photo by Jonathan Furmanski
Band documentaries give us fans an intimate glimpse into the daily lives of our favorite artists, and allow us to feel a little bit closer to knowing them personally. Whether on tour, in the studio, or at home, these behind-the-scene videos can represent artists as being “just one of us” or perpetuate the notion that they are larger than life. I recently watched a documentary about the Pixies reunion in 2004, nearly 10 years after their sudden breakup. While I am moderately familiar with their story and music, this movie candidly revealed the waxing and waning dysfunction that underlies the group’s impressive cohesiveness on stage and unyielding fan appeal. Interviews in separate hotel rooms and tour buses drove home the fact that these 4 artists have little to nothing in common minus the fact that they once wrote songs together. Now they just perform together and then go their separate ways. As I watched I began to feel emotionally connected to their stories, almost sorry for them. I suppose that was the whole premise of the documentary, so BRAVO to the directors! Thanks to them, I am a bit more prepared now for my first Pixies concert in November!
FYI: Netflix has a ton of music docs that can be streamed with just the click of a remote control button. Check them out!
Evolution of a Fan 