Echotone

At first I didn’t think that this documentary would be appealing to me at first but it quickly picked up. I loved a variety of aspects of the film that made it come to life for me. They were able to effectively contrast the everyday work life of musicians with their exciting “night life” of performances and musical successes. The documentary opens with this guy who is transporting and carrying fish around during the day yet quickly shifts to an exciting scene of him playing the guitar and singing. I like this contrast because it illustrates the perseverance of artists and how people have to work to achieve success. I think this can go beyond simply musical trends because these people are doing everything they can to do what they love. It is very admirable to see people who are living for what they love and achieving pure happiness as a result.

It is also astounding for me to see my local world just a few years ago. The infrastructure and city life looked very different than how it looks today while much of it was very similar. This documentary also addresses issues of the economics behind the musical world and live performances. I thought it was very interesting to hear how Austin (just in 2008, 5 years ago!) was growing at such a rapid pace that they were worried they wouldn’t be able to maintain the infrastructure to support the widespread and notable live music business. The live music venues are a major social attraction for our city and it ultimately brings in a lot of money and revenue for the city and local economy. Seeing the inner workings of the music business resonated with me because I love understanding how things work and how society works on an economic level.

Additionally, I liked that this documentary exposed the personalities of the artists that they were following throughout the film. I feel that this quality provides the audience and viewers of the documentary with a satisfying feeling that we understand that these musicians were everyday people. I was also able to see the cynicism yet continual optimism about life that these musicians illustrated as they constantly went through their everyday routine to simply perform their cherished music. By showing the artist’s personalities, I also can relate to them on a character level. This one woman said that she was doing a gig and not even getting paid for it. This shows they are truly in it for their own benefit, enjoyment and thrill.

While there were many parts of this documentary that I really enjoyed, I felt that it could have focused more on the actual performances and the music venues that dominate the musical market of Austin. I would’ve like to see more insight on the types of music that were quintessential of this time. Don’t get me wrong, they show a lot of clips revolving around the actual music, but I feel that they could’ve incorporated even more! I liked that they backed these clips of music with accounts and opinions of the consumers along with the artists because this exposed both sides of this business and social factor. Additionally, I felt somewhat confused at what was happening at times because they transitioned so often and rapidly throughout the documentary as an entirety. However, this also adds dynamics to the piece by showing not just the music or the experiences of artists, but also things ranging from album cover art to consumer opinions.

The common saying that Austin is a weird place is very much embodied by this piece of work because it exposes the vast variety of musicians, people, and types of music that adds to the overall scene of Austin’s live music. I felt especially connected with this film because it focused on a place that I was very much familiar with and thus comfortable with. Additionally, it showed the other side of Austin that I never truly knew existed behind the scenes.