Before It Was Cool: The Brooklyn Beat from Lauterbach’s, the new documentary about the club and bands that fostered the borough’s gutsy D.I.Y. rock scene of the ‘90s, had its European premiere on November 1 at London’s 13th annual Doc ‘N Roll Festival.
To build hype for the continental premiere, the festival organizers and the film’s producers invited four of the scene’s most popular acts to reunite and perform, along with three of London’s most buzzworthy young bands, at The Windmill in Brixton, one of the city’s most legendary rock pubs, on October 24.
The Brooklyn acts on the slate included singer-songwriter Al Lee Wyer and the bands Frank’s Museum, Kenny Young and the Eggplants, and M. West. The latter is a quintet led by Michael West, who directed the documentary alongside Lia Komakhidze. The London bands on the lineup included the rap/punk of Neuroplacid, the obtuse prog of Dura Mater, and the Kitchen Sink Band, an experimental pop outfit that, yes, featured an amplified kitchen sink. The seven-hour concert at Windmill Brixton sold out and captured the raucous energy and camaraderie that made the Brooklyn club that birthed these bands, Lauterbach’s, famous. All in all, about 25 musicians and film crew made the trek across the pond to launch the documentary for European audiences.
The November 1 screening featured a Q&A with the filmmakers, hosted by Fiona Johnston of Doc ‘N Roll. The film was among more than two dozen music documentaries screened at the London festival, which ran from October 22 to November 8.
“The Brixton show was so thrilling that we’re looking to bring it to Brooklyn soon, to invite over the London bands that so impressed us with their sound and spirit,” says Michael West.
“We learned a lot at the festival,” he adds. “I think we made a beautiful film about a unique moment in time that took place in our little backyard. But I found out it is universal. Our film is about a scene and a community of artists that is happening in many towns and cities around the world. The connection is broader and deeper than we realized.”
West and Komakhidze’s documentary retraces this often-overlooked chapter of New York’s music history through the eyes of Rachel Cleary, interviewer and narrator and host of Radio Free Brooklyn. While interviewing musicians for her show, she uncovers a hidden thread: band after band had roots in this unassuming neighborhood dive bar, Lauterbach’s, a scene held together by passion, experimentation, and an almost family-like bond. Figures like Bob Racioppo of The Shirts and Chemical Wedding helped book shows and nurture the scene, while a constellation of indie, punk, and alternative bands turned competition into collaboration.
NYSMusic.com was one of the first media outlets to spread the word about the film, which it chronicled in a July 2024 feature as it was being made.
For a trailer and the latest news on the film’s rollout, visit: brooklynbeatfilm.com
