WBCN and the American Revolution (2019) Synopsis

"The American Revolution" chronicles free-form radio station WBCN-FM and Boston's other underground media, from 1968 to 1974, through the extraordinary original sights, sounds and stories.The American Revolution is a feature-length documentary film that takes viewers on a dazzling, rock and roll-fueled roller-coaster ride to witness the dramatic and historic political, social and cultural changes that took place in Boston MA during the late-1960s and early-1970's that would fuel the great transformations during one of the most volatile and historic eras in this nation's history. The film chronicles the untold story of how Boston, beginning in 1968, on the heels of San Francisco's "Summer of Love" a year earlier, emerged as a central crossroad of the counterculture and New Left political activism. The story of the film follows the events that led to the emergence of the anti-draft and later the anti-Vietnam war protests, militant civil rights struggles, the women's and gay liberation movements, and the revolutionary activities of the Weather Underground, set against the powerful musical and cultural ferment of the day.At the hub of it was the radical, underground radio station, WBCN-FM, born on March 15, 1968, in makeshift studios in the dressing room of the legendary rock hall, the Boston Tea Party. Almost immediately, the station's unprecedented mix of new and eclectic music and subversive politics caught the ear of radio listeners, including the hundreds of thousands of high school and college students in the greater Boston area, and the station's impact soon spilled over nationally.This story of the radio station and the era will be told through a rich audio and visual filmic experience expertly and powerfully crafted from the original sights and sounds of the critical events of the era, as captured by some of the leading filmmakers and photographers of the time, gathered by producers in an unprecedented archival search that resulted in more than 100,000 items shared for the film, to be put in context by engaging and dramatic first-person accounts.We follow the personal and political journeys of a compelling cast of characters who were connected to the radio station, and whose lives intersected with militant anti-war activism, civil rights struggles, and the emerging women's and gay liberation movements. We watch as their struggles and activism, and their innovative use of media, helped change forever the roles and rights of women, gays and lesbians, and African-Americans in what had previously been America's white male-dominated society. Through our characters, we see the tremendous counter-cultural transformations of the era, as institutions of authority are challenged, sexual mores dramatically change, and the materialism that was for so long at the heart of the "American Dream" is called into question.Virtually every major political and musical figure during the era crossed paths with Boston, and with WBCN. Frequently heard on-the-air were such iconic activists as Professors Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn; Abbie Hoffman; Jane Fonda; Daniel Ellsberg; and John Lennon, among many others. Meanwhile, WBCN was a critical launch pad for the careers of many soon-to-be super groups, including those who intersected with the radio station during its early days in the dressing room at the Boston Tea Party. These include The Who; Led Zeppelin; Grateful Dead; Fleetwood Mac; and the Velvet Underground, which with the group's dozens of appearances at the Tea Party were virtually the club's house band. Later, the station jump-started the careers of Bruce Springsteen; Bonnie Raitt; Patti Smith; and Aerosmith, among many others, and gave critical wide public exposure to great blues and jazz artists who had been largely unheard by mass audiences, including B.B. King; Muddy Waters; Miles Davis; and Sun Ra, and later reggae music.The documentary, propelled by a powerful soundtrack of some of the most evocative and memorable music ever created, powerfully demonstrates media's role in creating social change and facilitating political dissent. The American Revolution tells a story that will resonate today, at a time when, once again, media is at the center of efforts for democracy and social change, by showing viewers, including a new generation of young people, how in the days before Facebook and Twitter, cell phones and GPS, powerful changes were facilitated through the convergence of media, politics and culture, perhaps most importantly music, creating a movement that helped end a war and drove two unpopular sitting presidents from office. At a time when it's never been easier to communicate, but never been more difficult to be heard, it's a timely and critical story to be told.

"The American Revolution" chronicles free-form radio station WBCN-FM and Boston's other underground media, from 1968 to 1974, through the extraordinary original sights, sounds and stories.The American Revolution is a feature-length documentary film that takes viewers on a dazzling, rock and roll-fueled roller-coaster ride to witness the dramatic and historic political, social and cultural changes that took place in Boston MA during the late-1960s and early-1970's that would fuel the great transformations during one of the most volatile and historic eras in this nation's history. The film chronicles the untold story of how Boston, beginning in 1968, on the heels of San Francisco's "Summer of Love" a year earlier, emerged as a central crossroad of the counterculture and New Left political activism. The story of the film follows the events that led to the emergence of the anti-draft and later the anti-Vietnam war protests, militant civil rights struggles, the women's and gay liberation movements, and the revolutionary activities of the Weather Underground, set against the powerful musical and cultural ferment of the day.At the hub of it was the radical, underground radio station, WBCN-FM, born on March 15, 1968, in makeshift studios in the dressing room of the legendary rock hall, the Boston Tea Party. Almost immediately, the station's unprecedented mix of new and eclectic music and subversive politics caught the ear of radio listeners, including the hundreds of thousands of high school and college students in the greater Boston area, and the station's impact soon spilled over nationally.This story of the radio station and the era will be told through a rich audio and visual filmic experience expertly and powerfully crafted from the original sights and sounds of the critical events of the era, as captured by some of the leading filmmakers and photographers of the time, gathered by producers in an unprecedented archival search that resulted in more than 100,000 items shared for the film, to be put in context by engaging and dramatic first-person accounts.We follow the personal and political journeys of a compelling cast of characters who were connected to the radio station, and whose lives intersected with militant anti-war activism, civil rights struggles, and the emerging women's and gay liberation movements. We watch as their struggles and activism, and their innovative use of media, helped change forever the roles and rights of women, gays and lesbians, and African-Americans in what had previously been America's white male-dominated society. Through our characters, we see the tremendous counter-cultural transformations of the era, as institutions of authority are challenged, sexual mores dramatically change, and the materialism that was for so long at the heart of the "American Dream" is called into question.Virtually every major political and musical figure during the era crossed paths with Boston, and with WBCN. Frequently heard on-the-air were such iconic activists as Professors Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn; Abbie Hoffman; Jane Fonda; Daniel Ellsberg; and John Lennon, among many others. Meanwhile, WBCN was a critical launch pad for the careers of many soon-to-be super groups, including those who intersected with the radio station during its early days in the dressing room at the Boston Tea Party. These include The Who; Led Zeppelin; Grateful Dead; Fleetwood Mac; and the Velvet Underground, which with the group's dozens of appearances at the Tea Party were virtually the club's house band. Later, the station jump-started the careers of Bruce Springsteen; Bonnie Raitt; Patti Smith; and Aerosmith, among many others, and gave critical wide public exposure to great blues and jazz artists who had been largely unheard by mass audiences, including B.B. King; Muddy Waters; Miles Davis; and Sun Ra, and later reggae music.The documentary, propelled by a powerful soundtrack of some of the most evocative and memorable music ever created, powerfully demonstrates media's role in creating social change and facilitating political dissent. The American Revolution tells a story that will resonate today, at a time when, once again, media is at the center of efforts for democracy and social change, by showing viewers, including a new generation of young people, how in the days before Facebook and Twitter, cell phones and GPS, powerful changes were facilitated through the convergence of media, politics and culture, perhaps most importantly music, creating a movement that helped end a war and drove two unpopular sitting presidents from office. At a time when it's never been easier to communicate, but never been more difficult to be heard, it's a timely and critical story to be told.

Published Time: 2021-11-13 21:59:43