By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.25 cats
Starring: Michael Gill | Scott Evans
Year: 2024
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29483476/reference/
Julie B. says: “I was motivated to go to this years Boson Independent Film Festival when I saw that a documentary would be shown on Billy Ruane. Here’s my review. Even though I say a lot there are no real spoilers unless you have no idea at all who he was. I knew of him before the film, and felt he knew who I was as well, (as many of us did). He was ubiquitous around the Cambridge music scene back in the 90’s. After seeing the film, I know a lot more about what may have shaped him, but I left feeling I did not really know him that much better. Perhaps a bit better, and that was all I’d really expected.
“‘All of Boston showed up’ to the world premiere of THE ROAD TO RUANE at the IFFBoston, the long awaited documentary on the legendary Billy Ruane.
“Some backstory is needed to understand the complexities in making this documentary.
“Billy was known to many a Boston 90’s music scenester. Eccentric, wild, loved by many, Billy seemed to always be at the best shows and of a variety of genres in his trademark button up shirt, open suit jacket and tie with manic dance moves ‘that got wilder the more he liked the band’, according to long time friend Mary Lou Lord. He was a promoter of under-unappreciated musicians and was considered integral to development of the Cambridge rock scene. Rock shows started at the Middle East Night Club after Billy talked the owners into letting him have his birthday party there when TT the Bears and Green Street Grille could not accommodate it all. In fact his influence in promoting music reached Harvard, Porter, and Inman square. Being that Billy was mysteriously wealthy, he was able to help fund struggling musicians in various ways.
“When Billy died in 2010 at 53 from a heart attack, his friend Mike Gill knew he had to make this movie. Having talked to Billy about making a documentary of his life when he was still alive, Mike had already been filming Billy. Before that idea arose, Mike had been filming shows for Billy for years. Mike collected over 80 interviews of artists who had worked with Billy but still wondered ‘whether it was enough.’
“When Mike was unable to finish the movie which is explained in the movie, Director Scott Evans, a good friend of Mike took over. Scott pointed out to me (who I spoke with at the after party) that Mike had organized things well. Scott brilliantly added animations to fill in the gaps and was also able to get phone call recordings that Billy’s friends provided. With all of this material the one thing that the viewer walks away with is the feeling that not enough was revealed about Billy’s inner self, which I believe is something that Scott is well aware of based upon a subsequent email conversation we had. Scott told me (as I’d asked) that he’d gathered and used every bit of information made available to him about Billy. This also included footage of thousands of shows (donated by Billy’s estate) meticulously archived by Greg Dalton (who I also spoke to at the after party). Greg started posting them to YouTube. Greg and I bonded over being avid ‘collectors’. This overwhelming amount of material in addition to the passing off of making the film from one person to another explains why the film took so long to make. Well worth the wait.
“There are in-depth interviews with Billy’s sister explaining a lot about his fascinating family history, that shaped him, as well as with Pat McGrath from Looney Tunes a close confident of Billy’s. In addition, a few key interviews with people known possibly only to those of us in the 90’s Boston Rock scene really brought us all closer to Billy.
“One short interview that was mixed in with the others and I felt too brief to reveal all she knew about Billy was with Lady Lamb. Perhaps this is true for many of the interviews. Too short to get the whole picture but we do get glimpses. I met Lady Lamb at Billy’s birthday memorial show at the Middle East and I believe she must have been the newest/youngest ‘discovery’ of his. She headlined the memorial show, but when I met her earlier that night at the bar there, a young sweet girl in big glasses, so unpretentious, I had no idea about her history and Billy’s importance in her life and her to his. I was blown away by her emotional performance that night that had everyone in tears, as well as the gathering of who’s who in the Boston music scene then, just as I was blown away by the outpouring of love Boston brought to the IFFBoston that night for Billie.
“I suppose this can be said about many of the interviews. One wants to dig in deeper with each interviewee. The information might have been there, but maybe not divulged by the interviewee, and / or more interviews meant less screen time per interview.
“It was a wonderful film doing it’s very best to enlighten the unenlightened to the life of Billy Ruane. To let those of us who knew him, know more about what made him tick. I think that he did not reveal his inner self and demons to many, and to those that he did, (my guess is) that they feel that saying too much in recorded interviews would be a violation of trust between friends.
“The general consensus is that Billy was a friend to the Boston music scene. He was always at the right place at the right time. A familiar face that I/we always felt knew us back. Some really knew him quite well of course. We thought that he’d live forever somehow or at least as long as we all have, thus far, to enjoy the music and new bands and performers to come. It is sad that bright light was cut short. He burned so brightly while he was here with us, too brightly. 4.25 cats
“Seen at the Boston Independent Film Festival Somerville Theater May 4 2024”