When music and movies mix, the result can be unpredictable. But one thing’s for sure: the product will at least be interesting. And Chicagoans can soon judge for themselves when local band Califone brings this type of performance to the windy city. Beginning Nov. 8 Califone will present its distinct sound at the new restaurant Rodan, located at 1530 N. Milwaukee Ave. The band will play along with some of its favorite silent films at 10 p.m. every Monday this month as part of the “Deceleration Series.”
Although some of the music Califone performs with the films is rehearsed, much of it is improvised.
“We just play along with the film over and over and see what fits,” vocalist and guitarist Tim Rutili said. “It’s a matter of learning the film — just like a song.”
Califone specifically chose films they enjoy for the Rodan series. The films cover a broad range of subjects, such as the portrayal of post-revolutionary Russia in “Kino Eye” (1924).
“‘Kino Eye’ was one of the first documentary films, (and) it’s amazing to see the effects of poverty and war,” Rutili said.
The twisted “He Who Gets Slapped” (1924), starring Lon Chaney, also will be shown at one of the performances. The movie tells the story of a scientist who becomes a circus clown who entertains people by being slapped. But Rutili said the farcical film was not his favorite.
“‘A Night Out’ (starring Charlie Chaplin) is my favorite to watch,” Rutili said. “I hope we won’t ruin it.”
According to owner Maripa Abella, Rodan caters to various crowds by featuring DJs and VJs who combine visuals with music, but the Califone show will be different from anything these artists have offered to Rodan patrons before.
“It’s a live set, and except for the jazz set on Thursdays, we just have DJs,” Abella said. “(But) because we have a projector, this is perfect.”
Although it may seem unusual, the concept of playing music along with film is not unique to Califone. Perhaps a precursor of sorts for the Rodan shows, during their heyday, silent films often had musical accompaniment by a pianist when shown to an audience. Once sound recording was perfected, the art of the live soundtrack died out. But even in the 21st century, Califone has had a forerunner.
The erstwhile NU band, No Doctors, have performed along with several films at Block Cinema during and after their time at NU, including director Ernie Gehr’s “Serene Velocity.” According to No Doctors vocalist and saxophonist Nate Sobaski, most of the music performed at the show was improvised.
“It stretched us musically in a new way and brought out a lot in us musically that we don’t often present in a club setting,” said Sobaski, Communication ’03.
On one occasion, prior to playing, the band had never seen the movie they were accompanying. Instead the only exposure they had was from what they read in a one-paragraph description on the Internet.
“It ended up being bizarrely grotesque and very difficult,” Sobaski said of the mystery film. “We had to work hard as musicians to keep it interesting.”
Even though both groups have worked under similar circumstances, their approach to performing in conjunction with film are different. While Califone sees itself as the center of the show, No Doctors played more of a passive role.
“You are providing a soundtrack,” Sobaski said. “Most of the time people come out to see us play a high energy show. (But with films) you are providing a soundtrack. It’s the same instrumentation, but a different format.”
Whatever the motivation, Rutili plans to play music “as long as it feels vital, (and) as long as we are doing it creatively.”
And with silent films, he seems to have found a fascinating way to do just that.
Weinberg freshman Chris Danzig is a PLAY writer. He can be reached at [email protected].
