Thinking about going back out again as the city reopens, I’ve been reminiscing about how the last movie I saw in a theater before the pandemic was a screening of “Bandwagon” at the Roxy Cinema in Tribeca. It’s a great screening room. They show 35mm prints and the seating is comfy without being a stadium. It feels human in scale and they don’t show a bunch of commercials before the movie. Their snack bar is excellent too. I wanted to see this movie because during my post-college North Carolina days, I auditioned to play the bass player character. I didn’t get it and didn’t hear about the movie for a long time. (It screened at Sundance but I don’t know what happened after that.)

It was written and directed by John Schultz who was a drummer for the Connells. It was based loosely on his experiences and it starred Kevin Corrigan as the guitar player. He’s one of those “Hey, it’s that guy!” actors that makes anything better. I truly enjoyed the heart and humor of this movie. I loved that it was shot in and around Raleigh. It’s a time capsule of a culture and an era that sticks to my bones.

During the post-screening talk, most of the cast came up to share stories. All of the actors were there, except the actor who played the bass player. He passed away in 2014.

It sounded like it was a good experience for all of them shooting a movie in NC during a mild fall with nice foliage. (I remember that fall. It was pleasant.) I wanted to say I auditioned for it but didn’t want to be that guy. It was a nice night of reminiscences for them.

As we headed to the subway, Aimee said, “I could see you playing any of the parts, except the bass player.”