ALMOST
FAMOUS
This month:
The 25th
Annual (and my 2nd) Mill Valley Film Festival!
An interview
with Leigh Nash of Sixpence None The Richer!
This
‘n That Around Town!
Greetings, media junkies!
Well, they say “quality, not quantity”, but I’ve got an overflow of both this
month. Perhaps some of the fine local talent will get more comprehensive coverage
in the near future. Remember, I love you all!
On September 22, I checked
out those local Irish lads again, the brothers Shaw and their rockin’ band
Petrol (petrol@petrolsf.com), at the Parkside Bar in San Francisco. Great
set, and I still got home in time to watch the Sopranos…On September 28, producer
and professor extraordinaire, Dr. John Barsotti accompanied me to the Down
Low Lounge in Berkeley to see an amazing local band he produced called The
People (www.nickmanagement.com). Kind of Sly and the Family Stone meets Jah
Rule meets Bob Marley for starters, with enough energy to tear the roof of
1000 mothersuckahs. This ain’t the last you’ll hear about them, I promise.
And even more amazing, they opened for…Coolio! Although the attendance was
sparse, the crowd of multi-ethnic 20/30-somethings seemed to be having a blast
gettin’ their groove on to one of the true masters of rap. Nary a single bad
vibe was felt or expressed and crazy-haired Coolio and his crew rocked da
houuuse. Props to open minded Coolio for having a multi-ethnic, funky band
with the whitest looking bass player I’ve ever seen. More props for posing
for a picture with yours truly, and taking a copy of my “music-industry slam”
song called “What’s In a Name” which contains the lyric: Here’s another Julio/Where’s
my man, Coolio?
On October 19, I dragged
myself down to the Exotic Erotic Ball to see our friend and previous SF Herald
cover girl, Mary Cary (formerly of Electric Peach) play guitar with the
flamboyantly fabulous band Simon Stinger (www.simonstinger.com). Fronted by the
alluring Alicia, aided with dancers in outlandish costumes and a tight-ass
band, Mary never rocked harder. Okay, all these innuendos are coming out of me
because I have never seen so many scary body parts on display in one place. Nor
do I ever wish to again. Call me a prude, but after their set and some
backstage antics, it was time for this fully clothed chick to get the hell
outta there…
Attention: take a nap during
the day and get all your SF Herald (and all sister publications) reader butts
up and out on Friday, November 15, 11pm to the Brava Theater @ 2781 24th
Street, SF, for the SF premier of the film Love Will Travel, directed by Teddi
Dean Bennett (www.lovewilltravel.com). Why? Because it’s part of the 18th
annual Film Arts Festival, November 13-17? Well, that and because our own Lee
Vilensky plays a cab driver (what a stretch!) in this film and he is hilarious!
And because my own burnin’ baby brother, Kirk Goldberg, was the film editor!
Check out www.filmarts.org for more
info.
Last, but not least: for the
BEST color and cut that mess laying on your head could ever hope for, go see
Elle and Akemi at diPietro Todd Salon, at three Bay Area locations: 177 Post
Street, SF, 415-397-0177, 250 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, 414-388-0250, and 2307
Birch Street, Palo Alto, 650-328-4545. They are the dynamic duo of beauty!
Now on with the stars of
this show…
Highlights
of The 25th Annual Mill Valley Film Festival, October 3-13
This year marked the 25th
anniversary of The Mill Valley Film Festival, one of the oldest and largest in
the country. It also marked the 2nd year Kimberlye “Almost Famous”
Gold was on hand to wreak havoc with the rich and actually famous. Held in the
storybook town of Mill Valley in prestigious Marin County, CA, it offered films
and events that proved to be both innovative and traditional in theme and tone.
Included in the anniversary celebration were re-visitations of several classic
films, such as Strictly Ballroom, which had its US premier ten years before at
the MVFF. Director Baz Luhrman made a guest appearance and was greeted with a
standing ovation, as was actor Edward James Olimos, for his appearance at the
screening of Stand And Deliver, originally shown in 1987.
Opening Night Films and Gala
The four films premiering
this year on opening and closing nights ranged from the “hyped” to the “hip”,
with “historical” and “whimsical” falling somewhere in between (okay, so I
cheated on that last one). Opening night, White Oleander, based on the
Oprah-approved novel by Janet Fitch and starring the blonde quartet of Michelle
Pfieffer, Renee Zellwegger, Robin Wright Penn and newcomer Allison Lohman, fell
into the former category. Frida, starring Selma Hayek as legendary painter
Frida Kahlo, was the alternate choice – but unfortunately, I was not granted a
ticket to either film.
I did attend the opening
night gala in Mill Valley, not quite the star-studded affair it was last year
(where was Huey Lewis?). It still provided the illustrious publisher of this
little newsrag, Gene Mahoney and yours truly with Pasta Pomodoro cuisine,
award-winning margaritas made by the entertaining Giovanni, The Margarita King,
and some interesting party-goers and sponsors. Dave Tureaud, of Tureaud Events
and Promotions, (415-235-1545 www.tureaudbiz.com) and his staff, I especially
the beautiful Juliet, made sure each reception was a successful one. The
charming Richard Habib, owner and founder of Alexander’s Decorative Rugs in
Mill Valley (415-383-3908) and SF (415-626-8430) (www.alexandersrugs.com), who
I became acquainted with last year, and his lovely wife, Shelia, were on hand
to meet and greet throughout the festival. Mr. Habib, “The Rug Guy”, king of
all networkers, provided the beautiful rugs under the feet of the stars being interviewed.
The vibe had somewhat of a “
face-lift/singles mixer” air about it – “Don’t any of these people have dates?”
Gene queried. Best name: Mikayla Mickleberg, an attractive, young woman who was
pitching her documentary, Living in Conflict – Voices from Israel and
Palestine. Most important press person we’ve met since Mick LaSalle: Carla
Meyer from the SF Chronicle. High point: chatting with the legendary
singer/songwriter/ film music composer Robbie Robertson, formerly of The Band.
Handsome and laid back, Robertson revealed that out of all the film festivals
he’s attended, the MVFF is one of his favorites. “So many others feel so spread
out. This one really feels like we’re lovers of something (film) coming
together to share it.”
Short
Films and Documentaries
I was sent three tapes of the Five@five
short series to view, plus Rob Nillson’s new film, Noise. This quirky film was
a dark and convoluted affair, which I must admit I had a difficult time getting
through. Some of the short films
were stellar works of art, some felt like high school projects. Ernst Gossner’s
Bar Time, a somber study in choices and consequences, was this genre’s finest,
everything a short film should be. Honorable mentions to Gay Block’s ode to her
weird mother/daughter relationship, Bertha Alice and Rachel Libert’s poetic
description of escape from domestic abuse, Kool Breeze. Ryan Kennedy’s Control
displayed a flair for the futuristic, or at least a future in commercials and
music videos.
I attended the screening of
Sally Clark’s Cowgirls, and Beth Harrington’s Welcome To the Club – The Women
of Rockabilly - a bill that truly celebrated the struggle of women to excel in
male-dominated arenas, with spirit and humor. You go, girls! Adding to the fun
after this screening was a special musical evening hosted by my pal Ben
Fong-Torres (who I met at the Mill Valley Film Festival last year). “Rockabilly
Filly” Rosie Flores kicked off the cowgirl jam, an artist I personally tracked
down for this event in Nashville, where I used to see her perform. I had no
idea Rosebud was instrumental in resurrecting the careers of these forgotten
pioneers of music history, like Wanda Jackson and Janis Martin, “the female
Elvis”, who were featured in the film! Rosie included them on her “Rockabilly
Fillies” CD and single-handedly put them back on the comeback trail. “I
cancelled a European vacation right after my tour, just to be a part of this
festival,” Rosie shared. “It means so much to me!” Also on the bill was local
rockabilly band, Cari Lee and the Saddle-Lites, a fun bunch who share a
charismatic drummer, Ricky Quisol, with our own Lee Vilensky and his trio.
Spotted in the audience with Ben: actor Terry Chen, who portrayed BFT in the
film, Almost Famous!
Tributes
There were many fine
tributes, including ones for director Milos Forman and actress Robin Wright
Penn, who reportedly did not attend, due to a stomach ailment. Phil Bronstein,
Executive Editor of the San Francisco Chronicle (and “Mr. Sharon Stone”) conducted
an on-stage interview with outspoken anti-war activist and actor Ed Asner. Phil
was more charming and Ed much funnier than one might expect from the usually
gruff gentlemen. Commenting on his film clips, Asner revealed his most
embarrassing moment in Oliver Stone’s JFK: “I beat the hell out of Jack
Lemmon’s face - with a rubber gun!”
He bemoaned “ageism” in Hollywood and claims it affects everyone, even
directors and writers. On his politics: “Most people in show biz don’t speak
out,” Asner claimed. “When you reveal yourself, people may boycott your films.”
During the Q&A, I was
just about to exhibit my brilliance about Asner’s guest appearance on Curb Your
Enthusiasm, given my newfound knowledge about the improvisational nature of the
show since my interview last month with cast member Richard Lewis. Before I
could open my mouth, a woman behind me yelled out, “Tell them about Curb Your
Enthusiasm and how there are no scripts and it’s all improv!” Who stole my question?? Ed’s wife. I
told her I forgave her and gave her a copy of the last issue with Richard Lewis
on the cover.
At the reception at Piatti
in Mill Valley, Asner graciously held court, chatting with everyone, posing for
photos, and even teaching this bleached blonde Jewess a Yiddish word or two. I
gave him a copy of the Herald and he said, “Oh, my wife told me about you. She
thought you were funny.” Thank God. Hanging out with Ed and his posse was Don
Novello, who many may remember as “Father Guido Sarducci” on Saturday Night
Live. Dapper Don and I smiled for the camera while we chatted about his next
gig: a comedy show in Palm Desert on November 22 with…Richard Lewis! Six
degrees of separation from everyone I meet, apparently…
The high point of the festival was the tribute to Academy Award
winning actress, Dianne Wiest, hosted by the ubiquitous Ben Fong-Torres. BFT
instructed the audience to turn off their cell phones, warning, “Don’t speak!”
- Wiest’s famous line from Bullets Over Broadway. After viewing the first
series of clips, Ms. Wiest got an uncontrollable case of the giggles, claiming
she never watches her own films and couldn’t remember doing parts of them now.
BFT told the story of his interview with Willie Nelson, who couldn’t remember
entire films he’d done. This cracked up Ms. Wiest further. The more BFT attempted to rein her in, the wilder
it got, and the audience was in stitches right along with her. A TV film called
‘Big Foot”, which she couldn’t remember doing at all, became a running joke,
and several audience members joined in. “Oh my God, I’m Willie Nelson!” Ms.
Wiest cried out. Festival co-chairperson Zoe Elton had a cast list faxed to her
and read it aloud to the audience. Ms.Wiest, practically rolling on the floor
at this point, still insisted it was a complete blank! Was it an Internet hoax?
A case for Law & Order? Turned out it was an animated film she had provided
a voice over for. Mystery solved.
Whether it be hanging out
with real Avon ladies for her role in Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands or
learning how agoraphobics “create their own world from the inside” in last
year’s I Am Sam, Wiest seriously researches every role. She attributes her film
career to Woody Allen, who “cast me in roles no other director would have ever
considered me for. He has millions of films running in his head and is an
abundance of creativity. He never let me hit a false note.” On the differences
between working with Woody Allen and Tim Burton: “Woody is intellectual, Tim is
emotional. They’re different as apples and oranges, but they’re both fine
fruit!” On working with director Mike Nichols in The Birdcage: “He ruined three
takes because he could not stop laughing!”
Turning the tables on our
man Ben, Ms. Wiest demanded BFT confirm the rumors that he is, indeed, an Elvis
impersonator. BFT was happy to oblige, indulging her (and us) a few lines of
his best “Are You Lonesome Tonight”.
Wiest revealed that her
moving monologue in Drunks, a film about recovering alcoholics at an AA meeting
starring Richard Lewis (again!), was completely improvised. Curb Your
Enthusiasm, hello?
On her stint on TV’s Law
& Order as the D.A last season, Ms. Wiest expressed regret. “I failed to
fulfill an interesting role. It’s not an actor-dependent show. The formula is
the star. I wasn’t allowed to bring in my own humor and sensibilities, and I
couldn’t take their formula and make it my own.”
During the Q&A, Wiest
told an interesting story about a film from her early career called
Independence Day, where she played a battered wife who kills her abusive husband
and herself by blowing up the house. “ It was my first major film. The critics
buried and it wasn’t until years later that Pauline Kael from The New Yorker
rediscovered it and helped it find a whole new audience as a TV movie,” Wiest
explained. “I am very proud of that film. It was the first of it’s kind to
address domestic violence, before The Burning Bed. It’s probably the most
meaningful work I’ve ever done.”
Surprise guest: an audience
member who identified herself as the woman who played “Adeline” in Ms. Wiest’s
high school production of “Guys
& Dolls”!
Ms. Wiest wasn’t feeling
well at the reception at Da Silva Island in Mill Valley (too much fun at the
tribute?) but stayed long enough to pose for a few pictures and chat amiably
with her admirers. The show must go on!
Closing
Night Films and Gala
The closing night film we
saw, Personal Velocity, a trio of dark short stories about crisis-bound young
women, written and directed by Rebecca Miller (Arthur’s daughter),
“personified” the indie-film genre. Anything with Parker Posey in the cast is
bound to be edgy, and this proved no exception. Kind of made you appreciate
your own, hopefully less %&*$ed up life. Merci Docteur Rey, a quirky French
comedy starring the versatile Dianne Weist, was the alternate choice.
The gala reception, held at
the Osher/Marin Jewish Community Center in San Rafael was a pleasant end to an
enjoyable cinematic ride. The food and drink, provided by Grace Street
Catering, Frie Brothers Reserve, VOX Vodka, and Knob Creek Bourbon was
delicious and plentiful. The “sultry Latin sounds” of the Rolando Morales
Quintet, and some of the very expressive dancers on the floor heightened the
festive atmosphere. Ay caramba! Dianne Wiest was on hand, feeling much better
this evening, smiling, toasting, and conversing with everyone. “I love Mill
Valley, it’s so beautiful here!” she exclaimed.
Festival publicist Pam
Hamilton, who tirelessly orchestrated each event with her efficient staff,
always had a smile and friendly greeting for yours truly. California Film
Institute Executive Director and Mill Valley Film Festival founder Mark Fishkin
claimed this 25th anniversary represented a time of introspection. “People look
to film as the art form of the 20th and the 21st century.
The events of 9/11 have demonstrated this more than ever. Our attendance has
jumped from 40,000 to 42,000 since last year. People are seeking much more than
just escapism now.”
“DIVINELY
DISCONTENTED”
An interview with Leigh Nash
of Sixpence None the Richer
Fate. Karma. Destiny. A
master plan or luck of the draw? Most of us subscribe to one belief system or
another to explain the things that happen to us in this world at any given
moment. We try to make some kind of sense amidst the increasing insanity we experience
on a daily basis, and if we’re lucky, find some pleasure in the journey.
Whatever forces have converged to bring Nashville-based pop band Sixpence None
The Richer to its present moment have finally given birth to a brand new album,
Divine Discontent. It has been a road paved with many obstacles and some angels
along the way, for the heart and soul of this band, vocalist Leigh Nash and
co-founder, main songwriter and co-producer Matt Slocum.
Lengthy contractual
disputes, resulting from the sale of their former label Squint’s parent
company, Word Entertainment, from Gaylord Entertainment to Warner Music Group
forced the band to take a three year break from the airwaves while their fate
hung in limbo. After touring heavily behind their self-titled breakthrough
album that delivered the Grammy-nominated number one hit “Kiss Me,” which
seemed to be everywhere in 1999, the band began recording new material
in the Spring of 2000 that wasn’t allowed to see the light of day until now.
They have resurfaced on Reprise Records with a long-delayed labor of love,
co-produced by Paul Fox (XTC, The Sugarcubes) that is both supremely joyful and
utterly haunting. With the fresh-as-a-daisy single “Breathe Your Name” already
in heavy rotation on Top 40 radio, Divine Discontent is a transcendent and
triumphant return. The combination of Matt Slocum’s evocative, ear-catching
melodies and thoughtful lyrics, with Leigh Nash’s uncanny ability to wrap
herself around them like a velvet glove is an even sweeter one this time. They’ve
added a cover of Crowded House’s
“Don’t Dream It’s Over” and four new songs to the mix, two penned by the
singer, who proves herself no slouch in that department as well. And the
beautiful closing song, “A Million Parachutes” is a wistful love song to…San
Francisco!
To hear 26 year-old Leigh
Nash tell it, the way their story began back in New Braunfels, Texas is the
stuff small town dreams are made of. Like Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, or
Dionne Warwicke and Burt Bacharach, this duo seemed destined to bring their
respective gifts to the other’s table. “I was really into old country music,
like Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Charlie Pride, Tanya Tucker. I loved that
stuff! And even ‘80s stuff, like Crystal Gayle and Dolly Parton. But I wasn’t
pursuing fame, I was a just starting high school, ” the soft-spoken singer
reminisces. “Matt was into The Sundays, Juliana Hatfield, XTC, bands I had
never even listened to. He had just written his first song and he heard me sing
in this high school talent show. He wanted to hear how it would sound with a
female vocal and that’s how we started. It just worked right away. He brings
songs to me that are almost always fully fleshed out and there has never been
one that I felt I couldn’t sing or do justice to. I owe everything to Matt, he
created our sound. He’s amazing.”
Her tone sounds so adoring
one immediately wonders if there was ever a romantic connection between them.
“No, I don’t think we ever had those kinds of feelings for each other. It’s
always been a brother/sister thing,” the singer explains, who became a married
woman at the ripe old age of 19 to record producer Mark Nash. “I’ve learned so
much from Matt. There’s never been any competition between us. I used to think
all I had to bring to the table were vocals, but I’m getting more confident now
and writing more. I play guitar, enough to be able to show him the chords.
Maybe I’ll play more eventually, but I think what sets us apart is the way I
feel the music in my body. I need to be free to express it, even though I don’t
move that much.”
A move from New Braunfels,
however, was eminent. Things progressed quickly for the dynamic duo and they
soon signed a deal with a small Nashville-based Christian label called REX,
producing two albums, The Fatherless and The Widow, Beautiful Mess, and an EP.
“We were busy!” Leigh exclaims. “Different band members have come and gone, but
the nucleus of the group was always us. We started it together and we’ll quit
it together.” So intense was her loyalty, that when Matt made the decision to
move to Nashville in ’96, Leigh followed suit a month later. Almost
immediately, they had their first set back: their record label folded.
“It was pretty scary at
first,” the singer muses. “But then we met this guy named Steve Taylor who was
just starting a record a label called Squint. We were his only band and he
really worked hard for us. It was such a unique, unusual situation. Even though our album was distributed
through Word, Columbia got behind “Kiss Me” and got it into the movie “She’s
All That “ which gave it a tremendous amount of exposure. Then Elektra got
behind our next single “There She Goes”. So both those songs had a lot of
muscle behind them. Honestly, I don’t understand how it all worked, but it was
such an incredible time. People were probably sick of hearing us; they played
those songs so much! We loved Nashville and felt like it was exactly where we
were supposed to be.”
Unfortunately, label
politics took precedent over the music, an all too familiar tale of woe. Sixpence
None The Richer came home from a worldwide tour in 2000, ready to record a new
CD, but without a label to get it back out to the world. Time passed. And
passed. “It was very frustrating. It felt like forever and we had no idea what
was going to happen,” Leigh explains. Not one to sit and mope, Leigh lent her
vocals to other projects, including Delerium’s Top Five dance hit, “Innocente
(Falling In Love)” and “Need To Be Next To You”, the Top 20 AC song that was
the end title track to the Gwyneth Paltrow/Ben Affleck film, Bounce. But her
heart remained hopelessly devoted to Matt and the band, which now included
long-time members bassist Justin Cary and guitarist Sean Kelly, and new
additions keyboardist Jerry Dale McFadden and drummer Rob Mitchell. With
producer Paul Fox at the helm, they began the original recording sessions that
became Divine Discontent on a wing and a prayer.
“We were up for a change and
we had a lot more time,” Leigh says. “We had more financial resources this time
and we wanted to try different things, strings, horns, stuff like that. And we
were so excited to get to work with Paul Fox, we’re such fans of his. He
produced XTC’s Oranges and Lemons, one of our all-time favorite records! He
came up with such incredible arrangements and ideas for the songs, he really
took us to a whole other level. And he’s such a nice guy!”
Fox brought in legendary
musicians like Van Dyke Parks, who did the string arrangements for the Beach
Boys. On songs like “Dizzy”, the soaring, orchestral result is one that would
make Burt Bacharach proud. “I absolutely loved singing that song!” Leigh raves.
“I hope we can add strings on the road, if the tour budget permits.” But the
single and opening song “Breathe Your Name”, has a completely different feel, a
contemporary blend of Dido-esque drum loops and vocal octaves that gives the
band a Top 40 radio-friendly sound that’s not quite as prevalent anywhere else
on the CD. “That had everything to do with Paul,” Leigh explains. “We knew that
was going to be the first single and we just went for it. It felt great!”
Refusing to be pigeonholed
into any one arena, diverse lyrical and musical colors abound throughout the
CD. One might think “Paralyzed”, the most hard-edged of the 13 tracks, is
another tribute to the events of 9/11. “A lot of people will probably think
that,” Leigh agrees. “But it was about this German journalist who interviewed
us for ‘Kiss Me’. He had just found out his best friend was killed covering a
story in Kosovo. He had to tell the man’s pregnant wife, and he was just
devastated. It was horrible, we didn’t know what to say.” And on the flip side
is “Tension Is A Passing Note”, a poignant acoustic/vocal that uses a musical
term to describe the struggle to balance life on the road with love at home.
The average Joe might not understand the reference, but its’ bittersweet ache
is inescapable. “I don’t know if Matt wrote that for me, or his own love life,
but I can’t sing that song without crying.” Leigh says wistfully. “It’s my
favorite song on the record.”
While waiting for the powers
that be to get their contractual act together, the band went back into the
studio earlier this year to tighten up the existing material and add four new
songs. “So much had changed since we had recorded the CD and we had different
things we needed to say,” Leigh muses. “It had been two years! We had run some
of the songs into the ground and we were so lucky to get another shot.” The new
batch includes two that the singer wrote alone. “Eyes Wide Open”, a dark tale
about a doomed woman surviving on the streets is something Leigh claims she
“just made up in my head. It comes from my love of old country music. I only
write about melancholy stuff, things that are awful!” she says cheerily.
So does anything
really get to this pleasant, happily married singer? Fans of boy bands! “For
some reason, they keep putting us on tours with these boy bands, like 98
Degrees,” Leigh says, the first sign of an edge creeping into her voice. “We
were staying in the same hotel, and I have enough trouble sleeping anyway. Some
girl was in the hallway at three o’clock in the morning screaming ‘Jeremy!’ at
the top of her lungs, and I just jumped out of bed up and ran out into the hall
and screamed at her, ‘What’s wrong with you, are you crazy? People are trying
to sleep! Get out!’ And she actually said to me, ‘I don’t know who you think
you are, but you’re staying in the wrong hotel, little lady!’ I wanted to punch
her!!”
Beware, all who dare to disturb the slumber of the sweet princess with the angelic voice – or you will suffer the wrath of her divine discontent.