I have been a fan of Big Smith's music for a while; I originally got started listening out of curiosity because I knew that my family and the Bilyeu family had been in a blood feud about a hundred years ago, and I found Big Smith's live concert recordings which had been made available through archive.org's eTree concert-tapes archive. I found I greatly enjoyed their music. Unlike the pasteurized, homogenized stuff that passes for country music these days, Big Smith plays the real, old-folksy stuff. It's music with heart.
I just got finished watching Homemade Hillbilly Jam at the Moxie, the local art theater in Springfield, Missouri--Big Smith's hometown. (After the show, Big Smith themselves came out, answered questions, and played a few songs for the sold-out audience.) I did enjoy the movie, for the chance to see and hear Big Smith performing, but I felt that as a documentary it really could have used a better narrative structure. In the end I'm not sure I really learned all that much about Big Smith beyond that they're hillbillies (or "neo-hillbillies"), have a strong religious and family life, and sing some darned good music. I would have liked to hear more about how they got started performing together, what their musical influences are beyond the folk and gospel music that was a part of their upbringing, and what their overall career has been like.
It's a great film for Big Smith fans. I'm just not sure how much non-fans will get out of it.
I just got finished watching Homemade Hillbilly Jam at the Moxie, the local art theater in Springfield, Missouri--Big Smith's hometown. (After the show, Big Smith themselves came out, answered questions, and played a few songs for the sold-out audience.) I did enjoy the movie, for the chance to see and hear Big Smith performing, but I felt that as a documentary it really could have used a better narrative structure. In the end I'm not sure I really learned all that much about Big Smith beyond that they're hillbillies (or "neo-hillbillies"), have a strong religious and family life, and sing some darned good music. I would have liked to hear more about how they got started performing together, what their musical influences are beyond the folk and gospel music that was a part of their upbringing, and what their overall career has been like.
It's a great film for Big Smith fans. I'm just not sure how much non-fans will get out of it.