A still from The Go-Go’s by Alison Ellwood, an official selection of the Documentary Premieres program at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Lynn Goldsmith.
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The legendary punk group turned pop superstars are finally getting the documentary they deserve this August.
The goal of every musician is to create songs that not only stand the test of time, but that also set them apart from their peers. Very few musicians that are actively topping the charts now will be a topic of discussion in 2030, and even less will be considered influential. For every Rolling Stones or Go-Go’s that come along, hundreds of musicians come and go without leaving a mark on pop culture. That’s a hard pill to swallow, but it’s the truth.
The Go-Go’s influence on music and pop culture is hard to overstate. After rising through the wild California punk scene in the early 1980s, the band became on the biggest names in entertainment, inspiring a generation of young people to pick up instruments. Their success remains proof that anyone can write songs that speak to their experiences and find an audience that will hang on every note.
Next month, The Go-Go’s will finally tell their story in a feature-length documentary that is set to premiere on Showtime. The Go-Go’s was directed by Alison Ellwood, who recently helmed the docuseries Laurel Canyon: A Place in Time, and whose other credits include American Jihad and History of the Eagles. Ahead of the film’s release, the Go-Go’s will drop their first new recording in nearly 20 years, “Club Zero,” out July 31st via UMe.
You can watch the first trailer for The Go-Go’s below.
The last several years have seen a surge in the amount of music documentaries being produced like no other point in cinematic history. The vast majority of these stories have covered artists and groups that are now dead or otherwise inactive, but there is no rule that says those histories are the only ones that should be told. There are amazing tales of creativity, community, and innovation happening right now in music that have gone largely untold, but a new short film from pop-punk heroes Modern Baseball has given us hope for the future. Check it out:
Pretty great, right? Whether you knew of Modern Baseball before watching the clip or not doesn’t matter because, by the end, we’re all feeling the same rush of emotions. Tripping In The Dark perfectly summarizes a still young band’s journey to this point, as well as their aspirations for the future, without once getting lost in any form of predictable storytelling. From the animated introduction, to the heartbreaking reveals of personal turmoil that ultimately inspired the group’s upcoming album, every moment gives you something special to remember moving forward. Like the best sermons do for your relationship with the unknown, Tripping In The Dark leaves you feeling closer to the band than ever before, and you’ll be a better fan moving forward because of it.
While watching Tripping In The Dark it’s hard to fathom why more bands do not attempt similar short films. Even as a longtime supporter of Modern Baseball who has covered the band and their history at length I walked away from Tripping In The Dark believing myself to now know the group and their work in a whole new way. Considering the fact the band’s music reads like journal entries, this is quite an accomplishment, and that it leaves you aching to learn what will happen next speaks to the power of the visual medium more than the power of the group’s music. In fact, Tripping In The Dark rarely uses the group’s music at all, and I would wager that is because director Kyle Thrash understands that he doesn’t need it. Fans know that part of Modern Baseball’s story, and they’re already sold on listening to more, so why not use this piece of promotional fodder to show them something else?
You may not have the video skills of Kyle Thrash or know someone who does, but you do have access to cameras and a story that is unique to you, which honestly is all you need to make a compelling documentary. Your fans want to know more, and this method of storytelling allows you to please that desire while also creating a new way for people to discover your talent. I can guarantee there will be people who see Tripping In The Dark that have never heard a single Modern Baseball song before, and with the right marketing efforts the same could be said for the documentary you are (hopefully) now wanting to create. In a time where there is more competition for the attention of music fans than ever before, short documentaries provide a platform for self-expression and engagement that did not exist for most artists even a decade ago. Take advantage of that fact and capture your journey as it occurs. Dig deep, be honest, and when the time is right share your truth with the world.
Modern Baseball will release their new album, Holy Ghost, on May 13. Pre-order are available now and moving fast.
On this very special bonus episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell shares raw audio from a conversation he had with legendary producer and musician Butch Vig during SXSW 2016. Butch was in Austin to promote the new film ‘The Smart Studios Story,’ which tells of his famous recording facility in Madison, Wisconsin, and all the amazing albums that came out of it. Butch and James discuss the film, as well as Butch’s history in music, his love of The Replacements, and what fans can expect from the new Garbage album that is coming out in July. Unlike most episodes, this conversations was not originally planned as a podcast, but the results were show good we wanted to share them with everyone. Enjoy!
The music you hear in the beginning of this episode is “I Think I’m Paranoid” from Garbage. Look for the band’s new album to hit stores sometime this summer.
You may already know this, but Inside Music is now available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.
Hey there! Welcome to our blog. We thank you for finding time in you busy schedule to spend a few minutes on our site. The post you’re about to enjoy is the latest installment in our popular podcast series, Inside Music. If you like what you hear, the entire catalog of episodes can be found and enjoyed through iTunes. Subscriptions and reviews are always appreciated.
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On this special mini episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell speaks with music critic Jesse Richman about the new Kurt Cobain documentary, ‘Montage Of Heck.’ James and Jesse both saw the film together during its SXSW premiere, and now that the movie is becoming available for everyone to enjoy they decided to hop on a call to discuss what many are calling the greatest rock documentary of all time. Whether you consider yourself a Nirvana fan or not, this is one conversation you don’t want to miss. Here is the film’s latest trailer:
The music you hear in the intro to ‘Inside Music’ this week is “Come As You Are” from Nirvana. You can learn more about that song, as well as the album it hails from, on the band’s official website.
You may already know this, but ‘Inside Music’ is now available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.
