"Within two minutes, I was completely electrified." These are the words of Janet Pierson, South by Southwest Film Festival Producer, describing her response to David Hillman Curtis' concert film Ride, Rise, Roar, which premiered at Austin's South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2010. She shared her enthusiastic perspective before the film's second screening, and the movie that followed did not disappoint.
Produced by David Schluter, Ride, Rise, Roar spends considerable time behind the scenes of David Byrne's 08/09 tour. However, some of its most riveting moments occur during the concert as viewers enjoy Talking Heads favorites like "Once in a Lifetime" and "The Great Curve," which are packed with movement and music.
David Byrne Concert Choreography
What immediately strikes audience members within the film's first few minutes are the unconventional dance moves that accompany the live songs. In fact, the dancing is often the focal point of the vibrant musical numbers.
Determined to find dancers that "shouldn't look like dancers," Byrne discovered true originality in Lily Baldwin, Natalie Kuhn and Steven Reker. They move with off-beat strength, kinetic energy and grace as their motions exude an energy as quirky and powerful as David Byrne's music. Choreography by Noemie Lafrance, Annie-B Parson and robbinschilds speaks to both the strength of the dancers and the strength of the music.
The effect is a completely mesmerizing display of creativity that reflects David Byrne's commitment to artistic originality. Not only does he seek top-notch backup singers, cutting-edge choreographers and contemporary dancers, he's not afraid to let the performers take center stage. At times, he and the choreographers turn traditional backup roles on their heads. Singers dance, dancers sing and play instruments, and even Byrne himself ends up as part of the choreography.
In addition to being a movie for serious fans of David Byrne, this is a dancer's movie. Even audience members who are not long-time admirers of Byrne are drawn into the layered world created by the music and motion. The cinematography, guided by Director of Photography Ben Wolf, is as fluid and strong as the performers themselves, careful to catch the action from every possible angle.
A Concert Film Is Born
Originally intended to be a short film focusing on the performance of the piece "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today," Rise, Ride, Roar turned into a full-length feature, as it was determined that if one concert piece would be filmed, so should they all.
The tour features music from David Byrne's various collaborations with Brian Eno, who is also interviewed during the film, providing such details as his philosophy on the role of lyrics in the music writing process.
Rehearsals, concert footage, and interviews with David Byrne and his backup performers pack this film with substance and give it a unique voice. The filmmakers set out to capture "the sweat and the energy on stage," which are the words of David Byrne, relayed to the South by Southwest screening audience by producer Will Schluter.
What the film also brilliantly captures is a thorough portrait of David Byrne, whose perfectionism, passion and commitment to challenging himself as an artist have gained him the admiration of multiple generations. A look around the audience at the film's SXSW screening was very telling, as a twenty-something with a mohawk sat in the company of fifty-somethings who've enjoyed David Byrne's music for more than three decades.
A talented artist transcends generational gaps, as does a fine concert film.
Kate Simmons - Kate Simmons is a writer and teacher who enjoys celebrating the creative process on paper and in the classroom. Her love of literature and ...
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