On the Rise in 1974
The beginnings of a web series.
Two years ago this spring a group of friends and I dusted off a few ratty pieces of thirty-year-old moth-eaten shirts and bell-bottom pants, grabbed some platform shoes, aviator sunglasses, low-rent wigs, a couple guitars and a video camera and set off into the woods. With few resources but not a little bit of inspiration the director (the incomparable Ms. Gina Andreoli) and I (as cameraman) had three actors improvise an odd scene in which two brothers, musicians who lead a progressive rock band, the eponymous Gemini Rising, passionately try to convince their manager to loan them more money so they can realize the full potential of their ideas for a new album, tentatively entitled Galaxy Twins. The brothers, Robert and Richard McKenzie, believe their manager, Bernie Breck, will be no less excited by their profound new musical perspective once they turn him on to the wonder and beauty of nature; the wellspring of their newfound inspiration. For Bernie, however, a simple man cut from a rigid traditional cloth who often engages in somewhat dubious business practices, it’s all about the bottom line; whatever flights of fancy his clients decide to pursue are fine by him as long as they reflect positively on his returns. This is Gemini Rising Episode One, and the basic conflict here between art and commerce is the cornerstone upon which the entire series is built.
I know, you may be thinking that this premise bears striking resemblance to This is Spinal Tap. It does, and we are definitely influenced in part by that wonderful film. But now, six episodes into production, the similarities (I think) are less evident. Gemini Rising is not a parody. A comedy certainly, but there’s a healthy dose of drama infused into the story as well. If the drama sometimes seems ridiculous and absurd that’s probably because drama often is, especially from the perspective of viewers outside looking in. Indeed, on the surface the plight of our characters may seem singular; they are prog rock musicians after all, practitioners of an esoteric (now outdated) and much lambasted style of music.
Our hero and Gemini Rising’s lead visionary, Robert McKenzie (the fantastic Mr. Righteous Jolly), a young man who yearns to create great art, is beset on all sides by a fundamental lack of understanding; even the members of his band have trouble supporting him through his more painful dilemmas. He has difficulty communicating his ideas, he antagonizes the people who don’t understand him and as a result his lofty ambitions are never fully realized. Perhaps it’s Robert’s own stubbornness that gets him into trouble. He can be less forgiving of those with whom he doesn’t see eye-to-eye than some are of him, and expects more respect than he accords these same individuals. Whether it’s his manager, his band, a pompous photographer, a spiritual guru, or even his own girlfriend, life seems to be a source of constant frustration and disappointment. But he’s young, an idealist, and his heart is in the right place. Maybe the problem is the specific art he’s trying to create and the fact that he can’t do it alone. Progressive rock is less a genre of music than a category for a homeless amalgam of musical styles and experimentation that defies simple categorization. And who knows if Robert is even aware of the term progressive rock. He explains it as a “psychedelic-space-rock-and-blues fusion”, and to him this makes sense.
Through all their struggles Gemini Rising the band does achieve some small level of success, with modest hits like Electric Lady of the Lake and Star Child, tracks from their two only recorded albums. Then, after some touring and thwarted attempts to record a third record, they disband and disappear. It is our task here to chronicle what happened, before and after the fall.
In Episode Three, presented here and pound-for-pound arguably our funniest and most entertaining episode to date, the band is to be photographed by acclaimed New York City fashion photographer Aleister Holt Pierce (the wonderful and hilarious Gregory Nassif St. John). Pierce agrees to photograph the band as a favor for fashion model Kiki Kim, who is dating the band’s guitarist, Richard McKenzie. Pierce, however, doesn’t take the assignment too seriously and is more inspired by Kiki than Gemini Rising and… well, I’ll let the viewer watch to find out what happens. There is a lot of acting talent on display here; pay close attention to the credits and discover who these young men and women are. Without them Gemini Rising would not work. Then watch all five complete episodes to catch-up with the series. We are also currently a featured show on kolcast.tv. Stay tuned! There are many more on the way!
Chris Marston is a filmmaker currently residing in New York City and is a part-time cameraman and editor at Scribe Media.
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