Spend An Evening With Saddle Creek
The First 10 Years of Saddle Creek Records
Jason Kulbel and Rob Walters
( Plexifilm ) 2005

The bands and "creekers" behind Nebraska's Saddle Creek Records are not depicted on film as "set for life", or living in a world more gated than any of us - the fans and listeners. What has always intrigued me about the label, now 10 years young, is their advertising budget. What magazines do Saddle Creek not have full-page (color when available) ads in? Very few from the looks of it - and that kind of press doesn't come cheap to anyone, especially the "indies". Out of respect for a label that has obviously worked full nights and days to bring the world its diverse roster of talent - I say Robb Nansel and his growing stable of bands from the middle of Nebraska have earned it.

Beginning with the Lumberjack Records days and an early teenager name Conor Oberst, the prepubescent warbles of the Water cassette sparked what would become the Saddle Creek empire we have before us today. With the pre-Cursive rock of Slowdown Virginia, and the (to this day) amazing craftwork that was/is Lullaby for the Working Class (who would carry on to become Mayday / members of Cursive or key SC engineers [Mike Mogis]) - Spend An Evening with Saddle Creek portrays a closely woven association of friends who have admiration for each others accomplishments, all while realizing there is plenty to look back on and laugh at. While any hip core of slicksters would want to cover the tracks that led them to leather jackets and jet-black swing hair, the home videos presented on An Evening with Saddle Creek are every bit the embarrassing sixth grade photos your parents pull out in front of a date. But look back and slap knees these young Americans can, for they (for the most part - we'll leave Rilo Kiley out) have remained true to the initial foundings of a DIY label.. . the fruitful tempations of signing to a major label are discussed in part with the Faint on film, post Danse Macabre (".. .why would I want to put this album out again - I just put it out. That's a bit of an insult" - Todd Baechle).

Why Gabardine isn't mentioned once on film (and Polecat get a listing) is quite a blow, as Gabardine were one of my first glances at the SC label (and an incredible s/t album!) - and key members continued on to create / join the Faint and Beep Beep (a band that released an album post-documentary). For purposes of exposing a band that deserves due respect, Gabardine aren't readily listed on Saddle Creeks band page either. Norman Bailer, or the anti-Faint, is mentioned briefly - and they are highlighted on one the DVD's many bonus features in a performance from 1995. Commander Venus - the band that included Conor and Robb (Nansel) - is glanced upon, and fills in any blank spaces for the folks wondering how the angst-rock of Desaparecidos came to be a few years back.

The Saddle Creek story is presented in a common timeline of the labels evolution, and it's obvious the bands that have become the labels keynote speakers (Bright Eyes, Cursive and the Faint) are given a more in-depth view than the more obscure talent that lies within (Now It's Overhead, Azure Ray, Mayday). This is a slight touch unfortunate for fans of the labels entire roster, as these lesser known bands get grouped closer to the end in only a few moments of highlights.

Great stops along the traveling slideshow include the production footage for Fevers and Mirrors (including members of Azure Ray, the Faint and the Good Life hand-assembling the albums & mirrors) and that "is it a mohawk? is it a sideways mullet?" styling's of a Slowdown Virginia-era Tim Kasher.

Minor 'completist' gripes aside (why bitch? life is short.. . where the hell is Broken Spindles?), Jason Kulbel and Rob Walters have - in true Plexifilm® style - captured and compiled some superb highlights of a label that began with a teenagers homemade tape and became the prospering independent we look to today.

+ kaleb :: (08.18.05)