Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Brooklyn Rocksteady, A Film By Sam Gursky

Ska kingpins, The Specials
Ska is one of those genres that I always enjoyed for a few songs, but then grew tired of it quickly and was never sure why. The music was good, the crowds were great, but at the time when I was being dragged to ska shows, I just wasn't in that mind set. Ska always felt like a foreign punk rock to me. 

After watching the new documentary below I felt a unique appreciation for the bands as they are now starting to resonate a bit different in my ever evolving music tastes. The laid back vibes and good times make white boy reggae a bit more palatable and hell, I just may have to dive into some of these bands more often.

Check out Brooklyn Rocksteady


Brooklyn Rocksteady from Samuel Gursky on Vimeo.

"This project took me 2 and a half years to complete. I was naive enough in January of 2011 to think that it would only take me a couple of months, but I have learned that lesson and many more through this production.

The purpose of this film is to shine some light on an incredible community that is often overlooked, so I encourage you to above all share this with anybody who you think may enjoy it.

Your support means the world to me, I kicked the whole thing off with a kickstarter campaign, that $3K got me up and running with this project. In the end, I spent another $5K on top of that to make this into a reality. Any donations/merchandise purchased will of course help me recoup these expenses, which is immensely appreciated, but please don't feel obligated. Watching and sharing is enough for me, that's why I made the film in the first place, for people to (hopefully) enjoy and share!

Any support in the form of donations (via the tip jar above) would also be welcomed and immensely appreciated, but do not feel that it is expected or necessary. If I had made this film with the intentions of recouping the expenses/making money, I'd be that much more naive.

You can also support by buying merchandise from any of the bands, going to their shows and/or by purchasing a t-shirt, dvd or a pay-what-you-want digital download at brooklynrocksteady.com

Also! We love screenings, if you'd like to host one in your town, please get in touch! My email is samgursky@gmail.com and I'd love to come hang out and share my movie!

Thank you all so much for your support, it made this project possible and makes it all feel worth it.

Directed by:

• Samuel Gursky (samuelgursky.com)
Edited by:
• Nick Vannucci (nickvannucci.com)
• Matthew Greenberg (matthewgreenberg.com)
• Nicole Onorato (irvingharvey.com)
Sound Mix by:
• Stephen Murphy (westfallrecording.com)

I owe an immense amount of thanks to everyone who let me ride in their van through this experience as well, we shared in some incredible, awful and really life changing moments that I will never forget.

• Royal City Riot - Jesse Litwa, Matthew Spitz, Anthony Vito Fraccalvieri, Jon Degen, Ata Secilmis & Jared Kaplan.

• The Forthrights - Jack Wright, Sammy Kay, Matt Burdi & Jimmy Doyle. Also! Vic Ruggiero & Chris Murray.

PS: Chris Murray if you read this, I want a re-match for that pizza eating contest."