Please contact us
with corrections
or breaking news
Overlooked & Underrated Docs & Features
(click on broll or dschwartz for all his posts)
Wetlands Preserved: Manhattan’s Legendary Rock Club
"It was just a simmering caldron of jam-band activity. I don't know if the jam music scene would have happened, or come to fruition as mightily as it has, were it not for that club," said Bob Weir.
The Dave Matthews Band, Bob Weir's Ratdog, Phish, Spin Doctors, Blues Traveler, and Hanson (backing Bob Weir) are just a few of the countless bands that played at Wetlands Preserve during its too-short time of existence in Manhattan's Tribeca district. Between February 18, 1989, and September 11, 2001, founder/owner Larry Bloch's vision of a club serving as both a center for music and for environmental activism flourished. Fertilizing an already-rich national music scene, the club touched thousands of lives, supported high-profile political activism, and helped launch now-legendary bands.
Produced and directed by Dean Budnick, co-produced by prolific documentary filmmaker Peter Shapiro, "Wetlands Preserved" tells the club's story in standard bearing fashion. Budnick interviewed everyone in sight, included entertaining, fascinating music clips, and carpeted his film with a myriad of images between the interviews and performances. The entire soundtrack is derived from live performances.
The First Run Feature's DVD contains a generous amount of bonus material including: Outtakes, Live Performances, Photo Gallery, Wetlands A-Z, and a 17-second advertisement for "Relix Magazine".