Before It Was Cool: The Brooklyn Beat from Lauterbach’s, the long-awaited documentary about the scrappy D.I.Y. Brooklyn rock scene of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, had its world premiere at a sold-out screening at the Doc’ N Roll Festival on May 5.
The event proved to be a deeply emotional one, bringing together nearly 200 people from this close-knit scene, many musicians and fans who hadn’t seen each other in the 30 years since the scene dissolved with the closing of the dive bar that fostered it, Lauterbach’s, located on a quiet block in the then very ungentrified Park Slope neighborhood in Brooklyn.
The film was the brainchild of Michael West, one of the musicians who was at the scene since its beginning, when Bob Racciopo, a veteran of CBGB’s band, The Shirts, wandered into the bar and asked its owners, George and Alice Lauterbach, if he could host music at their sleepy establishment. The gestation of the film was nearly as long as the scene itself lasted, over six years from its genesis to this world premiere, which took place mere blocks from Lauterbach’s at the Nighthawk Cinema in Park Slope. West co-directed the film with Lia Komakhidze, with production help from a host of musicians from the scene, including Robert Maloney of The Moe and Jeannie Fry of My Little Eye, as well as Ruth Calaman and Ash Tiwari of The Brooklyn Film Directorate. Radio Free Brooklyn DJ Rachel Cleary serves as the interviewer and narrator for the film, a story that takes viewers from its almost accidental beginning to the wave of national headlines that came with the release of the first of seven compilation albums, all self-financed and produced by the bands themselves, Today Brooklyn, Tomorrow the World.
Veteran musicians from the scene traveled from faraway places like Boston, the Hudson Valley, and even California to attend the premiere, which was sponsored by Doc ‘N Roll, an international film festival dedicated to music documentaries. Attendees included members of many of the bands central to the scene, including Formaldehyde Blues Train, Cryptic Soup, The Fields, Friction, Al Lee Wyer, Chemical Wedding, The Moe, and Frank’s Museum, a band this writer had the pleasure of playing and recording with.
The film itself is a wonderful slice of a bygone era in music, when a D.I.Y. spirit and cooperation over competition gave rise to a scene that produced not only great music but also lifelong friendships. The film closes with something deeply moving, a salute to some of the musicians from The Brooklyn Beat who are no longer with us, including the photographer/musician J.R. Rost, producer Doug “Catfish” Snodgrass, and Cryptic Soup’s driving force, drummer/songwriter Vin Siino.
To mark the film’s release, the Brooklyn Beat has issued a new digital compilation, Evolution Now, its first in 34 years. This 16-track collection showcases the continued creativity of musicians who were part of this scene long ago, featuring new tracks from Bees Deluxe, Michael West, Jim Lampos, Bop Monroe, Frank Ruscitti, Medicine Sunday, Sloe Guns, Bite the Wax Godhead, Spaghetti Eastern Music, and more. Stream it here
“We tried to make a film about a community of people who love each other deeply, if sometimes from afar,” adds Michael West. “After feeling the love in the room, I’m not surprised that the premiere sold out so fast. For this crowd, there is no happier place than among each other.”
Next up for the film is a screening during Doc ‘N Roll’s London festival in the fall, followed by more screenings and an ultimate release to cable and streaming services, which are presently being negotiated.
NYSMusic.com was one of the first media outlets to spread the word about this film, which was chronicled in this July 2024 feature as it was being made. For a preview, check out the trailer below.
For the latest information, visit brooklynbeatfilm.com
Photo Credits: Doc ‘N Roll Festival, Caren Messing, Sal Cataldi, Jeannie Fry
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