Jokermen and Mezzanine present *THE T.A.M.I. SHOW* in 16mm. Directed by Steve Binder, 1964, U.S., 112m, 16mm

60th anniversary screening from a rare 16mm print, presented with Jokermen. Followed by a conversation with Evan Laffer and Ian Grant (Jokermen).

~

One of the first and greatest rock concert films ever made, the *Teen Age Music International (T.A.M.I.) Show* took place over two nights in 1964 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, where many of the greatest performers of the era took the stage in front of 3,000 screaming fans (largely students from nearby Santa Monica High School). Featuring a relentless array of talents – including Lesley Gore, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, a bevy of go-go-dancers, and a famously show-stopping performance from James Brown and the Famous Flames – and recorded months after the Civil Rights Act was signed, the event symbolized a meeting point between rock 'n' roll and rhythm-and-blues, black and white performers, and the broader US and UK musical countercultures. The film was also significant for its pioneering "Electronovision" recording technology, a high-resolution video capture that was transferred to film and enlarged to the big screen. Most of all, it is simply a divine recording of a moment when rock n’ roll seemed poised to conquer the world.

“The first full-scale rockumentary, and it’s still a model of the genre.” -Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

“Its unsurpassed exuberance, not just onstage but also off it, assures that it will remain forever young…Part Pentecostal preacher, part sex machine, \[James\] Brown initiated every one of the adolescents at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, regardless of race or gender, into adulthood. ” -Melissa Anderson, Artforum

~

Since 2020, Evan Laffer and Ian Grant of Jokermen Podcast have guided listeners on deep dives through the discographies of some of rock music’s greatest heroes, with a focus on rediscovering their most obscure, overlooked and misunderstood work. To date they have covered Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, John Cale, The Velvet Underground, Steely Dan and more. With their current series on The Beach Boys underway, the Jokermen are proud to partner with Mezzanine to introduce today’s teen age music fans to this foundational text of the rock song epoch.

Special thanks to Adam Sekuler, Jorge Ravelo (Los Angeles Filmforum) and Dan Sullivan (Film at Lincoln Center).

This is an 18+ event

Presented by Jokermen & Mezzanine

Jokermen presents: THE T.A.M.I. SHOW in 16mm

About

Lineup

Venue

2220 Arts + Archives

Download the DICE app