Life in a local music scene is fickle. Bands come and go, friends come and go, and even rock clubs come and go. For Brendan Boogie, producer and star in the film The Mayor Of Rock And Roll, the role of portraying what it takes to develop as a musician, try to “make it,” and stay relatively sane during the entire process, is all too real.
And this weekend, his film, directed by Mark Phinney, makes its screening debut at the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival at the Brattle Theatre. The film shows Saturday at 2:10 p.m.
We first caught up with Boogie two years ago, when the film was still shooting live music scenes around town, including takes at the Paradise Rock Club and T.T. The Bear’s Place. Of course, the latter Cambridge club has since closed.
“I see this screening at the Brattle as the culmination of everything the music community did to make this movie happen,” Boogie tells Vanyaland this week. “The movie would not exist without the support of the Boston musicians, clubs, and fans so I’m thrilled — and slightly terrified — to finally show them the story they inspired.”
And because life, as well as any rock scene, is fairly unpredictable, Boogie isn’t looking too far beyond this weekend.
“The past decade-plus of being a musician in this town has taught me to 100% enjoy each show that you have because you never know what’s next,” he says, “whether your favorite club is going to close or your drummer is going to decide he hates looking at the back of your stupid head and quit. I’m going to just appreciate the privelege of having an audience watch our movie and hopefully get a few laughs out of it.
After the screening, Brendan Boogie & the Broken Gates will be playing songs from the movie, as well as “a few fun movie-based covers,” at the MIFF Award Ceremony and after party Saturday night at nearby Tasty Burger in Harvard Square. That event is free and open to the public. Check more details on the screening below, as well as the trailer for The Mayor Of Rock And Roll, which we premiered last October…
