Will you remember me?

Last Sunday at the WI Film fest, one week and a lifetime away, or at least a half a lifetime.

We had fried eggs and toast (potato rolls and the last sesame bagel) and bacon for breakfast, then I biked off to do my first partial shift at Sundance. Basically I was there to get one film, Rwanda & Juliet, loaded. The Provost came to intro the film, I think because we’re gearing up at UW-Madison to celebrate Shakespeare’s 400th, and the first folio is coming, and the filmmaker was there too, for a Q&A after. The director of the UW-Arts Institute appeared as well, chiding people to make sure there was always water for any filmmaker who had to talk.

I biked downtown and met Mark at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art for our next movie, Good Ol’ Boy [I think it will be Growing Up Smith in commercial release], which was really one of the best ones of the Fest, IMHO. About an Indian kid growing up in the US and fitting and not fitting in. Jason Lee, who’s in a lot of Kevin Smith movies, was in it. After, Mark went home to get his car and drive to the train for his work week in Chicago  and I went back down State St. to the Chazen, the University Art Museum, where I watched about an hour of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. With David Bowie in all of his slim 1980s beauty, but very violent, and military honor, and lots of people saying ugly things to each other in Japanese.

I biked out to the east side for the Smart Studios Story Madison premiere, and decided that I might as well go and wait in the ice cream line at the little Chocolate Shoppe that’s in where the tattoo parlor used to be, before getting into the movie line – a cone would make the movie line go better. I got something like mocha macchiato in a waffle cone – hunks of chocolate and caramel swirl in coffee ice cream. It was the perfect dinner; it had turned into a hot afternoon. I’d been looking forward to the movie – like I said almost four years ago at a museum exhibition about the Madison music scene in the 1980s & ’90s, I was there. My ex-husband owned a record store on State Street downstairs from Merlyns, a cool club where everyone I wanted to see played, and I did a show on WORT.

I liked the movie. I think my favorite picture in it was one of Steve Marker from when he was the bouncer at Merlyns – he looked kind of like he does in this one with Butch, but even more baby-faced, and with big 1980s glasses.

The Smart Studios Story_TRAILER from wendy schneider on Vimeo.

After the movie, I biked back home and got the car to go to the after party at High Noon Saloon – that was probably a mistake – shoulda stayed on the east side, traveling by bike.

The Weeds Smart Studios Documentary party gig from Beatrice Maps on Vimeo.

The Weeds perform the title track here, a Spooner cover.

The party was really a trip – crazy to have all those people in the same room 30+ years later. There were musicians who had played at Jeff & my wedding, and some who played at my 50th birthday, and at least one, Andy Ewen, who played at both. And Andy’s smiling face was also in the movie. It’s his “now with 50% less crack” drawing of Smart that’s the featured image for this post. I knew Andy first for his visual art rather than music; he was one of my Survival Graphics pals.

I was kind of intimidated by how famous Butch & Doug are now, although it seemed like a good joke to me (but probably only to me) that when we were all walking into the Barrymore for the film, there were these big tan trashcans with signs on them that read “Garbage Only”. I mean when those people that you knew way back when, in their scuffling days, come back to town rich & famous everyone wants a piece of them, right? And I knew those guys, but I’m definitely not in their inner circle. Still, I did talk to Butch a bit at the bar.

I also talked to Tom Hamer, who used to work for Jeff at Slatewood, and now works at the High Noon. I said they should’ve had Jeff Lusis in the movie, because of the Merlyn’s connection – he supported local music, and Tom was like right, all local bands were on consignment, meaning it cynically, but still a little love.  I still have Sometime Y on cassette I think.

Jamie, whose last name I am having trouble remembering now, [Cowles] introduced me to his much younger girlfriend saying that I used to own a record store on State St. I corrected him, said it was really my husband that owned it, but then thought, “Well, Jeff borrowed money from my dad to buy it, so I guess I did own part of the store.”

Saw Rockin’ John, and Harry Rag, and Chris Kammer – who were all on WORT when I was, and John and Harry still are – Harry did an all-Smart playlist on Friday.

It was a highly emotional night. The whiff of mortality was around us – it’s been a tough year for the arts – Bowie and Rickman and a couple of local musicians and sound guys have also passed recently. Some are sick, and everyone’s old except Bucky Pope (although he must be 50, just aging well). Even Marco (this looks like Slatewood … I wonder if it is … Oh no wait mixing up my stores – bet it’s Lake St. Station where Bob Bartel who did the Spooner website the pic is from worked that became Rose where Jeff worked) can’t pogo the whole night anymore – he stops and holds a fist or two in the air and rests for parts of songs now.

And that’s when my troubles began – I suddenly realized that it was a school night and getting late, and bolted. The car was parked in this desolate area – MG&E lets people use their lot as after hours parking, and it’s by the tracks and no one around. Digging in my purse for my keys, I missed the spot where the sidewalk changed to the parking lot, caught my toe, and did a face plant right next to the car. There was a bloody smear on the door handle in the morning, probably from when I got my stash of Starbucks napkins to staunch the flow from my nose.

I’ve been kind of off my game all week – embarrassed, sore. But I’m healing – last Tuesday was the worst day. Today, Sunday a week, I have reached a phase that I’ve been dreading – itchy, and peeling scabs.

And here’s Monday, one week later – almost all healed.

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From Local Sounds Magazine / Rick Tvedt

From facebook: After party for The Smart Studios Story, the documentary about the legendary recording studio that called Madison home for 28 years. Film will have its WISCONSIN PREMIERE at The Barrymore earlier in the evening as part of the Wisconsin Film Festival. Catch the screening and then head to High Noon Saloon for a full night of music by artists who recorded at Smart over the years.

Sometimes Y
The Weeds
Negative Example
The Crosses
O’bros
KIAB
The Singing Irishman
Fun With Atoms
Jagielo/Hobson/Schneider
Honor Among Thieves

Master Of Ceremonies…. the unforgettable, Jay Moran.

More info at:
www.thesmartstudiosstory.com
http://www.wifilmfest.org/

About the film:
The Smart Studios Story tells the story of the pivotal Midwest link to the global rise of Alternative Rock in the 1990’s and the unassuming Madison Wisconsin recording studio at its center. The post-70’s explosion of independent music in America has many traceable roots, each with a compelling story. This is one of the most significant stories has never been told until now. If you’ve ever been touched by the music of Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, L7, Death Cab For Cutie (among many, many others), you’ve been touched by the music created at Smart Studios, the legendary recording facility founded by Butch Vig and Steve Marker.