In my early twenties, when I started taking filmmaking seriously, I saved up to buy the new Panasonic AG- DVX100.  It was cutting edge, and able to shoot 24 frames a second.  I ordered it online for $3800, and eagerly awaited its arrival.  Then the universe shined a light on me.   Someone fucked up the invoice, and the delivery driver left TWO of them on my doorstep, unsigned for.  

The company finally recognized the mistake and contacted me… I denied it, and they couldn’t prove a damn thing.  I won.  That’s the day things changed for me.   Now I could record events dynamically, with my brother Jason’s help. 

*

I bussed tables with Dave Combs, the guitarist for The Downers, in the Italian restaurant next to the Urban Lounge.  He invited me to check out his band, and that led to Jason and I recording our first concert.  We didn’t screw it up, and we got great audio off the mixer with the help of Ryan Boud.  During that period, no one else was covering the Salt Lake City music scene. 

So, I thought ‘Alright, screw it.  I’ll do it, then.’  All these years later, I think the footage matters, and restoring it has been an honor for me.  

*

The Downers, tho short-lived, became an influential presence during that era, as a wave of high energy musicians came together and created unforgettable work. 

Paul Burke would join multiple bands – like The Corleone’s, Homesick, and Vile Blue Shades.  He left an indelible mark on the scene before moving to Portland with his girlfriend, Sunshine.

Cathy Foy would perform in The Future of the Ghost, and Browser before fronting Strong Words, on guitar and vocals.  She’s now a music teacher at the ‘Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls’.  

Dave Combs and Doug Grose would go on to form The Pleasure Thieves – with Lance Saunders and Mike Sartain – and release their incredible album ‘The Empire Never Ended’.  You can still find Dave at The Urban Lounge.  

Enjoy the (almost) 20th anniversary edition of The Downers!

SETLIST:

1. Three Times as Nice

2. Lousy Weekend

3. No Safe Place to Go

4. Staring at You

5. Panoramic View

6. (Untitled at the time.  Anyone have an update?)

7. Better Off With Nothing At All

8. My Name Is A Killing Word