Zero Stars: A DVD Tour Diary
Poster Children
Champaign International Pictures, 2002
$15.00
Available via PosterChildren.com
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If you're looking for an example of the convergence of technology and the DIY aesthetic -- and really, who isn't? -- the Poster Children are as good as it gets. Always at the front lines technology-wise, the Poster Children were one of the first, if not the first band to package home-made interactive content with their CDs -- and we're talking clever, quirky, entertaining, often downright brilliant interactive content, as opposed to the lightweight, Flash-driven rubbish people are making these days. They're also one of the few bands ever to come out of a major label relationship ahead of the game, having used their major label money not for big tour buses and costly hotels and expensive meals, but to build their own studio. Therefore, it's not surprising to find the Poster Kids at the forefront of technology once again, as one of the first, if not the first band to release a self-produced, and perhaps most importantly, self-financed DVD.
Poster Children performances are spirited, vigorous affairs, and Zero Stars grew out of the increasing demand for a live album. It's far more than a mere live album, though. Yes, it includes ten live Poster Children songs, shot on digital video in Chicago and Champaign, IL with the assistance of numerous fans, but Zero Stars is billed as a DVD Tour Diary. Between the live segments you'll find recreations of events from bassist Rose Marshack's tour reports. (They're recreated, in case you're wondering, because no cameras were present the first time around. The presence of video cameras, in this media-savvy age, seems the surest way to make certain that absolutely nothing remotely spontaneous will ever happen, except possibly to a complete stranger who's half-visible in the bottom left-hand corner of the frame. Trust me. This is what always happens.) These segments, billed as "scenes of the exciting (and not so exciting) life of a band on tour", are (with all due respect) infinitely more interesting than the live material; you may have seen bands play live, but you probably haven't seen 'em act out tour diary vignettes. They're also slightly unreal -- after all, these are non-actors, recreating unscripted events, and a certain amount of self-awareness is inevitable. It's a little like watching America's Most Wanted, except instead of killing people or robbing banks, the criminals drive around in a van, visit museums and malls, stop at rest areas and generally live the sort of uneventful lives experienced by the residents of a small town in a David Lynch movie before someone finds a headless corpse in a retention pond.
Each of the narrative segments has its moments, but the high points include drummer Howie Kantoff's participation in a shopping mall "underwear survey", guitarist Jim Valentin's wordless, childlike visit to Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History (where he accumulates a collection of those plastic "Mold-A-Rama" dinosaurs -- you know, where the machine makes it while you wait -- that had me planning my first museum visit in ten years), an amusingly tense interview with bassist/vocalist Rose Marshack and guitarist/vocalist Rick Valentin, an awkward scene in which the band's post-show accomodations prove problematic, Rick's surreal late-night encounter with a sinister street-cleaner, and a look at the band's post-performance hotel-room experience, complete with Jim's riveting bedtime story. All of these segments are highlighted by improvised dialogue reminiscent of the non-sequitur conversations that made Quentin Tarantino's films so entertaining.
While you'll be sorry to see these segments end, the live performances also make entertaining viewing. The band is at the top of its game, imbuing the already catchy tunes with infectious energy; Marshack, as always, is a bass-toting dervish, bopping around the stage like a woman possessed. The Poster Children's catalog is well-represented; the set includes older material ("If You See Kay"), mid-nineties stuff (the superlative "Junior Citizen") and newer songs (the title track). The footage, though not of consistent quality, is never murky or blobby; it's obvious that the different digital video cameras weren't exactly consistent in their handling of light and color, particularly in the grainy shots from the back of Chicago's Metro, but image clarity is good and the transition between different angles is rarely jarring. The editing is tight, too; until Rick Valentin (who also directed and edited the film) reveals a few "secrets" on the commentary track, none of the kludgier edits are obvious (and I say this as someone who has actually been paid to edit video).
About that commentary track... Valentin and Marshack provide commentary for the entire film. If you've heard the Poster Children's online talk show, "Radio Zero", you're already familiar with their style. They're amusing and insightful throughout (Rose's apparent fascination with her sister's breasts notwithstanding); I think this is the first time I've ever made it all the way through a DVD commentary track.
Outtakes and additional footage round out Zero Stars, delivering a satisfying viewing experience for the price of an audio CD. I only wish it was longer! I'm sure most fans would agree with me -- I wanted more live songs, and definitely more of the "tour diary" vignettes. I'm sure that Zero Stars' modest seventy minutes took ages to assemble, but I wish there was more. Lots more. There must be a few hours of unused footage sitting in Rick and Rose's basement. Perhaps if I ask nicely, they'll burn me a DVD...
Zero Stars sets a high standard, proving once again that a smart, tech-savvy band like the Poster Children can produce polished material on a shoestring budget. Given the proliferation of DVD-burners and video-editing software, Zero Stars is likely to be the first in a long, long line of self-produced DVDs by indie bands -- but it's also likely to remain one of the very best. Zero Stars? More like five.
-- George Zahora
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