3.5 stars out of 5
I ♥ Mekons. That was the title of their album the first time I saw the band. But I really do heart them. I guess I’d first heard of the Mekons when I was in college and have hearted them ever since.
Anyway, there was no doubt I was going to see the Mekons documentary. But should you see this movie when it comes to your town? Well, that depends.
If you love music but are unfamiliar with the Mekons, maybe you should start with the records. There are a lot of them on Spotify, if that’s your sort of thing. Maybe begin with Fear and Whiskey, and Rock ‘n’ Roll, and I ♥ Mekons. Or you can’t go wrong with the Heaven & Hell compilation.
Then you’ll fall in love with the band because they really are that good, and you’ll want to know more, so yes, go see this movie. Is it a perfect documentary? No it is not. Will it draw people in with its amazing star power? Uh, maybe a couple of diehard Fred Armisen fans. (Yes, he married a Mekon, because he marries everybody.) But still, there’s an awful lot to like here, and a lot to learn too.
We see the band form in the height of the punk era (1977!), palling around with the then-unknown Gang of Four. We hear about an early show with a young opening act called U2. In the doldrums of 80s schlock pop, the Mekons basically invent alt-country. A major label contract comes and goes — twice. We spend quality time with each band member, and former members too (including an early member of the Rolling Stones). And we are regularly reminded that Jon Langford is one of the smartest, funniest, most talented people on earth.
Between the career highlights (and lowlights), we see the power of lasting friendships, and the beauty of always pursuing your passions even if it doesn’t make for the easiest, most lucrative life. When the Mekons are writing, rehearsing, recording, and performing music, it seems like all is fine in the world, and you understand why they’re still together.
Some tighter editing would have been welcome, and the filmmakers seem to lose a little focus once we’re well into the ’90s. But if you heart Mekons like I do, you probably won’t mind too much.
My wife unawaringly made a funny-esque pun today. I told her about my dream, where it was stuck in limbo about whether one had taken a shit or not, going back and forth about what and what not to do. She spouted out “Poop Dreams.”
Now THAT would be a documentary.
A College recruiter has the runs. Scholarships come streaming out his asshole. The lower classes develop an even more unbearable stench.