RTP-area local music and culture

["Rock Films at the ArtsCenter" <mfhedtDONTSPAMME AT mindspring.com>]

The ArtsCenter hosts a big-screen music series, most Tuesday nights in 
February, featuring the Fugazi documentary "Instrument" (Feb. 6, 7:30pm & 
10pm), the Flaming Lips documentary "The Fearless Freaks" (Feb. 14, 8pm), 
and the 1972 historic funk/soul/r&b concert documentary "Wattstax" (Feb. 28, 
8pm). All shows are $3 and feature a local draft beer special. The 
ArtsCenter is located in downtown Carrboro at 300-G East Main St., Carrboro. 
929-2787. www.artscenterlive.org.

INSTRUMENT (Feb. 6, 7:30pm & 10pm, $3)
115 mins. color. stereo. March 1999.
A feature length film/video about the band, Fugazi, directed by Jem Cohen 
and Fugazi.
A collaboration between filmmaker Jem Cohen and the Washington DC band, the 
project covers the ten-year period from the band's inception in 1987. Far 
from a traditional documentary, the project is a musical document: a 
portrait of musicians at work.

(from http://www.southern.com/southern/band/FUGAZ/17980.html )


FEARLESS FREAKS (Feb. 14, 8pm)
185 mins. color. stereo. 2005
The Wonderously Improbable Story Of The Flaming Lips. A documentary/portrait 
of the evolution of the Oklahoma band culled from 400+ hours of footage.
Filmmaker Bradley Beasley, the band's long-time friend and director of all 
of their music videos since 1992, gives us an insider's look at their 
20-year transformation from Oklahoma outsiders to GRAMMY-winning elder 
statesmen.
This fascinating documentary features revealing interviews with band members 
past and present, and includes amazing footage from their entire 
career-truly capturing the eccentric and inventive world of The Lips. 
(partly quoted from Amazon.com)

http://www.fearlessfreaks.com/


WATTSTAX (Feb. 28, 8pm)
98 mins. color. 1973
Wattstax the concert was an incredible outpouring of music, soul and the 
black experience. Staged in the LA Coliseum in the Summer of 1972, it 
brought together over 100,000 people in a spirit of joy, pride and 
celebration. Virtually the entire Stax Records roster, including Isaac 
Hayes, Rufus Thomas and the Staple Singers, put their hearts into 
performances that matched the magic of the occasion and forged a connection 
with the crowd which is still remembered and revered.
Wattstax the movie is more than just incredible musical performances. 
Through topical street interviews on subjects ranging from music and love to 
politics and the 1965 Watts Revolt, the film provides unexpectedly potent 
insight into life in Watts. A young, relatively unknown Richard Pryor 
peppers the film with biting wit in a series of standup routines, binding 
the interviews and musical performances together into a powerful statement 
on life in Black America.
(from http://www.wattstax.com )

This is a documentary about the 1972 Watts Summer Festival, which culminated 
in a day long concert at a sold out Los Angeles Coliseum. The concert was 
headlined by Issac Hayes and the support acts included Rufus Thomas and his 
daughter Carla, the Bar Kays and the Staple Singers. The film also features 
commentary by many African Americans who comment on how things were in Watts 
since the riots that tore the city apart seven years earlier.
(summary by Brian Washington from IMDB)