Don't Quit Your Daydream

Music is more than a "Daydream"

     

The rant of negativity at the beginning of this interesting view into the role of music in the lives of 2 former Absinthe musicians would be enough to turn anyone's head away from the notion of pursuing music as a career. That negativity is all too real for thousands of people, young and old, who dream of making music their life ambition. But "Don't Quit Your Daydream" is not a story about starving artists though it's evident from this movie that one could certainly end up in the local soup kitchen line waiting to be fed. This documentary is like pastry. Peel away the obvious story, about the two middle aged musicians trying to make good on their childhood dream of making music for a living, and the layers that make up this film reveal much more intensity and grit. What lies underneath and becomes more evident as the film rolls on is the relationship between the two main characters, their not so stellar history that tore their relationship and first band apart. The journey becomes not just one of pursuing music but of reconciliation, a moral tale about backing one's friends as well as mourning lost opportunity and potential fortune. Each of the characters, apparently from real life, "musicians" of sorts, that contribute to the songs created along this curious journey, seems to represent some personality aspect of Clark and Nathan. In the case of Lane, referred to as a "drunken genius", what you see is what you get, i.e. a used up musician with tremendous talent who's soaked in booze. At the end of his session with the Good Listeners, Clark and Nathan's current endeavor, Lane gets in a car wreck. But the film makes another statement as well. On another layer, the viewer is reminded that music is not just for those who can afford to go to places like the Berklee College of Music. Paul, a wiz at re-purposing computer gadgets and old game systems into something musical; Black, a Cajun, who can make an accordion scream in pain and is most likely self-taught on the guitar, as well as a myriad of others, self-taught, learning or learned on their particular instruments, prove that music is a much more personal pursuit. Whether music makes you happy, brings people together, gives one a purpose in life or helps you avoid the regret of not pursuing your childhood dream, it's really up to the individual to make the journey. Bingo, a John Lennon look-a-like recluse of sorts, really said it best in summing up the message of this film, "You should do what you really love to do because that's what you're best at;" a simple truth that not many take to heart. This is a good film for anyone to watch as the lessons taught apply to life in general. The dynamics between each of the characters is interesting to witness and testifies to the complexity of being human. But for those who are really considering a career in music, there is some practical wisdom to take away from this film. You'll have to watch it to find out what that is. -- Geoff Ames, 2011.