Wendy Cahill had seen better days. Lys Guillorn, wielding her banjo like a battle axe, wanted the audience to know the difference between a monster and a fool. Stephany Brown and Kriss Santala ruminated on what exactly Arnold Schwarzenegger had meant in Raw Deal when he cautioned his wife not to drink and bake at the same time. An Historic‘s Adam Matlock wanted a moment to think long and hard about the first film he had seen by himself.
Lucy Gellman Photo
An unlikely pairing of desires? Not for the 12 solo performers and bands, who had gathered for the Late Nite Double Feature Show, a film-themed benefit concert for community radio station WPKN, at Best Video in Hamden last Friday night. Reeling from veteran local musician James Velvet’s death Friday morning, musicians and attendees gathered for a moment of silence before throwing themselves, often instruments first, into a string of 24 animated, humor-filled, and witty songs.
The premise, taken from musician Elisa Flynn’s (pictured above) Brooklyn-based movie nights, is easy enough. You perform a song from a movie or movie soundtrack you like, followed by an original meditation on a movie you like. Which made Best Video — soon to become a nonprofit, and holding its own benefit on Saturday at the Outer Space — the perfect venue.
Guillorn chose “Science Fiction” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show for a first song, bringing the audience back into the wondrous world of Brad, Janet, and Dr. Frank. Then her original composition, “Rocky’s Song,” raised poignant questions about monsterhood for the audience, as Guillorn believes the film shortchanged Rocky horribly.
The Big Lebowski, left an indelible impact on Jesus and The White Russians, featuring No Line North’s Jon Schlesinger. Their choice? A cover of a cover of “Dead Flowers,” followed by a rocky, jammy tribute to The Dude.
As the evening went on, film references flew, from Dune to Dark City, Birdman to Belleville, Garden State to The Graduate. Some performers had composed songs with deep thought and dynamic lyrics. Others had arranged pieces hastily the night before. Each had the audience’s attention and affection, laughs wafting up through the air throughout the evening.
The More Things Change
The show was also deeply meaningful and timely as Best Video transitions to nonprofit status and becomes Best Video Film & Cultural Center — which includes partnering with The Institute Library on Chapel Street — and WPKN looks at how to engage and maintain listeners at a time when FM radio is going through massive changes.
“I’m very fond of WPKN. I found it completely by accident when I moved here, but its helped me stay,” said Matlock before performing. Jennifer Dauphinais of Ponybird agreed, shouting “support free form radio always!” as she left the stage after her set.
“I’ve been looking forward to this evening for a long time. I’ve been coming to this store ever since it opened. I walked here tonight, because this is my community and this is my store,” added Valerie Richardson (pictured below), one of the primary organizers of the event and a 20-year host at WPKN.
The crowd, which had grown steadily throughout the evening and filled the center of the store, clapped deafeningly.
To find out more about Best Video’s transition, visit their website.