With upcoming in-depth looks at Oasis, L7, and the Stooges, it’s a good time to be a fan of music documentaries. Now, one centered on Wisconsin’s Smart Studios — the space founded by Butch Vig and Steve Marker and the base where classic albums by Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, Death Cab For Cutie, and others were recorded — is coming to the Boston area.
Titled The Smart Studios Story, the 2016 doc screens at the Regent Theatre in Arlington on November 9. It’s part of a 20-date tour that picks back up Monday in Austin, and the local date features a Q&A with director Wendy Schneider.
The film features contributions from Vig and Marker, obviously, as well as appearances by Dave Grohl, Billy Corgan, Shirley Manson, Donita Sparks, Jimmy Chamberlin, Doug “The Duke” Erikson, Chris Walla, and Tom Hazelmyer. Watch the trailer below, where Corgan offers: “There’s something holy about it when you get it right. When you get the synchronicity between the gear and your inspiration and your intuition, there’s a lot of magic moments to be had.”
The doc is also the “official film” of Record Store Day, November 25, and as a result, will be issued with a vinyl companion LP called American Noise Volume 1. It features bands that recorded at Smart Studios, like Killdozer, Tar Babies, and Die Kreuzen.
Here’s the film’s description: “If you’ve ever been touched by the music of Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, L7, Death Cab For Cutie (among many, many others), you’ve been touched by the music created at Smart Studios. Drawing on in-depth-interviews with musicians and producers, never-before-seen archival footage and a powerful soundtrack, The Smart Studios Story tells the story of the pivotal Midwest link to the global rise of Alternative Rock in the 1990’s and the unassuming Madison, Wisconsin recording studio at its center. The post-70’s explosion of independent music in America has many traceable roots, each with a compelling story. This is one of the most significant stories that has never been told until now.”
The Smart Studios Story Tour Dates
10/17: Austin, TX @ The North Door
10/18: Houston, TX @ The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
10/19: New Orleans, LA @ Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center
10/20: Hot Springs, AR @ Low Key Arts
10/22: Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
10/23: Long Beach, CA @Frida Cinema
10/23: Dallas, TX @ The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
10/24: El Paso, TX @ The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
11/01: Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club
11/04: Mineral Point, WI @ Opera House
11/09: Arlington, MA @ Regent Theater
11/11: East Greenwich, Rhode Island @ The Greenwich Odeum
11/13: Brooklyn, NY @ St Vitus
11/14: Washington, DC @ Black Cat
11/15: Philadelphia, PA @ MOCCA
11/16: Lansdowne, PA @ Vinyl Revival
11/22: Durham, NC @ Motorco
11/27: Madison, WI @ Sundance at Hilldale
12/02: Seattle, WA @ Grand Illusion
12/03: Seattle, WA @ Grand Illusion
The Smart Studios Story – TRAILER from wendy schneider on Vimeo.