Roadies - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Your Roadies Topic!

[BetterButter]

[BetterButter]

[ApathyMonger]

Quote

Meet the loyal crew of roadies for the Staton-House Band. Series premiere.

 

The pilot's up online now.

For some reason I thought this was a half-hour show. From the trailers at least it looks a lot lighter than all of Showtime's other dramas.

Edited June 13, 2016 by ApathyMonger
Added Youtube link

[ApathyMonger]

I'm not completely sold, but I'm willing to give it a few more episodes at least. I like the cast, and the show feels a nice counter-point to Vinyl, which I made it through one episode of.

[scrb]

Looking for some reviews on this.

[numbnut]

Well, that was an assortment of recycled and predictable moments. I'll try one more ep but Crowe def. needs a new bag of tricks.

[Primetimer]

Another cable channel foists another rock and roll drama on us. Is this one any good?

View the full article

[spaceghostess]

No issue with that crazy rock and roll, but the promo in which the roadies do their holding-hands-in-a-circle pre-show ritual made me want to punch someone. Maybe I'm the wrong audience for this show?

[scrb]

Lukewarm reviews in the NY Times, CNN and Variety.

still will check it out since it's airing with Ray Donovan.  Hope it improves.

[arachne]

Well, I already like it better than Vinyl, but that's not saying a hella lot. I think I could learn to care about a couple of characters. On the downside, too many cloying rock clichés. I'll give it a couple more weeks.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I reeeeeeeeeally wanted to like this, having been a roadie for a regional act waaaaaaaaay back in the day.

The one moment that actually worked really well for me was when Kelly was leaving and the singer stopped to wish her well and told her of the altered playlist.  Having occasional input on the playlist was one very real and super cool part of my life.  If only the rest of this show weren't a perpetual wink and nod to the camera that it wasn't real.

Missing the piano smudge by the Brit was incredibly annoying and bad.  I can safely promise you that at least 5 of the crew would have made GD sure to get to it immediately after the meeting.  But, we wouldn't have had the cringe-inducing moment with promoter daughter.  uggggggggghhhhhh.

Luke Wilson is aight with what he has been given.  It's just not very good material.  I love Ron White.  He is not right as Phil, who is actually a reasonably good character.  Had Phil been more of a humorous storytelling dude, and not just all legend, all the time, he might have worked.  That part calls for a legit character actor.

Ya can't fix stoopid.  I hope ya can fix this show.

[candall]

This show didn't benefit from that hour-long documentary that's been playing all week about a real group of roadies.  Those people live rough and work hard and exult in it--it was fascinating and made this look like a bunch of slick silly hijinks.

 

I loved the smooth flowy shots of the skateboarding; I didn't love shoehorning in the troublemaker brat.  Can't we just have language and nudity and adult stuff without a precocious kid?

 

Uh oh, I'm more like the bean counter than the freebirds.  I wonder when that happened??

 

.

Edited June 30, 2016 by candall

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I agree that this was way better than Vinyl, which isn't saying much. I want to like it so I'll give it another episode or two and see if it gets better, worse, or just stays the same. I didn't dislike it and there were a couple of good moments so there's hope!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

An endless array of crises land on Bill after the band has a disastrous show. Kelly Ann is not welcomed back in the way that she hoped. And Reg, needing to fire a crew member, attempts to educate himself on the nature of their jobs.

Promo:

 

Clips:

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Miles To Go Before I Sleep (Showtime documentary on real life roadies):

 

The Real Roadies of SXSW:

Showtime also has a bunch of clips of the cast and crew talking about the characters and the show. Nothing spoilery but since there are so many, I'm putting them under the spoiler cut:

Colson Baker A.K.A. Machine Gun Kelly on Wes

 

Imogen Poots on Kelly Ann

 

Rafe Spall on Reg Whitehead

 

Carla Gugino on Shelli:

 

Luke Wilson on Bill:

 

J.J. Abrams, Cameron Crowe, & cast:

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Since this is a show about music, I'm assuming that music will be a huge part of the show. Here's where you can discuss it!

From S1.E1: The Head and The Heart - All We Ever Knew

[EyesGlazed]

The first episode was stank, and I hate to say it because I'm a sucker for any kind of rock and roll based series. Soooo many cliched characters and cliched dialogue. It's not funny or endearing. The under-30 characters are annoying. The over-30 characters are labored. The trope of the evil-buttoned-up-Brit-who-doesn't-get-our-American-ways is so done. It's like a piece of Mad Men fell into this show and festered. The whole thing was disappointing. I won't be back.

[Primetimer]

But are any of these 'dramatic conflicts' even worth caring about?

View the full article

[Totale]

On 7/1/2016 at 7:02 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Since this is a show about music, I'm assuming that music will be a huge part of the show.

You assumed wrong.  Was Reignwolf supposed to be The Black Keys, or are they an actual band?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

A notorious music blogger sets his sights on the band, penning a post that eviscerates them as dull and irrelevant. When Reg invites him to the band's next show to smooth things over, the crew takes matters into their own hands.

Promo:

 

Clips:

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

From S1.E2: Reignwolf - Hardcore

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On Set with The Head and The Heart:

 

Ron White on Phil:

[lvbalgurl]

I find Rafe Spall pretty charming and I rather like his chemistry with the actress who plays Kelly Ann.

That's...about it.  Would be surprised if this show lasted long.  It's not very good and I think I'm only watching it to fill the Game of Thrones Sunday void.
 

[portfino]

I really like the entire cast. They are trying to sell this with everything they have, but the story needs more drive.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'm with Kelly Ann on raisins. Why do people add them to so many things unnecessarily? I'm okay with raisins on their own though in theory (although to be honest, I don't buy boxes of raisins and eat them).

I want to like this show because I love Winnie Holzman, but after two episodes the way I feel about all the characters can be summed up thusly: ehhhhhhhh.

Edited July 7, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[WaltersHair]

I think I'm in. Watched the first two episodes and like Kelly enough to see where she goes. The actress seems far too smart to be this person irl, but that could be a good thing.

I also like Carla and Luke who were obviously put in there for my demographic and that's okay.

This seems to be the Seinfeld of Band shows. Just a day in the life each week. I like that. If other fans like it, they'll stick around. The English guy had me at the T-shirt idea.

I also like Cameron Crowe, but not his idols/first band the Eagles. Just watch the Eagles official documentary and you may agree. Don Felder, however, can do no wrong in my eyes (read his book). A tad OT, but early influences of this show's creator's life.

[kieyra]

Made it through the pilot last night--barely. Should have been the ideal viewer; love music and concerts, and I love shows that dig into the inner workings of a kind of biz we don't normally see, e.g., 'management consulting' on House of Lies.

But jeez, this was awful. 

Luke Wilson and Carla Gugino felt like they had been teleported in from discarded scenes from Californication, only with much less coherent dialogue. And they couldn't have hit us over the head any harder with the fact that we're supposed to 'ship them.

I couldn't believe 'pie in face as wacky prank' was a thing they felt was worth screentime. (On that note, every attempt at broad comedy went thud.)

Before viewing, I could almost picture the opening scene this show would inevitably start with--frantic roadies dealing with the last-minute chaos of a show where everything is going wrong; desperately working together to bring us to the moment where all the problems are solved and the band hits the stage.

Instead we got boobs.

I admittedly wasn't feeling very mentally sharp when I watched this, but I found the dialogue confusing and aimless.

I'm not hugely in touch with Cameron Crowe's work, but I seem to remember liking Elizabethtown when everyone else hated it (although at the time I wasn't aware of the Manic Pixie Dreamgirl trope--maybe because Crowe invented it). And of course Almost Famous was decent. By which I mean I'm historically 'okay' with his style. Or I thought I was. Maybe television isn't his medium. 

[numbnut]

20 hours ago, kieyra said:

Maybe television isn't his medium. 

I think his characters are perfect for TV. I wouldn't trek out to a theater to see a wannabe Almost Famous with characters that lack originality in almost every way.

[kieyra]

On the other hand, I can recommend that people jump over to "The Night Of" for their Sunday TV viewing instead.

[gik910]

On 7/4/2016 at 8:40 AM, Totale said:

Was Reignwolf supposed to be The Black Keys, or are they an actual band?

Reignwolf is an actual band, as is The Head and the Heart.  I gather all the opening acts are going to be real bands.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

If the main band, whatstheirname, is to the point where it's Spinal Tap time, this show has no shot of working.  

Not liking the way they are escorted?  The new salute is gauche and a "thing."  Raisins are Reg.  The hell?  

Finding a good warm-up in Memphis on no notice?  Feasible.  Not one second nor word of dialogue devoted to an all-out search for a longer term solution by Luke Wilson?  More farce.

I get the obsession with quirky.  When done well, it's great.  The problem is there are lines which can't be crossed for it to work.  We're pretty much on the way.  

Phil was much better this time.  A little went a long way.  The subtle mocking of the new salute as he signed off was a classic example of less being more.  

As for Reg...I don't get the character's place at all.  If he is from "corporate," why would lead singer have hire/fire power over him?  I get that he could bitch and moan, but absent some gross behavior issue(s), it would not make sense for them to back down.  Anyone they placed in that lousy position (firing folks and reducing costs) would draw fire.  

We already lost one promising show in Vinyl.  I'd hate for this one to fail, as well. 

[HumblePi]

Donna Mancini played by actress Keisha Castle-Hughes looked familiar but I couldn't place where I'd seen her before. Then it occurred to me that she was one of the 'sand snakes' in Game of Thrones, Obara Sand.

[kieyra]

Gave up on the show after the pilot, but caught this article by Mo Ryan regarding some kind of sexual assault played for laughs in a recent episode.

http://variety.com/2016/tv/opinion/roadies-sexual-assault-rainn-wilson-1201810951/

Naturally Mo Ryan is getting slaughtered in the comments.

[Totale]

I'm really trying my best because it seems there should be a show about rock 'n' roll that's better than Vinyl or Sex and Drugs... , but episodes like this week's make it hard.  The stupid plot of this episode aside, I have no feels for the various sexual tensions they're trying to set up and I have no real sense that this is going anywhere that any other episodic workplace comedy hasn't.  And I've never watched any of those for very long.  Plus all of their musical guests have seemed mediocre at best to me, and it felt like they were so proud of LB last night for some unknown reason that they gave him like a quarter of the show to perform, which at least was a quarter of the show where Rainn Wilson wasn't mugging.

Edited July 12, 2016 by Totale

[IWantCandy71]

Just out of curiosity-is the show overly offensive, like some reviews say? I kinda wanna watch just for Rafe Spall, because he's awesome, but I have a history of regretting choosing to watch a show just for one actor or character. Should I bother?

[tennisgurl]

What do they say is offensive? I have not really picked up much (except drugging a person is pretty messed up) that offended me, but maybe there is something I am not seeing?

Not much going on, but I did laugh at the Donald Glover/Wu Tang Clan name generator joke. 

[Totale]

My opinion would be that so far it's overly dull and conventional-sitcom samey.  I want to like it so I'm hoping we'll see the spark of life before long.  I can't see the subject matter being offensive to an adult who has been to rock 'n' roll concerts.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

So much depends upon the Reg character.  This guy just doesn't have the requisite badassery.  They are trying to forge some middle ground between corporate shark and decent guy who loves music, and actually can have feelings for a woman.  Sorrynotsorry.  You can't have that.  If you want that, you pretty much have to come up with a Billy Bob Thornton or a Rip Torn to play it.  The show does not portray (or even know) what it wants Reg to be, and this core confusion is a big part of the general mess of the whole.

Almost Famous and Fast Times worked because we all could feel and appreciate the underlying heart.  The Mom in AF was out there, but she was respected and ultimately her point was made:  Genuine bonds and not the false Gods of Rock (or any other bright and shiny toy) must be exalted.  FTARH?  Again, reasonable authority must be respected.  Parental warnings of what can happen when teens stray were affirmed by that dirtbag from Pacific Stereo.  Also, lives must be about something.   Old school, old fogey stuff.

There was some of that attempted in this ep with the hagiography of Phil.  When they lost Phil, they lost their souls.  They lost Lindsey Buckingham, too.  The circle where Luke Wilson couldn't help but invoke Philisms.  This is the type of thing that will save the show.  Unfortunately, Ron White is not the guy to pull it off.  

I really want this show to thrive.  Do TPTB have an ultimate set of tools?  They better.

[WaltersHair]

Quote

and it felt like they were so proud of LB last night for some unknown reason that they gave him like a quarter of the show to perform, which at least was a quarter of the show where Rainn Wilson wasn't mugging.

 

THIS. He was great in the 80's and I hadn't seen him in the flesh since then. He didn't look that good. They kept saying how good he looked when in fact he looked like a guy who aged way too fast doing <insert your drug/drink/activity here>. Still has it in the music department, but the ass kissing was a bit much.

Giving the blogger an hallucinogenic was cringy. Rainn was just plain annoying.I really don't like any of these hipsters. The show just meanders in lost kind of way. I want to like it . I really do. Please make the next episode better.

[kieyra]

12 hours ago, IWantCandy71 said:

Just out of curiosity-is the show overly offensive, like some reviews say? I kinda wanna watch just for Rafe Spall, because he's awesome, but I have a history of regretting choosing to watch a show just for one actor or character. Should I bother?

 

Mo Ryan pointed out that the drugging of Rainn Wilson being played for laughs was gross, and questioned how people would have taken it had it been a female reporter. (I don't watch the show but I understand he ended up on stage naked.)

[seaELare]

I really really really want to like this show.  I feel, however, some trimming of cast and 86ing useless storylines needs to take place.  Love Carla Gugino, don't care about her character.  She adds nothing.   

 

Also, Imogen Poots is Jude Law.   

[IWantCandy71]

I think the drugging/sexual assault was the main thing I read some found offensive, but there may have been other things. Problem with Rafe Spall is that even in a role where we're supposed to dislike him, we like him. We being me, and whoever else. I think he's one of those who has that inner warmth or something that just kind of shines through. That, and I think he, like any good actor should, tries to find the humanity in any character he plays. So yeah if he's truly supposed to be a "villain", if the audience is supposed to hate him....don't know if he's the best choice for that. LOL But I am biased.

I probably will eventually watch this, perhaps once it goes to Netflix.  I watch most of my TV on Hulu or whatever, and I can't see the point in paying for Showtime just to get x minutes of Rafe Spall a week. Though I do love Live Schrieber too, but I saw part of one episode of Ray Donavan and didn't feel compelled to watch more.

Edited July 13, 2016 by IWantCandy71

[whiporee]

Quote

I really really really want to like this show.  I feel, however, some trimming of cast and 86ing useless storylines needs to take place.  Love Carla Gugino, don't care about her character.  She adds nothing.   

I didn't plan to like this -- but I think it's a nice, warm feel-good show. The music's better than I run into often, and as much as I usually dislike Luke Wilson, I find him less offensive here than I usually find him.  There's a general easiness to this one I enjoy. It really is an extrapolation of Almost Famous without the movie drama, and I'm okay with that. It's turned into a nice way to spend a summer night.  

As for this episode, The plotline was fine. The drugging is fine. We're going to run out of stories in this world if everything has to be sanitized and everything has to have a moral center -- it's like we're going back to Leave It to Beaver, just with a different set of morals governing everything. 

If you're going to have a show about music, this is much better than the mess that is S&D&R&R. And without mullets. 

[Totale]

I liked the fourth episode a lot more than the third - the curse bit seemed like a good short story, with a surprise ending.  (BTW, I've heard the duck fat fries at Hammerheads are great, but they also threw Skyline Chili in as Louisville local culture, when while in fact there is one there it's mainly a Cincinnati thing). But I can't work up any enthusiasm for the budding Limey/Pixie romance or the Ma and Pa roadie sexual tension, and the lost band member arc was a bust. I want to like the show and all they have to do is come up with more good stories.

[WaltersHair]

I guess the good old days are only good if you were there and don't translate well to modern times.

[izabella]

I like this show.  It more sitcom than drama, and it doesn't take itself seriously.  I like that it is light, rather than full of sweaty angst and coke like Vinyl.  I can see signs of heart and family here, I like the cast, and none of the characters bug me.  It has some kinks, but I find it entertaining.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Reg is a dick.  I am not buying, nor enjoying, his journey to becoming decent.  I am glad he is not an over-the-top jerk, as it first appeared he might could be.  The show needs a genuine tension involving "limits" or "the man."  Reg should have been that.  Now?  There is nothing other than individuals screwing up and with drugs.  Yeah, Phil got shafted, but that injustice will not carry a season.  And heck, as we are now being fed, Reg ain't a bad bloke.  Not really.  Bleccch.

I don't give a rat's patootie about any of them.  I do enjoy the occasional re-creation of some problems endemic to touring.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

The crew finds themselves the victims of a mythical rock and roll curse, and spends their day off completing odd and very specific tasks needed to break it. Meanwhile, Bill and Shelli search for the band's hard-living bassist.

Promo:

 

Clips:

 

 

Edited July 24, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

In the band's hometown of Denver, needy friends and family cause havoc.

Promo:

 

Clips: