THE BEST SUMMER (Music Documentary)

Having made its world premiere earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, "The Best Summer" has been the only music documentary I watched and truly enjoyed this year. To be precise, I had the pleasure of catching it in Athens as part of the Athens International Film Festival ("Nyxtes Premieras").

The visionary behind the movie's project is Tamra Davis, an acclaimed American director renowned for her iconic music videos with the likes of the Beastie Boys, N.W.A., Sonic Youth, and Hanson, as well as classic films like "Guncrazy" (1992), "CB4" (1993), "Billy Madison" (1995), "Half Baked" (1998), and "Crossroads" (2002).

For this movie, she used an old Hi8/DV camcorder to record candid backstage moments, and live performances while on tour with her then-husband, Mike D of the Beastie Boys. The documentary brilliantly captures a mid-'90s eruption of post-punk and alternative rock musicians. It features the Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters, Bikini Kill, a young Beck, Pavement, Rancid, and The Amps. 

Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill shines in her role as a backstage interviewer, asking everyone the exact same set of questions, such as what they like or not when they step onto the stage. One of the most interesting answers came from Dave Grohl, who admitted that he actually prefers screaming on stage and playing his guitar over singing, though he accepts it as something he just has to do.

The absolute highlight of the film, in my opinion, comes at the very end during a Beastir Boys P.A. in Indonesia (part of the Southeast Asian tour alongside the Philippines and Thailand, right after hitting Australia). As they drive the crowd wild with the banging "Sabotage," David Grohl leaps onto the stage, screaming along to the track and driving the energy in the venue to absolute heights."

Overall, "The Best Summer" is a highly enjoyable film. It unearths an era of pure, authentic concerts, entirely free of smartphones and fueled by nothing but raw passion and fierce energy. It smells MTV days and it represents DIY too. It is an absolute must-watch for any music lover.

TAMRA DAVIS - linktree

THE BEST SUMMER - website