by Sue Khim

Just returned from watching the band Califone, one of Chicago’s own, play a live soundtrack to their Sundance-selected film All My Friends are Funeral Singers at Lincoln Hall. The film lives in the world of the supernatural, with superstitions lingering on the screen (e.g. It’s bad luck to say ‘pig’ on a fishing boat) followed by clips relevant to the particular lore. Most of the clips take place in the home of Zel (played by Angela Bettis), a fortune teller. Zel lives with a group of ghosts who help the business by lending their other worldly powers to call winning horses for a comical gambler (desperate and sleazy in turns), heal headaches, and channel the voices of dead loved ones. The ghosts, perpetually dressed in white, play soulful, urgent, surreal music in rooms throughout the quaintly decorated home — music that was, on this Tuesday night, played live by the band and filled the large acoustic room.

The film and music are both experimental, but keep from being overly meandering. While the film introduces many open-ended questions and artistic sequences, the character definitions are clear and there is a linear and accessible story arc, as Zel and the ghosts realize that the ghosts, who Zel embraces as family, are trapped inside the house by a legacy spell that thwarts the ghosts’ newfound desire to move on. The band members (Joe Adamik, Jim Becker, Ben Massarella, Tim Rutili) multi-tasked between multiple instruments (note the contraption of bells inside the briefcase above) and vocals. From kitschy decorations trembling dramatically atop likewise kitschy furniture, to religious overtones as two ghosts discuss their vision of heaven and hell, Califone offered a wide range of soundscapes that interacted fluently with the narrative and the film’s digetic sounds. Califone has a previous track record of performing cinematic music, having contributed live improvised soundtracks to silent films.

Afterward, the band played songs from their new album, eponymous after the film. Due to the configuration of the equipment — facing the movie screen — the band was forced to play the whole set with their backs to the audience! (The band extended a joke and their apologies.)

Califone plays again on March 10th at the same venue, this time as a concert instead of as a live soundtrack.

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Tags: angela bettis, film, home, jim becker, luck, music, newfound desire, religious overtones, screen, worldly powers

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