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Released By: MVD Visual
Released On: 11/20/2012
Director: Gorman Bechard
Cast: The Archers of Loaf
Year: 2012
Purchase From Amazon
The Film:
If you weren't of music-listening age at the dawn of the nineties, it's hard to imagine what a cesspool corporate rock had become. LA's cock-rock monsters dominated the airwaves with their teased hair and lipstick, and just like the seventies, the focus was again on tight pants and guitar solos. Metallica, noted previously for their precise thrash licks, had slowed down and become more refined, and the most “alternative†band the major labels had to offer was Guns 'N' Roses. No matter what your opinion is of Nirvana, every music fan in the world owes a whole lot to their album Nevermind, which seemed to flatten the excessive cosmetics-driven industry overnight, and pave the way for underground bands who had struggled silently through the eighties with nothing to show for it except for a loyal fanbase.
It's safe to say that the success of the Seattle bands made it possible for good music to thrive again, and inspired a multitude of kids who couldn't play a 20-minute guitar solo to form some great bands; but it also paved the way for some absolute garbage. Depending on your tastes in music, the Archers of Loaf will probably fall into one of those categories.
Formed in 1991 (The Year Punk Broke, according to Dave Markey), Archers of Loaf started making a name for themselves in Chapel Hill, attempting to rock out in the style of Television and Sonic Youth with predominantly slow, plodding rhythms and diverse tunings. With a mishmash of musical influences and a HORRID name, they managed to build quite a following in their hometown and then across the continent when they toured with the immensely popular Weezer in 1995. Turning down major label interest from Maverick (so as not to be associated with Candlebox and Alanis Morissette), the band soldiered on until calling it a day in 1998, having released four studio albums and a number of EPs, which was the style at the time.
Which brings us to What Did You Expect?, a live concert film from the 2011 reunion show(s) at Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill. With Kickstarter funding in place, Director Gorman Bechard set out to present The Archers in all of their reunited glory. No matter what you expected, you essentially get a straight-ahead concert film, filmed over two nights at the Chapel Hill venue. The band is in fine form, if that's your cup of tea, and Bechard does a pretty swell job of translating the performance to video. There are no real surprises here, no special effects, no sudden change-ups that will shock and awe; it's just a live video, and the simplicity works well.
Spread out between the songs are interviews with the members of The Archers of Loaf, singer/guitarist Eric Bachmann, guitarist Eric Johnson, bassist Matt Gentling, and drummer Mark Price. Though they cover a variety of topics, the major discovery here is how they got their terrible name, quashing a number of urban legends. The various band members also talk about their day jobs and the difference between touring then versus touring now, and tell some pretty amusing road stories. Each of the interviewees come off as articulate and humble, with Gentling taking the lead for most humourous. They also discuss their musical influences, some of them obvious, and some of them perplexing.
The Archers of Loaf are definitely not everyone's favourite band, but they have enough of a following to still generate interest after all of these years, and What Did You Expect? is a fine representation of a band not quite ready to call it quits.
Video/Audio/Extras:
What Did You Expect comes to DVD with a 1.78:1 transfer that looks solid, with no artifacts or compression issues standing out. The concert sequences are well-filmed with a good balance of colour and steady blacks, and the picture stays clear and sharp throughout. The interviews, done in a variety of locations are about the same.
The Dolby Digital stereo track is sufficient as well, with a good mix of audio for the live segments, and the interviews are perfectly audible with no issues. A 5.1 track might've opened the sound up during the concert scenes, but two channels represents the band well enough.
Extras consist of six extra songs from the shows, with quality matching the main feature, along with just over twelve minutes of extra interviews (with some way better road stories than what was included in the film), and a trailer.
The Final Word:
If you like The Archers of Loaf, this is a no-brainer. If you don't….also a no-brainer.
