The idea: trek America to prove that rock ‘n’ roll is far from dead – that it’s in face alive and thriving in every corner of our country. Producer Steve LaBate (Senior Contributing Writer at Paste Magazine) and director Scott Sloan (1-900-Fantasy, Inside Jones) have put together a completely unique idea completely with an extremely grueling schedule for their first documentary. They recently confirmed Of Montreal, The Whigs, RATT, comedian Eugene Mirman, Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Louvin, and more.
The filmmakers will be traveling 13,000 miles in 40 days – hitting cities from New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between. During that time, they’ll watch and interview 40 different rock bands in 40 different venues in 40 different nights in 40 different cities. It’s an ambitious, aggressive, and potentially (but not intentionally) suicidal idea – all stemming from their deep and unabiding love of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
They’ll watch a different rock show every night (from high-school garage bands and indie upstarts to green-M&M- and large-bread-demanding arena rockers), cranking out a documentary and accompanying book about their adventure to prove just how much relevance and life is left in this 50-plus-year-old genre.
The film is a state of the union on the American Rock n’ Roll scene. And, at its core, 40 Nights of motherfucking Rock & Roll is about piling into a van for days on end, striking out into the heart of this mixed-up country and grabbing hold of your very own piece of the time-honored American tradition of self discovery through wandering; Lewis & Clark on expedition, Huck & Jim atop a river raft, Kerouac sucking down wine spodeeodee in a box car or careening across the twisting miles of asphalt with Neal Cassady at the wheel.
It’s about the road as a vehicle for transcendence, as some spirit-swallowing rain-slick obsidian snake devouring your psyche and spitting it back up renewed, reborn. It’s about chasing a dream and not giving a fuck about the naysayers, cranking it to 11 and letting it ride.
Here are all the dates in case you can show up and be a part of the film being made!
5/1 – Albany, NY
5/2 – Mutemath & comedian Eugene Mirman @Meadowlands Sports Complex/Bamboozle fest – East Rutherford, NJ
5/3 – Shout Out Louds @First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, PA
5/4 – Spree Wilson (location tbd) – New York, NY
5/5 – Boston, MA
5/6 – RATT @Ram’s Head Live – Baltimore, MD
5/7 – Charlotte, NC
5/8 – The Moaners @The Nightlight – Chapel Hill, NC
5/9 – Midnight show w/Future Islands, Reptar, Bubbly Mommy Gun @SS – Athens, GA
5/10 – Tendaberry @Thomas’ house – Atlanta, GA
5/11 – Charlie Louvin (location tbd), Shotgun Lover (location tbd) – Nashville, TN
5/12 – St. Louis, MO
5/13 – Summerfest Battle of the Bands Finals @Club Garibaldi – Milwaukee, WI
5/14 – Torche @Congress Theatre – Chicago, IL
5/15 – Those Darlins @Nelsonville Music Festival – Nelsonville, OH
5/16 – Rev. Horton Heat @Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH
5/17 – Detroit, MI
5/18 – Madison, WI
5/19 – Minneapolis, MN
5/20 – Capgun Coup (location tbd) – Omaha, NE
5/21 – Kansas City, MO
5/22 – Fayetteville, AR
5/23 – Tulsa, OK
5/24 – Of Montreal @Granada Theatre – Dallas, TX
5/25 – Centro-Matic’s Will Johnson (location tbd) – Austin, TX
5/26 – Denton, TX
5/27 – Wichita, KS
5/28 – Ümlaüt @Road 34 Bike Bar – Fort Collins, CO
5/29 – Billings, MT
5/30 – Spokane, WA
5/31 – Drive-By Truckers @Sasquatch! – George, WA
6/1 – Seattle, WA
6/2 – Ketchum, ID
6/3 – Salt Lake City, UT
6/4 – Young Dubliners @The Sands Casino/Eurofest – Reno, NV
6/5 – San Fransisco, CA
6/6 – Subhumans @Echo – Los Angeles, CA
6/7 – Las Vegas, NV
6/8 – Albuquerque, NM
6/9 – Josiah Wolf @Hi-Dive – Denver, CO
Vital Links
Tumblr:
http://40nights.tumblr.com/
Follow the crazy ride as it happens via Twitter:
http://twitter.com/40NightsORock
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