New Velocity Ramblers with the Holy Modal Rounders: Bound to Lose November 17, 2007

"We were on 'Laugh-In'? No! I don't remember any of this! What kind of drugs were we on?" — Sam Shepard

Join us for a special event pairing a wildly entertaining documentary film about the legendary Greenwich Village acid folk band the Holy Modal Rounders and a live concert by their current incarnation. The New Velocity Ramblers features Peter Stampfel, a leading light of the original band; their former drummer, Sam Shepard (better known as a famed playwright and actor); and John Cohen, once of their 1960s’ peers The New Lost City Ramblers (and also a noted filmmaker, photographer, and musicologist).

When fiddler Peter Stampfel collided with guitarist Steve Weber during the "Great Folk Scare" of the early sixties, the two musicians formed a bond based on their shared fascination with American roots music and early psychedelia. Dubbing themselves the Holy Modal Rounders, the eccentric outsiders have been playing their unique brand of music for over four decades, barely surviving on the fringes of the music industry while developing an international cult following. Bound to Lose recounts the history of these true American originals, from their origins in the Village folk scene, through their involvement in the Easy Rider soundtrack, to the lost years of constant drug use, endless touring, and a final shot at redemption. More than just a chronicle of an obscure band, Bound to Lose is a raucous celebration of a lost American outlaw subculture, with endearing and hilarious appearances by Dennis Hopper, John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful, Peter Tork of the Monkees, the Fugs, Loudon Wainwright III, and Wavy Gravy among many more.

Official Website: http://www.wexarts.org/pa/index.php?eventid=2459