Have you ever had to pee so bad you thought you might die? Like maybe when you and your crew go out for a drink or two (6) after work and then you drive home in a traffic jam, bladder ready to burst?
Or you start a new job and you have to take a little pee test to screen for drugs and you drink the 78 ounce Big Gulp on your way so you're absolutely sure that when you arrive, you will infact, pee like a firehose and not get shy bladder. But then when you arrive at said testing center, they are behind and you end up having to wait in line for two hours. Wait with your bladder now stretched ifinitely past it's pint capacity?
We're talking serious pain in the lower region.
That was totally me at the pre-screening of Shine A Light on Tuesday night.
I couldn't leave the theater for fear I would miss any shred of the movie. I think you can see where I'm going with this: the movie was THAT awesome. Go ahead and accuse me of being a corporate suck up and saying that everything station-related is wonderful rainbows and unicorns. You go right ahead, but believe me, the movie was so so so good.
This movie should be required viewing. They should teach it in "History of Rock and Roll" classes at your local community college and the "Genius's of Film" classes and your local university. It might even work in the "You Might Wanna Lay Off the Pot" classes at your local rehab center.
That last reference is to dear old Charlie Watts, who couldn't seem to form a coherent sentence the entire movie, from the old clips of him as a very young rock star, (young with a horrible Javier Bardem circa No Country for Old Men haircut) to him meeting former president Bill Clinton before the show. Happy and clueless.
It was the IMAX screen which is the size of the tallest building in Portland but I didn't mind seeing craggly Keith up close. We all know he looks pretty used. The IMAX just magnified it. Alot.
The guests who performed with the Stones were a highlight for me. Jack White, of White Stripes and Raconteurs fame, smiled like a little school girl the whole time he played with the Stones. He was so adorable, grinning as if to say, 'Look at me, mom, playing with the Rolling Stones!" Christina Aguilera was shakin' her ass all over the stage in the hottest black high-heeled boots, rubbing her thang all over Mick, singing her little heart out.
But Buddy Guy doing "Champagne and Refer" with the boys knocked it out of the park. (God, I'm such a cliche) I couldn't leave the theater because I didn't want to miss whoever was coming on next. It might be a Keith song- he did "Gold and Silver" and no one should miss that. It might have been another snippet of old interview footage or backstage film crew goofiness.
All of us in the theater were practically clapping out loud after each song, as if we were at a real concert. It was Stones rock and roll bliss. I laughed. I sang along. I cried. Just kidding, it wasn't sad. I didn't cry.
One of our listeners, John S., who won tickets to the screening said this, "While I'm not a huge Stones fan, I very much enjoyed the movie. It was very impressive to see in an IMAX theatre and Kudo’s to Martin Scorsese for making this film feel almost as if you were right there, front and center. Jagger’s energy onstage is truly amazing. And Keith Richard’s, well he was in great form as well. Although it might be safe to say that close-ups of Richards and an IMAX screen maybe is not the best combination. And the footage of the old interviews were hilarious. The one I remember most was Mick Jaggers response to a question: “I don’t know, It must be a chemical reaction or something”. That had the whole theatre laughing." Thanks for coming out, John!
We did set up the tent and hang around outside the theater for a little while. We reserved two whole rows inside the theater just for us. No horror stories to report there. Lori the intern ran the tent while the KGON crew drank and ate it up at our local McCormick and Schmick's. Pictures below.
Great movie, great dinner, great night, great great great. I can't write it justice so just go see the damn movie tonight when it opens in theaters nationwide.
