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| photo by Roy Moore |
"It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n roll." — AC/DC
Four and a half years ago, when I first started improvising
with Karen Jane DeWitt as part of Local Genius Society, one of the first things
we bonded over was music. So often
one of us would mention a band – The Raveonettes, Cults, Best Coast, Father
John Misty, No Doubt – and the other would say, “Hey, I love that band!”
Much of my pre-Austin life was spent immersed in music –
covering shows, reviewing albums, interviewing musicians. I’d experienced the musical world as a
journalist and a fan. But in
Austin more of my time was being spent on stage, improvising stories and
characters.
Looking for a new artistic project, Karen and I thought
about a way to combine our shared passion for music with our love of improvised
stories, and we pitched the Institution Theater on an idea for a narrative show
about the lives of musicians reaching for stardom. We wanted to explore stories about what goes on behind the
scenes, after the concert, on the tour bus, in between albums – we wanted to
create real characters that are living in the moment and laying it all on the
line chasing a big dream.
And we wanted rock and roll.
Looking to Patti Smith’s “Just Kids,” Anthony Kiedis’s “Scar
Tissue,” Chuck Klosterman’s “Fargo Rock City,” Keith Richards’s “Life,” and
other rock texts as guides, we made it our aim to focus on stories with high
personal stakes, moments of tenderness or triumph, and real emotion.
On top of this, we also wanted a specific kind of live
music. We weren’t looking to create
a stage musical, with characters singing their feelings to one another, but
rather a story, with spontaneous, improvised rock and roll. (I love a good musical as much as the
next person, but a rock concert is a different beast.) We wanted to hear the band’s sound and
see them in concert, or in the studio, or working on writing songs. We wanted drums, percussion, electric
guitar!
We were incredibly fortunate that the Institution team saw
promise in our idea and let us run with it. And we were even luckier to be graced with the talents of a
cast who can really do it all. Not
only are they generous and funny improvisers, they’re fearless musicians and
genuinely kind people.
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| Behind-the-scenes: Luis Salinas and Dave Ronn |
Karen and I wanted to allow for a really collaborative rehearsal
process, and the cast has been imaginative, playful, and unafraid. They’ve embodied the open-minded
Yes-And attitude of improv, which, as first-time directors has been a great
gift.
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| Behind-the-scenes: Megan Simon, Dave Ronn, and Jordan T. Maxwell |
Special thanks to everyone who gave us advice, suggestions,
and guidance as we’ve shaped this show – particularly Kareem Badr, Jon Bolden,
John Ratliff, Asaf Ronen, Tom Booker, Sarah Marie Curry, Aden Kirschner, and
our improvised storytelling idols PGraph.
Working on “Buzz Band” has been a great new adventure, and I
couldn’t have asked for a more inspired and giving creative partner than Karen Jane
DeWitt. She’s got killer instincts
and vital exuberance, and she’s deeply caring. The best, man.
We are so excited to debut “Buzz Band” and unveil some
improv rock stars.
It’s all happening.
“Buzz Band” at the Institution Theater
3807 Woodbury
Drive (near S. Congress and Ben White)
Fridays and Saturdays May 8 & 9, 15 & 16, 22 &
23 at 8PM
Tickets ($10): http://www.theinstitutiontheater.com/shows/148/buzz-band
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