Photo by Lauren Page
Post written by Soledad Maldonado Ayuso.
The last event of the True/False Film Fest did not disappointed the expectations any a closure raises. Toughcats, Yes Ma’am, La Operación Jarocha and Run On Sentence occupied the Missouri Theatre lobby, and from the entrance to the balcony, rhythms of the four music bands have caught the many attendees.
Dustin Hamman, singer of Run On Sentence, led the event. Holding a megaphone, he introduced the bands first and involved audience in the performance through all the event.
Yes Ma’am opened the show with the classic New Orleans’ sound. La Operación Jarocha followed. Scattered around the steps of the stair the mexican musicians brought the authentic sound of their country. The joy proper to all Latin rhythms has caused that more than one of the attendees unexpectedly moved his or her ankles and hips. Toughcats changed registration and move with more strength and energy. Run On Sentence closed the first round of songs with the singer’s cracked voice and authentic sound.
After a second song from each band began the most organic part of the event. Dustin grabbed the megaphone and used the last shift of the band to mix all the musicians present, and of course he also involved the audience in the show. He invited everybody to crouch down and keep going until the hit music hit put everyone standing back.
The other musicians improvised following the Hamman’s cords song. He also recited each sentence of his song and urged the audience to repeat.
To give greater prominence to every single musician, Hamman approached the megaphone to the instruments so the audience could hear better. Due to the large turnout, it was sometimes difficult to listen to the musicians. La Operación Jarocha began setting the pace again and known bars of “La Bamba” overturned the audience entirely. Singing and dancing, the attendees surrounded the musicians, who without a stage, gathered in the center of the lobby and played at the same height as the audience.
Finally, the four bands have played together the song “Eye of the Tiger.” Just to hear the opening bars of the known Rocky song, attendees have joined Hamman to sing.
The ability to improvise in the four groups gave the event an unmatched authenticity. Because the musicians were found at the same level as the audience and mingling with the audience throughout the lobby, the Buskers’ Last Stand seemed to be true to the style of the festival. The musicians put a great finishing touch to say, “Until next True/False!”
