Before Dave left for Africa (to get himself grounded), he had a block party in Brooklyn, where he invited some of his favorite musicians. He then invited a whole bunch of people from his hometown (Yellow Springs,Ohio), the marching band from the high school in his hometown and random people who saw an ad for a block party on the internet. Michel Gondry showed up with a couple of cameras and a film crew and we have a movie.
Those are the ingredients. The actual product is a rock-umentary mixed in with a Dave special. The artists include : The Roots, Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Dead Prez, Common, Kanye West, Talib Kweli, Jill Scott and featured the reunification of the Fugees.
The movie follows Dave organizing the event. This is where Dave thrives. He has a way of making people comfortable with him, whether old or young, white/black whatever. He starts out in his hometown (Willy Wonka-10-Golden-Tickets-Style), where he has a bit of trouble finding guests, until he hits the local high school. In between his adventures, we get the actual concert.
Its hard not get the feel of the whole movie. The movie has such a positive vibe, that it is nearly impossible to ignore, even if one is not a fan of hip-hop. One does not have to be a fan of the music of Woodstock (the original one) to understand its relevance. The same rules apply here. One can grasp the sheer influence of the music on Dave, the audience, the neighborhood, the other artists, the director, the city, the country, the world, outer space, etc. I was in a sold out theater in NYC on opening night and the energy was just mesmerizing. Dave has shown his roots, his love of people and making them laugh, and his determination to do exactly what he wants and nothing he doesn't. I highly recommend this movie for fans of Chappelle, fans of hip-hop and especially those that want to leave a theater feeling good about the world. I would also recommend seeing the Inside the Actor's Studio episode with Dave beforehand. Both are better insights into the man behind the comic.
Those are the ingredients. The actual product is a rock-umentary mixed in with a Dave special. The artists include : The Roots, Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Dead Prez, Common, Kanye West, Talib Kweli, Jill Scott and featured the reunification of the Fugees.
The movie follows Dave organizing the event. This is where Dave thrives. He has a way of making people comfortable with him, whether old or young, white/black whatever. He starts out in his hometown (Willy Wonka-10-Golden-Tickets-Style), where he has a bit of trouble finding guests, until he hits the local high school. In between his adventures, we get the actual concert.
Its hard not get the feel of the whole movie. The movie has such a positive vibe, that it is nearly impossible to ignore, even if one is not a fan of hip-hop. One does not have to be a fan of the music of Woodstock (the original one) to understand its relevance. The same rules apply here. One can grasp the sheer influence of the music on Dave, the audience, the neighborhood, the other artists, the director, the city, the country, the world, outer space, etc. I was in a sold out theater in NYC on opening night and the energy was just mesmerizing. Dave has shown his roots, his love of people and making them laugh, and his determination to do exactly what he wants and nothing he doesn't. I highly recommend this movie for fans of Chappelle, fans of hip-hop and especially those that want to leave a theater feeling good about the world. I would also recommend seeing the Inside the Actor's Studio episode with Dave beforehand. Both are better insights into the man behind the comic.