All of Tomorrow's Parties

Written by Sonia Almanza de Gambaro on Thursday, 09 July 2009 17:35

Founded in 1999 by Barry Hogan, the All of Tomorrow's Parties, or ATP, music festival began as an alternative to the standard corporate music concert. Each year one group or artist is chosen to curate the festival and select its performers.

It is an opportunity for fans to hear who is in their favourite performer's record collection, a live mixtape, if you will. Named after the song "All Tomorrow's Parties" by The Velvet Underground, it was the Bowlie Weekender music festival, curated by the scottish group, Belle and Sebastien, which inspired ATP. Excited to see our first music fim during the Los Angeles Film Festival Ale and I were immediately enraptured by the incredible montage of 50's era family vacation films juxtaposed with clips of some of the most amazing groups in music tearing up the stage, which began the documentary. The rousing energy had the entire audience at the Ford Ampitheater rocking their heads in unison to the music, which, by the way is phenomenal throughout.

"You would have to travel to all ends of the earth to see all these bands - and they are all here. It’s very groovy," says a fan. ATP is a festival without headliners - the focus is more on providing good non-stop music. A lot of the film's footage was taken from the fans directly an aspect which not only adds to the authenticity of the piece but also to the community of music aficionados who support ATP. A beautiful part about this concert film is the fantastic editing and interesting camera work. Cuts become faster as the music speeds up and vice versa. “It was hard to stay seated during this film because I kept wanting to dance,” said Ale (my partner in crime). As an observer All Tomorrow’s Parties allows you to feel inside the music, not your typical concert film, it succeeds in giving you a peak inside the ATP world.

The film features performances from Roscoe Mitchell, Mogwal, Portishead, Sonic Youth, Patti Smith, Iggy and the Stooges, The Mars Volta, Belle and Sebastien, Saul Williams, The Octopus Project, The Cramps, The GZA, Les Savy Fav, Jah Shaka Soundsystem, The Boredoms, The Akron
Family, The Gossip and more.

For more information about the film and ATP's new festival in America visit http://www.atpfestival.com/

-Sonia Almanza de Gambaro