KCRW @ Sundance

*********************************** Acura Hours Curated by KCRW Live from the Acura Studio Saturday, January 23 3:00pm Chris Douridas (KCRW DJ) 4:00pm Rogue Wave Sunday, January 24 3:00pm Jason Bentley (KCRW DJ) 3:15pm Lissie (DUO) 4:00pm Thao And The Get Down Stay Down Monday, January 25 3:00pm Mathieu Schreyer (KCRW DJ) 4:00pm Allen Stone

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Allen Stone & KCRW DJ Mathieu Schreyer at the Acura Stage

(Photos by Mark Liebowitz)

Wrapping up the final day of performances for KCRW at the Acura Stage for Sundance 2016 was the soulful voice of Seattle's own Allen Stone. Allen was backed by his impressive band who's groove could be heard all throughout Main St. We had better luck in the weather department on the last day so it a grand sendoff for KCRW's presence on site.

Before the band took the stage, KCRW's own Mathieu Schreyer (link to his show page) spun a funky set of soul, old school R & B and some hometown East Los Angeles grooves. His playlist can be enjoyed here:

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Audio: Madeleine Brand at Sundance - Round 2 - Tallulah

(Photo by Jill Smayo) 

Madeleine Brand continues to explore her very first Sundance Film Festival this week in Utah with her mic in hand. 

Listen to her interview with the director of Tallulah, a film about the trials of motherhood starring Ellen Page and Allison Janney.

Listen to the Audio Here

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Photos: Thao And the Get Down Stay Down performing at the Acura Stage

(Photos by Spencer Amonwatvorakul)

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Audio: Madeleine Brand at Sundance - Round 1 - First Impressions & Mapplethorpe

(Photos by Spencer Amonwatvorakul)

It’s Madeleine’s very first Sundance festival. You’ll hear about that experience. 

She also interviews the directors behind the new Robert Mapplethorpe documentary that is being screened at the festival. The documentary is called Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures. 

Listen to the whole dispatch & interview here.

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Audio: Reggie Watts and Ben Dickinson on “Waves”

(photos by Mark Leibowitz)

Virtual Reality was the talk of Sundance 2016. Reggie Watts brought his multitude of talents to the medium for an incredibly entertaining video, "Waves," directed by Ben Dickinson. Jason Bentley spoke to the duo about the genesis of the idea and how they brought it to life.

 Listen to the interview here

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And Still I Rise

(photos by Spencer Amonwatvorakul)

The very first film Jason Bentley jumped at the chance to see at Sundance 2016 was “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” – the first feature-length documentary on the legendary poet/activist.

The film had Maya’s blessing and was put together by some of the people who knew her best, including her producer (and friend) Rita Coburn Whack.

She lived an incredible life and the archival footage they present shows many sides of the artist that people like myself might be less familiar with (like her time as a calypso dancer!)

The two directors behind the film had a daunting task in telling her life story and say there was still a lot they had to leave out of the 2-hour film. She did so much!  

It’s a stunning portrait of an amazing woman. You can listen to the full audio here.

- Rachel Reynolds

Producer, KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic

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Birth of a Nation

(Photo: Nate Parker & cast on stage following the world premiere of “Birth of a Nation”)

Nate Parker wrote, directed and starred in one of the most highly buzzed about films of Sundance – “Birth of a Nation”. The film had its world premiere to a packed house and left the crowd in a standing ovation. 

The film highlights Nat Turner, an African-American slave who led a slave rebellion in 1831 Virginia resulting in 60 white deaths. Starring as Turner, Parker delivered an utterly moving performance bringing humanity and sympathy to the portrayal. Although highlighting the slavery ecosystem of 1800’s America, “In 2016, that echoes,” said Parker during the cast Q&A following the screening of the film.

- Blake V

Producer, KCRW’s The Treatment

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Photos: Lissie performing at the Acura Stage

Photos by Mark Leibowitz

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Rogue Wave Plays Acura Stage

Photos by Mark Liebowitz

While Indie Rock mainstays Rogue Wave didn’t have any projects at this year’s Sundance, they definitely had something fun in store for the crowd at the Acura Studio in Park City. Weaving in their most popular songs with brand new material set for release in the Spring of 2016, the trio from Oakland were the perfect soundtrack for the cinematic back drop of Main Street Park City. Look out for a summer tour and a stop in Los Angeles in June,  but until then, have a listen to arguably their most popular song which was used in Ben Stiller’s screen adaptation of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty..

- Collin Walzak

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Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures

Madeleine Brand interviewing Fenton Bailey and Randi Barbato, the directors of the new doc "Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures." Edward Mapplethorpe, the artist and Robert's younger brother, is sitting at the right. The film takes a nuanced, understated and incredibly interesting look at the work of the controversial artist's work. It will come out in the spring to coincide with a retrospective of Mapplethorpe's work at LACMA and The Getty. Listen in today (Monday) for our interview on Press Play!

- Matt Holzman

Curator, First Take screening series

Producer. Press Play with Madeleine Brand

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The Eagle Huntress

The Q&A at Sunday's screening of "The Eagle Huntress." Mongolians Kazakhs ride into the snow-covered mountains with their eagles to hunt for fur and food. The young woman in the white fur hat is the first female eagle hunter, and this is the (beautifully photographed!) story of her courage and determination - and world-warming smile. Note the eagle on the left, who did not like when I got too close to take this photo.

- Matt Holzman

Curator, First Take screening series

Producer. Press Play with Madeleine Brand

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Reggie Watts Rides the Wave

Photos by Mark Leibowitz

Reggie Watts has been intrigued by the wonders of virtual reality since he was a kid and, when given the opportunity to create a video of his own, jumped right in.

Along with director Ben Dickinson, the musician/comedian/actor created a wild ride in “Waves”, a video that lasts 10 minutes and takes you through multiple realities – some trippy psychedelic adventures with a philosophical bent (We are all made of waves!).

You get to see good Reggie battle evil Reggie, a striking appearance from Game of Thrones’ actress Nathalie Emmanuel, and – my favorite part – they bring the musical genius of Reggie’s one-man-band performances to life in a way only VR can.

Jason Bentley spoke to the duo about the genesis of the idea and how they brought it to life.

Hear the interview next week on Morning Becomes Eclectic.

- Rachel Reynolds

Producer, Morning Becomes Eclectic

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Lucy Walker Brings You Inside the History of Cuban Dance

Photos by Spencer Amonwatvorakul

Virtual Reality is the talk of Sundance this year and acclaimed documentary filmmaker Lucy Walker brought her own spin to the medium with a video set in Cuba.

She explores the progressions of Cuban dance -- from Afro-Cuban Santería rumba, mambo, cha-cha-chá, and salsa to Reggaeton.

As Jason Bentley mentioned in our interview, it’s as much an education as anything else.  

Watching these incredible bodies moving through different Cuban neighborhoods to different beats was a very cool experience.

Lucy calls Virtual Reality an “expensive paintbox” but says she experimenting with it and looks forward to doing more.

Tune in to hear her chat with Chris Douridas and Jason Bentley on MBE next week.

- Rachel Reynolds

Producer, Morning Becomes Eclectic

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John Legend Goes Underground

Photos by Duston Todd

John Legend had his highest selling and charting song to date with “All of Me” in 2014 and, not long after, won an Oscar for “Glory”, a track written with Common that was featured in the film Selma (“Best Original Song”). 

He has straddled the worlds of activism and entertainment for some time, never afraid to speak up for what he thinks is right. And now, he is taking it to the next level as the Executive Producer of a one-hour drama series called Underground, which tells the story of the Underground Railroad and follows Plantation slaves as they fight for their freedom.

We had a chance to chat with John (and his producing partner Mike Jackson) here at Sundance and he told us how they used current music to make it feel “more alive”. In fact, the very first episode gets off to a thrilling start with a Kanye West track.

Tune in on MBE next week to hear more!

- Rachel Reynolds

Producer, Morning Becomes Eclectic

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Dan Wilcox DJ's the New Frontiers party

Photo by Matt Holzman

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Jason Bentley, Lord of the (sun)Dance

Photo by Matt Holzman