Music Blogs

Unsurprisingly, "Michael Jackson's This Is It" ruled the box office this weekend. Better yet, the film is on course to becoming the number one concert film of all time. God, I hope that happens. The current number one? "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert." That's a cruel joke.

"This Is It" may not be the best concert documentary ever made but it's definitely one of the most bittersweet. It's hard to be cynic when watching a 50-year old move so effortlessly across stage. The Michael Jackson in this film is every bit the tortured, talented, fragile, and eccentric artist as we've come to know. But he's also very human and supremely dedicated to his vision. The guy gave as much love as his fans and collaborators gave him.

Is "Michael Jackson's This Is It" the best concert film of all time? [Poll]

It's easy to dismiss Jackson as a freak before watching this film. It's impossible to walk out of the theater feeling anything other than respect for Jackson's craft. The rest of his life may have been a mess but his pursuit of professional excellence - especially in the face of such personal struggles - is heartbreaking and awe-inspiring.

The best concert films do just that - inspire. They are more than just a keepsake of a band's latest tour. Truly brilliant concert films get beyond the first row and into the performer's face and psyche. Here are five concert films that will keep your ears ringing and soul stirred long after the band leaves the stage. Miley Cyrus should watch them. I'm sure Michael Jackson did.

"The Last Waltz" (1978)
The Band decided to stage their last show on Thanksgiving Day, 1976 at Bill Graham's Winterland Ballroom. They recruited director Martin Scorsese to capture the festivities which included guests, Neil Young, Bob Dylan (who took The Band - then called The Hawks - with him on first first electric tour in '65), Joni Mitchell and a nearly every musician who matters. The concert and filming were fueled by cocaine (Neil Young'a coke booger was reportedly digitally removed) and band rivalry (drummer Levon Helm complained the film made The Band look like Robbie Robertson's session players) but the musicianship is like no other. It's hands down the best concert film ever made (go ahead, prove me wrong).

"Stop Making Sense" (1984)
Jonathan Demme's film documenting Talking Heads' strange genius is teh great anti-concert film. It begins with David Byrne and boom-box (performing "Psycho Killer") then slowly builds to its nerd-funk crescendo with "Girlfriend is Better" (featuring Byrne in his big suit), their cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River" and the Afrobeat workout "Crosseyed and Painless." "Stop Making Sense" has no shots of screaming crowds, no close-ups of the guitar solo, and no quick edits. It's 88-minutes of performance art which elevates rock music to high culture.

"Woodstock" (1970)
We just passed the 40th anniversary of the Aquarian generation's last stand. Despite the hipie burnout, "Woodstock" is impossible to dimiss as mere nostalgia. Forty years later, the three days of performances still raise hairs. In a world where many concerts have been reduced to pre-recorded tracks and pre-meditated banter, it's good to know there was a time when someone could captivate half a million people with no Jumbtron, no light show, and only a wah-wah pedal.

"Gimme Shelter" (1970)
For anyone who wants to know all the things that could wrong at a concert, this film is for you. "Gimme Shelter" is the flip side of Woodstock. The documentary of the Rolling Stones' 1969 U.S. tour ends at the Altamont Free Concert where a young man is stabbed to death by a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang (unbeknownst to the band until after the show). The Hells Angels were hired to provide security for the show. Some things are worth paying for.

"Awesome; I F***in Shot That!" (2006)
The Beastie Boys' 2004 concert film puts the cinematic power in the hands of the people. The original white rappers gave cameras to 50 fans attending their Madison Square Garden show. The movie is surprisingly cohesive - in a way only a Beastie Boys film could manage. Yes, it's highly experimental. Yes, it probably only resonates with hardcore fans. Still, it gives the standard concert doc format a needed makeover, which alone is worth the price of admission.

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