The Buffalo Lounge has been a trip and a half, folks. This primer in South by Southwest has been an exciting learning experience for all of us.
We arrived downtown just after the Red Dirt Reel folks were finished with presentations, but still in time to talk to a couple people. I immediately went for the interactive computer station playing some Bob Wills on the screen, and a fellow named Ryan Patrick McGuffey, one of the producers for the film Raisin’ Cain and an enthusiastic conversationalist, explained what I was watching in his dreamy Irish brogue.
Raisin’ Cain is a history of Cain’s ballroom, a documentary in the works featuring a number of people who have performed at Cain’s or grew up in Tulsa. The list of names of the folks whose interviews may end up in the movie is mind-boggling, but because it’s still in edits, director Tate Wittenberg would prefer I hold back on divulging all that caught my eye. I’m fairly certain we’ll see some Elvis Costello – the footage in the sampler prominently featured his interesting shpeil.
This movie production is not for profit – the money coming in is headed right back to music education in Oklahoma, a near and dear cause. My sister is a music educator out in New Jersey – and it’s a tough row to hoe without a budget, Seriously. Providing a background in music and arts education to younger people is one of the more noble things a person can do, I believe – specific education in technique and conceptualization expands the languages people can utilize and understand, in this instance, Music. The film will also be featured in an upcoming Cain’s museum being built near the venue itself.
We’re hoping to talk with the director some more in the next couple weeks to get the word out to the okc.net public – check back soon for more information on Raisin’ Cain. In the meantime, here’s their facebook page!