Rock That Uke in La-La Land! August 14, 2004
Acclaimed director and Don't Knock the Rock Film & Music Festival (DKTR) organizer Allison Anders wrote us out of the blue in August of 2003, asking us to submit Rock That Uke for consideration to her LA-based film and music festival. Allison didn't realize at the time she wrote us that she'd met producer and co-director William Preston Robertson over drinks several years before in New York through mutual friends. She just figured, after stumbling onto the RTU site during her web wanderings, that a documentary about ukulele groovemeisters sounded like her cup of herbal brew. We sent her a tape, which her VCR promptly ate. So we sent another, and soon received a praise-filled, enthusiastic email from the (now that we think about it) pretty much always enthusiastic (and huggable) Allison. However, she particularly noted co-director Sean Anderson's cinematography, which we thought lent special credibility to her effusion. DKTR's original plan to showcase RTU with a ukulele pool party fell through when they lost their hold on the natatorium (and, frankly, if you've never before lost your hold on a natatorium, you can only imagine the discomfort). As an alternative, we opted for titillating passersby with brief, pre-screening teaser concerts from the amazing Larry D. and the incomparable Denny "King Kukulele" Moynahan outside the theater. However, the amplifier system afforded was really just a glorified, portable speaker podium...with an automatic leveller that would shut off the signal whenever the volume peaked above qualude level. Which can be a problem if you're a performer like Larry D, who is known for reaching soul-stirring, goosebumply heights of emotional expression when his ethereal larynx works its magic. The leveller issue was eventually resolved with the exciting discovery of an "on/off" override switch halfway through King Kukulele's set. Larry D. was more gracious about the whole thing than a human being should have the ability to be--certainly he was as gracious as we was poised while enduring what any artist would deem a performance nightmare. Larry's graciousness is even greater for us when you consider that he isn't even in our documentary! We learned of Larry D. just a few months after we wrapped production and were embroiled in editing RTU. So, you know, he was doing us a favor by performing. But we also should acknowledge the favor made by King Kukulele who delayed a trip to a big Tiki Festival in San Diego so he could perform at DKTR. Hey!--and did we mention that the attendance to our screening was poor because we were scheduled to run at the same time as a Dusty Springfield Look-alike Contest? Heh. In the end, however--it was a great time for co-directors Sean and Bill, because a lot of RTU alum showed up for the event. In addition to Larry D. (whom we consider an honorary RTUer) and King Kukulele, those present and accounted for were: Dave Salardino of Ukefink, John Derevlany and Rob Moritz of Uke Til U Puke, as well as Jim Francis and John Astin Hughes of The Haoles. Some of the gang stayed for drinks and eats afterwards and in the end, a swell time was had by all. By the way, here are links
to Larry D.'s and King Kukulele's latest CDs. If you want
to relive their performances from that day, buy their
CDs, play them--and as you listen, crank your stereo's
volume wildly up and down whenever the music sounds good.
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