http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=723580726339&ref=mfSo, The Perfect Age of Rock N Roll finally had it's New York City premier the other night (Tuesday, October 20th) on the opening night of the CMJ Festival. After a year and a half of spouting off about it to anyone who would listen, I finally was able to put my damn money where my mouth was and invite my friends to come and see the finished work.
Now I know what you're thinking....you're thinking that Mr. Marty Egomaniac just wants something more to spout off about in the bar....right? Well....that may be true, but there's something much more important than that involved here.
When you've worked with something so intensely and become so close to it and the other people who were involved in creating it....to see it come to some kind of fruition is extremely gratifying and fulfilling....and that's something that you feel smack dab in the deepest pit of your heart. I guess that's what made this experience a lot like unleashing new songs on an adoring audience with your band.
Anyway, back to Tuesday night....I went over to the Trailer Park bar across the street from the Theater about a half an hour before the scheduled show time to have a beer or two. Were those butterflies in my stomach? What...are....these...."nerves"? Yup....guilty as charged. The bartender there was a real prick, but I guess it's his job to check ID's.... more on that later...
I had friends rolling in here and there to pregame with me, which calmed my nerves a little bit....but not much....after I basically slammed a Budweiser, I went across to street and stood outside, waiting for a friend who was to accompany me. Thanks to Mr. Obama's speech at the Hammerstein just 10 blocks North if the Theater, traffic was thick (DAMN it, I should have invited him, ahahahaha....)...so that took awhile. No matter, I had a LOT of friends to say hello to as they showed up (and once again, THANKS everybody!)....
Anyway, we went in right as the movie started rolling....perfect....the place was fucking PACKED....but the first two rows were empty. That's fine with me, I like sitting in the front....I can hear better, you know....plus I like having that huge screen in my face. (I was the type as a kid, way back when, who sat WAY too close to the tv). SHOWTIME!
In one of the first scenes (if not the opening scene), Jason Ritter's character directs a classroom of children through a rousing rendition of "Hot Cross Buns" on these plastic fifes.....it's absolutely hilarious, and one of my favorite parts of the film.
But, at the risk of sounding crass....the first time I appeared in the film, a bunch of my friends cheered....(again, THANK YOU).....I didn't know whether to laugh or cry...but I figured I'd call it even and just grin from ear to ear.....
Really, what makes the film for me is the "live" performance footage....I mean, you really get into the Rock N' Roll spirit (which, really, is what the movie is all about, from what I get out of it)....you can feel this electricity watching it in the theater (and kudos to Tom Richmond, who's one hell of a camera man)....it made me want to jump out of my seat.
During one of these scenes, I heard what sounded like some kind of a scuffle going on near the back if the Theater.....I thought that was funny....and I found out later that it was my compadre' in the Dirty Pearls, Mr. Johnny B, telling some drunken assholes to shut the fuck up and stop kicking his chair....hahahahaha....great stuff!
Other than that, I don't want to give too much away about the movie, because I'm hoping, if you haven't seen it, you will get the chance to sooner than later.....
So afterward, my director/producer Scott was kind enough to wave me up to the front for the Q&A with him, Joe White, Jason Ritter, and Jasin Cadic, which really meant a lot to me. As my friend Gabe told me later, I was grinning like the Kool Aid Man ("OOOHHH YEEEEAH!"). It was strange being on front of that many eyes, but not being behind drums with my Homeboys in the Dirty Pearls....I mean sure, I sing with the Brian in the Lonesome Fools every now and then, but....this was different...I mean it was exhilarating, but I felt like I wasn't wearing pants at first, ahahahaha....but I got accustomed to it.
The dipshit whose ass Johnny B almost kicked in asked a stupid and inappropriate question, but Mr Ritter handled it like the Gentleman that he is. That was cool. At some point, I made some joke about having done character research for the role for, like 20 years, ahahahahaha!!! But the coolest thing, again, about it, was just....being able to experience being a part of the presentation of this THING we all made together....and it's still happening. If you ever get a chance to experience something like this, I highly recommend it. But there's not a day that goes by that I take something like this for granted, and I'm truly humbled, in many ways, that such an opportunity came my way. I'm extremely fortunate.
Afterward, I went back to the Trailer Park bar to have some shots with a few of my friends....and the same bartender was there, and was even more of a prick than he had been earlier...he gave us hell about ID's and credit cards, and whatnot, and generally, ran serious risk of ruining some great vibes if we stuck around there (how this guy makes a living on tips is beyond me, and you can tell him I said that). With that, my friends (and the CAKE that one of them made with the movie's logo on it) (wink wink) and I got the holy hell out of there.....
....and we jumped in a cab and went to the AFTERPARTY at Norwood. I did some press pictures with my aforementioned homeboys from the film (and the aforementioned cake). I love that shit.
Then, I proceeded to get BOMBED out of my BRAIN on Gin (Bulldog, I believe) and Lemonade for the rest of the night.....this is when the details get kind of fuzzy...not that I'd TELL you anyway, hahahahaha....although I heard that I missed meeting Actress/Rock N' Roll UberBabe Gina Gershon somehow....perhaps another time!
Anyway, to sum it up, it was one of the best nights of my whole life....and I have some great fucking nights, to say the least. I can't thank everyone who worked on the film with me enough......or all my friends who came to support and celebrate it's New York City premiere with me....it was indeed a night that I'll never forget.....
....well....most of it, anyway, hahahahaha.....
Marty E.
Marty - you were awesome in the role...a born actor. Like the KISS song - you are "Larger Than Life."
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