Seen at the outdoor NewportFILM summer documentary series in RI last night. We tend to go to the series because it is a fun summer evening thing to do. The selected films can be a bit uneven - but that's usually offset by a soft evening out under the stars. So I'd also never consciously heard of the Avett brothers and wasn't expecting much either way.
What an EXCELLENT film. As record producer Rick Rubin says on screen at the outset - "Think of all the brother groups that eventually fall to infighting - these guys haven't". The film then explores through interview with principal characters their honest and hard work ethic and grounded family life that probably significantly contributes to this. Intimacies are shared briefly - except for bass player Bob Crawford's life threatening family health issues which had a significant effect on the band being able to operate while on tour. Other intimacies are hinted at but not deeply explored - just enough for you to see how it affected how the music developed over the years. Vignettes of how the brothers write a song, record and integrate with family life keep the whole thing moving along. As band members are recruited they introduce themselves to the time line and comment on what it is like to be in the band.
Technically the film is constructed around shooting in 2012-15 with archival footage before that and some later material added on the end. The increasing texture of the film demonstrates the increasing power of the band. Not with volume - but with the competence of the playing and quality of the material they are singing. An almost continuous soundtrack of full songs, not edited supports the story.
Near the end of the film the full on recording of "No Hard Feelings" shows the true cost of performing and the differences between the brothers. One compartmentalizes the session by the quality of the playing, the perfection of hitting every chord correctly and singing every note on tune. The other - completely emotionally drained and unable to continue to the next song without a significant time out.
As the movie then moves to a wrap from this high - the scene is a Madison Square Garden concert filmed after the bulk of the film - you see a changed band on stage - the style and dress is different and of course there is new material.
Of course the band will keep developing. But will it last?
What an EXCELLENT film. As record producer Rick Rubin says on screen at the outset - "Think of all the brother groups that eventually fall to infighting - these guys haven't". The film then explores through interview with principal characters their honest and hard work ethic and grounded family life that probably significantly contributes to this. Intimacies are shared briefly - except for bass player Bob Crawford's life threatening family health issues which had a significant effect on the band being able to operate while on tour. Other intimacies are hinted at but not deeply explored - just enough for you to see how it affected how the music developed over the years. Vignettes of how the brothers write a song, record and integrate with family life keep the whole thing moving along. As band members are recruited they introduce themselves to the time line and comment on what it is like to be in the band.
Technically the film is constructed around shooting in 2012-15 with archival footage before that and some later material added on the end. The increasing texture of the film demonstrates the increasing power of the band. Not with volume - but with the competence of the playing and quality of the material they are singing. An almost continuous soundtrack of full songs, not edited supports the story.
Near the end of the film the full on recording of "No Hard Feelings" shows the true cost of performing and the differences between the brothers. One compartmentalizes the session by the quality of the playing, the perfection of hitting every chord correctly and singing every note on tune. The other - completely emotionally drained and unable to continue to the next song without a significant time out.
As the movie then moves to a wrap from this high - the scene is a Madison Square Garden concert filmed after the bulk of the film - you see a changed band on stage - the style and dress is different and of course there is new material.
Of course the band will keep developing. But will it last?