What Did You Expect? The Archers of Loaf Live at Cat's Cradle

Concert films can be very hit or miss...sometimes it's the band (and the director) going through the motions to capture an experience, other times it can transport you to the show.

I first saw this movie at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge and after the first song (Audiowhore) I had to stop myself from clapping as I forgot I wasn't actually at the rock show.

The shots of the band and the shots of the crowd really give you the sense of what it's like to see this band and to see them in the Cat's Cradle (one of the greatest rock clubs in America). The sound (courtesy of Brian Paulson) is out of this world and Merge Records should seriously consider releasing this as a live album.

The interviews in between songs are a great insight into the band and each member's personality. The story of the name is great.

I've been a fan of Archers of Loaf since their first album. I've seen them live a number of times over the years. This film by Gorman Bechard is something I'll treasure. Not only did it capture the essence of what makes up an Archers of Loaf live show, but the interviews with the band members between songs give you an idea of their personalities and also some cool stories of their time together as a band. I'm glad their live performance and a snapshot of who they are has been captured for others to appreciate in the future.

The audio sounds great and the video is professional but still had that close feeling of an Archers' show.

Greetings,

To me, the Archers of Loaf were the single greatest band of the 90s. They saved my love of music after The Replacement broke up, and I truly felt no band would ever fill those dirty Converse All Stars.

I will always remember the first time I saw the Archers live at a CMJ showcase at Tramps in NYC. Within 30 seconds I knew I had discovered my new favorite band. And that's never changed. I do honestly believe WEB IN FRONT is the greatest song ever written. Ever. It makes me happy. The band makes me happy.

But of course all good things must come to an end as they did in 1998. A true story: I knew the band, and knew WHITE TRASH HEROES would be their last album. The day it was released I drove some 45 minutes to pick it up, and listened to it blissfully for the first time on the ride home, having to pull over as the last song came on, because knowing it was the last new song I'd ever hear from them I began to cry. I sat in a bank parking lot the tears flowing uncontrollably as the final refrains of that amazing title track played on my car's speakers.

Jump forward to 2011. My first rock documentary, COLOR ME OBSESSED, A FILM ABOUT THE REPLACEMENTS, was doing quite well on the festival circuit. I knew I wanted to make a second rock doc. And one afternoon my wife informed me that the Archers were reuniting for a tour, and I knew I had my next subject. I won't go into the details of talking the camera-sky band into the project, but after seeing their two LA performances I knew I had to do everything in my power to forever preserve this energy for future generations. Especially in a time when going to a rock show usually means seeing a wimpy band who looks even more bored than the texting crowd members who are more interested in talking or being seen.

Cat's Cradle was the obvious venue. So I got together some of my favorite crew members I'd worked with in recent years. Jan Radder and Sarah Hajtol, who were my right and left hands in making COLOR ME. Adrian Correia who did such an amazing job shooting my FRIENDS (WITH BENEFITS) -- the original FWB movie. As well as Cory Maffucci and Andrew Ross. We had seven cameras in all, with me on Eric Johnson's side of the stage, Sarah on Matt Gentling's, Jan with two cameras behind drummer Mark Price, Adrian roaming the audience, Cory watching over the REd One capturing our wide shot, and Andrew on the catwalk covering the crowd.

I shot the interviews myself a few months later in their hometown of Asheville, then I went home and cut together the truly mind-blowing footage to Brian Paulson's astounding mix.

I've made a number of films, written a bunch of books, but never in 30 years did I have more fun doing anything. This is my proudest moment as a filmmaker, because not only do I feel I have made a great film, I know I have helped preserve an important part of rock history, proof that rock once had balls, and at times, still can.

I love this band, and have never found a replacement for them. I doubt I ever will.

Thank you for reading. Enjoy the movie!

Gorman Bechard

P.S. The DVD which is being released on 11/20/12 contains 6 additional songs from the two Cradle shows, and 4 extra interviews with the band members.

Filmmaker Gorman Bechard and his production team have artfully captured the Archers' energy and skill on stage, the bouncing, lyrics-shouting revelry the band inspires among their audience, and the enveloping joy of just being in the room amidst it all.

The reunited foursome is tight and well rehearsed, with spot-on timing and solid accuracy in their playing. Best of all, they seem to be having a great time once again cranking out these tunes after a decade-plus hiatus, and they seem to get real satisfaction from the fans' enthusiastic reactions (Bachmann confirms that notion in the film).

The band's great performance also comes wrapped in some lovely packaging. Simply stated, this is a really well-done concert documentary. Courtesy of Brian Paulson (audio), Gorman Bechard (video), and their team, the film looks and sounds fantastic. The cuts between the six camera angles are skillful and unobtrusive, and the camera placements and movements are nicely used to convey intimacy and intensity. The interviews with the band, interspersed throughout the film, are funny, engaging, and even revealing.

Pro: it's a movie about the most underrated band of all time.

Con: it's a movie about the most underrated band of all times…. In 2011…. no footage from the 90's.

Pro: the movie has some really great and funny stories, from the guys, about traveling around the country in the 90's v/s traveling around the country "part time" in 2011.

Con: Matt's crooked feet.

Pro: Matt's crooked feet.

Pro: the feeling you get from watching this movie, seeing the band, hearing the band, seeing the crowd, hearing the crowd, it will take you back to the 90's. (God the 90's were good!)

Con: the feeling you get from watching this movie, seeing the band, hearing the band, seeing the crowd, hearing the crowd, it will take you back to the 90's. (God the 90's were good…. right?)

Pro: Gorman made a movie about Archers of Loaf! I am not sure many people would have thought to do this, or would have had the talent to pull it off. I keep thinking that *if* someone would have had this idea, and set out to make a movie about Archers of Loaf, in the end it would have turned into a movie about the Chapel Hill bands/scene. This is not the case with "What did you Expect? The Archers of Loaf live at Cat's Cradle". Pretty incredible guy, definitely creative!

Thanks Gorman, it really was fantastic!