Coming to a theater near you - Tucson's music scene

The article is from Ryan P. Christie, AZ Night Buzz - June 15, 2004
Tucson will get another chance to be on the big screen, only this time it won’t be a western flick. Who will be the star of this upcoming cinematic event? - the city's music scene.

The film in question is High And Dry, (Main site | Trailer) a forthcoming feature length documentary from director Michael Toubassi, showcasing the last twenty years of the Tucson music scene. The film, which just recently completed shooting, has been in production for nearly four years, and is currently being edited in the Los Angeles offices of Upstairs Film, a non-profit film and theater collective co-founded by Toubassi. High and Dry will follow the progression of the scene from the early punk days in the '80s, through the '90s "desert rock" period up to today.

 “It has a bunch of live footage, interviews, stills, and a full range of really interesting archival material that just hasn't been widely seen,” said Toubassi.

Both Toubassi and High And Dry producer Chris Wagganer were long time Tucson residents who played a part in the city's music scene in the '80s and '90s. Toubassi worked promoting shows and was closely knit to the '90s music scene, working with bands like The Drakes, Star Crunch, and Dennis Mitchell & The Wilsons. He currently manages local musicians Chris Holiman and Love Mound.

When asked why he became involved with the project, Toubassi said it seemed like a natural progression from his experience in the Tucson music scene.

“I was a part of the scene in the 90’s and doing a lot with music and working shows and working with the studios,” explained Toubassi. “I did that for about ten years, and moved to LA. When I would visit Tucson, or talk about the bands that are around, I realized that the music scene in Tucson was really special. Chris and I got to thinking that maybe someone should make a documentary about it and maybe we should be the one's to do it.”

“One of the main things about making a documentary is that you want to make it about what you know," continued Toubassi. "Plus I hope it can do something for the Tucson music scene by exposing it to more people."

Among the nearly 90 people interviewed for the film include Bob Log III, Howe Gelb, Al Perry, and members of Machines of Loving Grace, Pork Torta, The Sidewinders, The River Roses, Super Suckers, and Calexico.

“We tried to get a bit of the new, the old, and everything in between,” said Toubassi. “We just finished final shooting a few weeks ago with The Hillwilliams in the KXCI studio and interviews with Suzie Dunn and Patty Keating.”

Everyone has heard something about the wavering scene here in Tucson. In the '90s the scene went from one of the highest peaks yet, to one of the lowest valleys. The DPC held shows, The Cellar had shows, and there were a great number of local bands, now famous, that played at college parties.

“Like a lot it of people, I hung out at the Cellar in the early ’90s and local bands used to play there all the time. Eventually, I ended up booking bands there after a while,” said Toubassi.

Then the DPC closed, and The Cellar closed, and there were far fewer bars that held live shows than there are now. In the mid '90s the scene nearly flat-lined from the closings and the local disinterest in downtown Tucson.

“The club scene now with Solar Culture, Che’s, Plush, and Congress and the emergence of Skrappies picked up some of the slack from when the DPC closed,” said Toubassi.

All of a sudden Tucson had a voice again in the music world. The Pennington Jam Spaces opened giving tons of bands a place to practice without getting the cops called on them by their neighbors. All of the clubs, and bars all seemed to want a piece of the action — giving bands places to play again and also more time to play than before.

Speaking with Toubassi opened the floodgates to the ’90s scene that was smaller than now yet fascinating. Thoughts of those big punk shows at the DPC, or house parties where Star Crunch would play for oodles of keg slurping friends came to mind.

Out of the smoldering ashes of the music crash of the mid '90s, bands crawled back out — survivors. Bands like The Sand Rubies, Al Perry, Greyhound Soul, Al Foul and the Shakes, and Calexico. With any luck, High and Dry will give viewers an interesting look into our unique musical history.

 “The whole goal of a demo or record is to get it out there to the people, and I look at High and Dry the same way," explained Toubassi. “Tucson is on par with Athens or Seattle or any of the other big scenes. Hopefully, getting this film out there will allow other people a glimpse of what people in Tucson already know – that the music scene here is creative, unique and thriving."

Although there is no official release date thus far, Toubassi anticipates High and Dry will be traveling the film festival circuit soon.

Hopefully, filmgoers will be just as enthralled with Tucson music as we are. The only concern might be that some of the bands that just came out might not be included. To be fair to the up and comers, there may just have to be a sequel. Shucks.

Posted by rchristie at June 15, 2004 06:20 PM