Storefront Hitchcock

Jonathan Demme films a pretty small and intimate concert by Robyn Hitchcock in an abandoned storefront in NYC. The concert starts with the window behind Hitchcock and people passing and stopping to look (I'd love to know if they could hear him), but this gimmick kind of fades out as the show goes on. That's kind of welcome since it was not a terribly successful gimmick.

What is successful is capturing Hitchcock at his best in an intimate setting. He's joined occasionally by other musicians, and some props come on and off the stage, but it's really just Hitchcock singing songs and giving absurd between song banter. It's beautifully shot with elegant simplicity and highlights the man and his songs.

"Stop Making Sense" is the Demme concert film everyone knows and with good reason. That's a film that can be easily enjoyed by people who are largely indifferent to Talking Heads. This isn't really like that. Certainly people disposed to like amusing, quirky indie pop would enjoy this, but this film is more for folks who already like Hitchcock. It's an interesting showcase because it's not his Soft Boys/Egyptians Syd Barrett-inspired rock on display, but his 90's softer acoustic material that leans more heavily into a Roy Harper/Incredible String Band vibe.

Robyn Hitchcock is an eccentric, literate, musical survivor. His elliptical lyrics shrink his potential audience, and his success as a musician requires an effective connection between performer and audience. This film steps in to enhance that connection, boosting the effectiveness of Hitchcock's music in exactly the right way.

This is an intimate performance that requires concentrated attention. Where Talking Heads stimulate your brain while activating your dancing shoes, Hitchcock teases, confounds, and animates your brain while stealing your heart. He's also an entertaining acoustic and electric guitarist.

Mr. Demme, may I humbly suggest a Jazz Butcher film next?

I finally saw the movie today. It was on the Sundance Channel.

I love Robyn's music and have had the good fortune to seem him twice in concert. This replicated those experiences.

You can't truly appreciate Robyn by just listening to a CD. He has such a unique outlook on everything and tells the most interesting stories.

That's what makes the movie valuable as a chronicle of Robyn. It captures his music and some of his stories.

Fantastic!

English singer songwriter Robyn Hitchcock (no relation to Sir Alfred) became a cult performer in the 1980s through the American college radio circuit. He made during that time some good, though perhaps overrated, records. Their lyrics were odd and eccentric, the music somewhat reminiscent of the rock of the late 60s (Pink Floyd legendary founder Syd Barrett is a name that came up in many profiles about him). In 1998, he decided to make a concert film, directed by none other than Jonathan Demme, who has directed the Talking Heads' widely acclaimed Stop Making Sense. Unfortunately, this movie is really disappointing, a concert film as dull as it can possibly be. We have a single camera fixing at Robyn blurting out his songs with an acoustic guitar and without much interest in a stage set in a deserted shop (thus the title, I guess). There is no audience inside, but wee see the people on the street outside passing by, occasionally stopping and looking what is going on inside. The songs are punctuated by some unfunny and rambling comments by Robyn. Unless you are a committed Robyn fan, you can safely skip this.

If you've only heard his albums you're missing most of the experience. Here's a chance to get a good idea of the joy that is a Hitchcock show.