Well here's an absolutely delightful way to spend 40 minutes. Rachel Lichtman, who you might know as (among other things) the filmmaker behind the documentary The Guys Who Wrote ’Em about the songwriting duo of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, has published the premiere episode of her absurdist New Wave music-and-comedy sketch web series Network 77. Its satire is very wry and detailed, in a way that reminds me of the brilliant educational film spoof Look Around You, and you'll want to watch a couple times to catch all the jokes.
Lichtman drew on talent from all across the country to produce Episode 1, titled "Escalator to the Stars," and there are quite a few folks from Nashville in the mix. You'll recognize songsmith Emma Swift in the role of a Bobbie Gentry-like figure (alongside How I Became the Bomb's Jon Burr and documentarian and sketch comedy pro Seth Pomeroy); Swift returns later to discuss astrology signs in modern music with Robyn Hitchcock; and Wilco's Pat Sansone makes an appearance as host of a musical variety show. On the tech side, Sansone also recorded a large portion of the sound for the production, and filmmaker David Shamban shared editing duties with Lichtman and created the pitch-perfect motion graphics.
Locals aren't the only ones involved, of course. Look out for Ted Leo (who wrote all the show's original music) and Jon Wurster in a bit that's like a local TV news station's coverage of the kids getting into New Wave (similar to WSMV's from 1983); The Mekons' Jon Langford as Wendell Jenkins, "the last active volcano in Welsh poetry"; Phillip and Daniel Creamer's Big-Star-meets-Bowie band Creamer and more.
Give it a look via the Network 77 website, and make a donation if you can.
