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Lots going on today, Devin and I just finished up some interviews with Rhys Ifans and Chloe Sevigny for MR. NICE, which will be up later tonight I imagine, and we have a few screenings to hit before the day is over.  But I caught up with the men behind a movie that I think is going to be seriously worth a look, especially for Austin (or just Texas for that matter) music fans.  FOR THE SAKE OF THE SONG: THE STORY OF ANDERSON FAIR comes from filmmakers Jim Barham and Bruce Bryant.  Check out this synopsis:

For forty years, Houstons legendary folk and acoustic music venue, Anderson Fair Retail Restaurant, has fostered and nurtured some of the most important performers and songwriters in America including Grammy Award-winning artists Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett and Lucinda Williams. Lyle Lovett claims, Without Anderson Fair, I wouldnt have been driven to try to write songs the way I was. Recalling her early development as a songwriter, Nanci Griffith says, I wasnt yet that confident with my songwriting and Anderson Fair gave me that confidence.

For The Sake Of The Song: The Story of Anderson Fair is the compelling saga of one of Texas and Americas unsung cultural treasures. This film explores the significant role Anderson Fair has played in preserving an American musical tradition and how a devoted family of artists, volunteers and patrons, transformed a politically subversive little coffee house and restaurant into a unique American music institution.

Today, Anderson Fair is one of the oldest folk and acoustic music venues in continuous operation in the United States. What began as a little neighborhood restaurant where local musicians played for tips and free-thinkers gathered to talk about things that might get them arrested somewhere else quickly evolved into a songwriting sanctuary, cultivating a multitude of local and regional artists and played by performers from all over the world. It was a hotbed of creativity, a place to write, a place to perform, a place to get your act solid, acknowledges former owner, Franci Files Jarrard. Lucinda Williams recalls, It was a coveted gig if you could get an actual night there. It was a great place to showcase your original material.

Anderson Fair has stubbornly bucked the odds and survived for four decades because of the dedication of a community of people with a common visionnothing gets in the way of the music. It has always been and is still run by volunteers; no one is paid. And its struggle to survive in many ways mirrors the struggle of the individual artists. For The Sake Of The Song tells the tale of one small place in Texas where the sound is true, the spotlight gentle, the applause encouraging, and big things happen.

Filmmakers Bruce Bryant and Jim Barham weave together a musical and visual tapestry with the lyrics found within the music thats in the mortar between the bricks at Anderson Fair and the voices of five generations of artists, volunteers and patrons who have lived the story and graced the stage of this hallowed hall. In addition to intimate interviews with a whos who of Americana and Texas music, the film also features new and never before seen archival footage of performances by Vince Bell, Guy Clark, Slaid Cleaves, Ramblin Jack Elliott, Steven Fromholz, Nanci Griffith, Carolyn Hester, Robert Earl Keen, Lyle Lovett, Eric Taylor, Lucinda Williams, Dave Van Ronk and Townes Van Zandt.

Ultimately, For The Sake Of The Song is about how music enriches our lives as it celebrates the spirit of community and the global impact a small family of music-lovers has had working together to support something in which they truly believe. In this age of American Idol and fast food music, the tradition of the troubadour that has evolved into that of the modern singer-songwriter is safely harbored within the walls of Anderson Fair.

And here’s a trailer to whet your appetite even more:

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Jim and Bruce were kind enough to talk with me for an on-the-spot interview, and I’m hoping people really make it a point to take a look at this one.  See it at SXSW on Wednesday, March 17 at 4:30pm.  There is also an encore presentation on Friday as well. Here’s what Jim and Bruce had to say about the film:

Here’s more info on the SXSW website – http://my.sxsw.com/events/event/5146

Also check out the official website at – http://www.andersonfairthemovie.com/

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