Quantcast

Smog alert! Rock doc follows gloomy songsmith on tour

Smog alert! Rock doc follows gloomy songsmith on tour
Hanly Banks

This guy has his head in the clouds — and it is making him cough.

Bill Callahan is the gloomy singer-songwriter behind the band Smog and he has been crafting ethereal, atmospheric songs for over 20 years. A new rockumentary called “Apocalypse” follows Callahan on a 2011 tour across the U.S. and filmmaker Hanly Banks said getting the man known for his mopiness to open up was no easy task.

“He is a tough egg to crack,” Banks said. “He emotes onstage, but he’s really private in his personal life.”

Banks followed Callahan for several months, patiently earning his trust while he played concert halls all over the country.

“I treaded slightly,” she said. “I didn’t want to push too hard. It was a slow process. Eventually, he was comfortable with me.”

The film shows Callahan in concert, as well as candid scenes of him riding to shows and interacting with goats and cats along the road.

“It is surprising to see the softer side of him,” said Banks.

Callahan will be on hand at the BAMcinématek series for a screening of the film and to conduct a question and answer session afterward.

Bill Callahan shows “Apocalpyse” at BAM Rose Cinemas [30 Lafayette Ave. between Ashland and St. Felix places in Fort Greene. (718) 636–4100, www.bam.org]. Oct. 7 at 7:30. $13 general admission, $8 for cinema club members.

Reach reporter Danielle Furfaro at [email protected] or by calling (718) 260-2511. Follow her at twitter.com/DanielleFurfaro.