, comes from the trust and bond apparent between the filmmaker and the artists captured during interviews and performances ... They take us on a journey of self-discovery that is vital to us all as individuals and a society.” -- TERRY ROLAND, No Depression Director’s Statement When I set out somewhat naively to make a documentary about troubadours, I simply thought that it was a story that needed to be heard. Almost a decade later, my primary artistic goal remains the same: to tell that story to as wide an audience as possible. As Peter Case observes, your subject matter is built into your life and your job as an artist is to dig down inside yourself and find it. The nature of the subject dictated the narrative style of the film. These are gifted storytellers, and the best thing a filmmaker can do is to stay out of their way. I wanted the audience to engage with these artists as I did, seeing them on a stage and then gradually getting to know them. This dictated that there be no scripted voiceovers, no omniscient narrator telling the film audience what to think. Likewise, I used no archival footage; everything you see is original. The digital revolution has liberated filmmaking by eliminating the need for big budgets, expensive equipment and large, intrusive crews. As Francis Ford Coppola observed, technology has taken the professionalism out of movie making, freeing filmmakers to tell smaller and more personal stories. Troubadour Blues is one of those stories. Production Note If there's one thing I've learned making Troubadour Blues, it's that living people are the most interesting and challenging documentary subjects. Maybe this is why so many films are made about famous dead people -- they've stopped evolving; they're easier to pin down; they don't talk back. Take Peter Case, for example. His appearance changed so much over the course of the film that I decided to open with a single song constructed from half a dozen different performances: you see him evolve from boyish rock and roller to bearded elder, and back again, in three minutes. Peter had major heart surgery seven years into filming, necessitating a change in the ending; he then came back with a new album and a new sound, necessitating another re-edit. Someone asked me at a screening what was my most memorable experience in the making of the film. I responded that it was sitting in my living room at 3 o'clock in the morning with Peter as he watched my film for the first time. I don't think I breathed for an hour and a half. That's what making a film with a living subject is all about. Filmmaker Biography Tom Weber is a documentary filmmaker whose work examines musical performance in its social and cultural contexts. His feature-length film Troubadour Blues, which documents the lives of singer-songwriters on the folk/roots circuit, is now being distributed independently via a website, festivals and traveling screenings. He is working on another documentary, Don't Give Up Your Day Job, about "hidden musicians" who perform locally while making a living outside of music. He also produces concert videos and short artist profiles. Weber is co-author of Reggae Island: Jamaican Music in the Digital Age (1992, rev. 1998) and received his Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University with a dissertation on globalization and cultural change that focused on reggae. He has taught at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Thiel College, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and Gannon University, and is a former broadcast and print journalist. Weber is a native of Erie, Pa., and currently lives in Pittsburgh.
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