Well, actually it is, but when the band’s label sends out an announcement titled “This Is Not A Theatrical Release” that promotes the band’s concert documentary which includes the phrase “This Is Not A Show” in its title, we couldn’t resist playing along with the theme.
R.E.M., Warner Bros. Records, and theatrical distributor Cinema Purgatorio have joined forces to present sneak previews of the band’s concert doc “This Is Not A Show: Live At The Olympia In Dublin” throughout October and early November in selected markets.
The concert documentary along with two audio CDs will be released as one package Oct. 27. What separates this from other concert docs is that the band’s July 2007 five-night run at Dublin’s Olympia was hardly your typical multi-night engagement. Instead, it was a series of shows where the band tested new material in a setting that was more dress rehearsal than a finely tuned setlist, with many of the then-new songs eventually surviving the cut to appear on the group’s Accelerate album.
Or, as R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck called it, an “experiment in terror.”
“We were just trying to do something we hadn’t done before,” Buck said. “Which meant there was no relaxing during the set. Every second we were playing something we didn’t know all that well. Which was kind of good – there were all kinds of terror elements going on during that show.”
Here’s where you can sneak a peak of “This Is Not A Show: Live At The Olympia In Dublin.” All times local.
Cambridge, Mass. – IFF Boston At The Brattle, Oct. 14 at 9:30 p.m.
Atlanta, Georgia – The Plaza, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Asbury Park, N.J. – The ShowRoom, Oct. 18 at 9 p.m.
Boise, Idaho – The Egyptian, Oct. 22 (time TBA).
Columbus, Ohio – The Drexel, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m.
New Haven, Conn. – Criterion Cinemas, Oct. 23 (time TBA).
Tempe, Ariz. – Madcap Theaters, Oct. 23 (time TBA).
Columbia, S.C. – The Nickelodeon Oct. 23 (time TBA).
Urbana-Champaign, Ill. – Savoy 16, Oct. 23-24 (time TBA).
Bloomington, Ind. – The Ryder, Oct. 24 (time TBA).
Montgomery, Ala. – Capri Theatre, Oct. 24 at 9 p.m.
New York City – Cinema Purgatorio at the Kraine Theatre, Oct. 27 (time TBA).
Los Angeles – Downtown Independent, Oct. 27 (time TBA).
Burlington, Vt. – UVM Davis Center, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m.
Philadelphia – 941 Theatre, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m.
Dallas – Dallas Video Festival, Nov. 5 (time TBA).
In addition to the above listings, R.E.M. has arranged an event in the band’s hometown of Athens, Ga., at the Hotel Indigo Oct. 26. Plus, Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum screens the film Oct. 23-25.
For the most up-to-date list of sneak preview locations, please click here for the Cinema Purgatorio’s Web site.