Sundance 2008; Celluloid By the Slopes

Sitting in our little Villa at the base of Park City’s Main St. trying to digest an everything bagel with peanut butter and yesterday’s whirlwind of PASTE activity at the 2008 Sundance film festival.

Entering my fourth year of this celluloid by the slopes extravaganza I realize I am in a somewhat unique position this time around.  I am not here to promote a project, meet anyone in particular, attend a special screening, or in fact do much of anything other than be an active participant in the madness wherever I see fit, in other words an ideal situation for my usual manic energy. Now if I could just lose this creeping head cold. 

For those of you who have never been to what the thundering herd of cheeseballs like to call, “The Dance”, imagine a thousand Ryan Seacrest’s elbowing their way through a throng of independent cinemas elite, just to get a 10 second sound byte from Mischa Barton. Now this is obviously an enormous generalization, and Mischa Barton is actually in an interesting film called Assassination of a High School President with Bruce Willis, but most years the real talented and real independent folks who have risked everything to make their film, music, or art are generally swept aside by Main Stream media.  Of course there is always one or two indie darlings, through some miracle marketing ploy or sheer dumb luck latch on to the dragon’s tail and are whipped up into the frenzied buzz building of the glitterati.  Creating the festivals “it” director, “it” actor, and “must have” piece of promotional schwag.  I’ll let you know when the media decides who it is this year.  Stay tuned.

Until then let me tell you what I do like about this place.  Every hour is like its own little vignette.  One minute I am waiting in the House of Hype to interview Justin Timberlake (didn’t go down, but mark my words Timberlake, you will be mine…oh yes you will be mine) and the next I am in a T-Shirt interviewing Eef Barzelay formerly of Clem Snide for the Dell Lounge (when it comes online I’ll post a link) which was very informative.  Outside the ASCAP Music Café I run into an old high school buddy but we both can’t stop due to pressing matters such as me getting a shot of patron through a syringe by a Ski Bunny from Hard Rock Café’s Rehab and him off to “an interview?!” Then I meet a dynamo named Julie who is a higher up for the (RED) Campaign and we discuss our mutual connection to Dell, Joseph Arthur and the Lonely Astronauts, and good chocolate covered raisins; it is a small world after all.

Perhaps the highlight of the first afternoon was watching Jesca Hoop (one of PASTE’s recent Four to Watch For artists) play a spell binding set with a young guitarist and two
captivating back-up singers. I did an interview with her as well, and suffice it to say that while not the most linear conversation it did involve a fur hat, Mormonism, FRIGID temperatures, sharing a fake “air joint” and me finally blowing cold air smoke into her ear to the delight of everyone involved.

More later…