There are chance meetings, taking chances, second chances and reasons for the impossible to happen. Some of the reasons can become clear right then in that single moment of brevity that speaks to your soul. Some of the reasons and answers we seek for understanding do not come until years have passed and clarity comes with age, wisdom, hindsight and knowledge. And sometimes we never discover the reasons of why in this brief lifetime that is only a vapor.
The desert continues to breathe life into existence even amidst the harshest of conditions, where a flourishing life seems but a miracle. Relationships we all have within our lives, they come and they go, passing us, embracing us, pardoning us, and flooding over us like the seas that push water upon its sands over and over and over again.
There is music in the atmosphere of life, music that causes us to wrestle like Jacob wrestled the angel, only we wrestle with ourselves, we fight our Maker for a few grains of concrete truth, music that moves a stubborn heart to action, music that haunts us and lingers like a familiar ghost stretched across our skins like a warm blanket. With that music travels a voice golden, familiar, dulcet and low, speaking deep into the heart of this listener. God knows music can stir the soul, and for me that stirring came in 1985 when I discovered a band called Adam Again.
By some grand design, it seems I have been made the keeper of the flame, the historian and archivist of a band whose music I admire, respect and adore. There have been so many parallels to my own life along the way between the songs that Gene Eugene and Greg Lawless would write, the lyrics of hope, desperation, love, passion, family, heart break, crumbling marriages, deserts ripe with disappointment, authentic urban landscapes filled with struggle, and oceans that redeem and wash away the madness and chaos we carry on our skin. This is the legacy of Adam Again for me.
It has been nearly 17 years since my friendship with Greg and the band began. Though my own life has been riddled with many trials, be it health, financial and marital I have always believed in our little underground film, that has gone through a few title changes, rough cuts, highs and lows of its own. We decided it is a MUST to complete the film for the fans of Adam Again and the amazing group of artists that are the extended Adam Again family.
The music of Adam Again still stands head and shoulders above so many of their musical peers. Now that we have lost two of the founding members of the band, Gene in 2000 and more recently Paul Valadez. This feature length documentary begs to be no longer abandoned but finished strong.
This Band Is Our House is set to tell the compelling story of the band from its early inception in the 80’s on the cusp of the new wave synth movement with a group of high school friends. Friends who were equally skilled in sharing their collective life experiences through the power of song. The marriage that formed between band members in Gene and Michele, that eventually became much of the heart wrenching subject matter of the final two Adam Again records that so many of us still relate to in a potent way.
Though many of the interviews with various artists were shot back in 2000, the content and raw emotion is fresh and relevant as friends of the band, processed the loss of a friend, a mentor, a studio player, a band mate, a family member. There is lovely footage of Adam Again with Gene, Greg, Jon and stand in bassist Keith Schnieder rehearsing for Cornerstone 1997 in Oregon, in contrast with the rehearsal footage of the surviving members of Adam Again in Nashville TN preparing to take the Gallery Stage at Cornerstone 2000, sans their beloved leader and front man Gene Eugene Andrusco. The film includes stripped down instrumentation of intimate hotel room preparations with Michael Knott, Michael Roe, Andrew Prickett and Adam Again. And of course the pinnacle is the Cornerstone 2000 Gene Eugene Tribute Show.
Todd A. Zeller | Eden Z Films
…Just to chip in my two cents here and mention a couple of noteworthy things…Down the Line did a unique tribute issue of Gene Eugene in March of 2009. It was a special issue to put together with Matt, and it was fun to speak to so many different friends and family members of Gene’s. It made me realize how much more I missed the art of Gene Eugene than I thought I did. For me personally, there are such varied emotions attached to so many memories of Adam Again albums and songs. Adam Again was a unique band, and Gene Eugene was a one of a kind artist. The documentary is going to be solid, it is an amazing collection of stuff never released before that tells a story of one of the most original bands in the scene, and shows how much the music community, friends and fans alike, was really impacted by the tragic passing of Gene. Michael Gerard Knott, one of Gene’s dearest friends, will be narrating the project.
There is a Kickstarter that is coming soon to help fund the finishing, you won’t be disappointed with the outcome. As a fan who has seen a bunch of the raw footage, it is incredible stuff that is high quality and professional, and it truly gives a rare glimpse into a pioneering band that brightened the musical landscape. Adel Mesenheimer (who heads up Frontline Music Group) has been a big help in helping overcome the challenges of the music licensing, and Gene’s Mom Carole as well as his Dad continue to be supportive and enthusiastic about the film.
Once the Kickstarter launches there will be some super cool “one of a kind” reward options, so make sure you join and “like” the Adam Again Facebook page, that way you can keep up with all the updates. This one has been a long time in the making, so let’s support this project with everything we can!
Steve Ruff
http://www.facebook.com/adam.again
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