Chillin’ on the lawn

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If you take a look at the list of bands participating in this year’s Movies & Music on the Lawn series, it might seem like the most chilled-out roster the popular event has ever organized.

Hosted by Baton Rouge Gallery on the lawn of its BREC facility, the event pairs local bands with iconic silent films. Band members are tasked with creating a soundtrack they perform live while the film rolls for the crowd, seated in lawn chairs and on blankets.

This year’s participating bands are Alabaster Stag, Minos the Saint, The Rakers, Thou and Palomino Darling.

OK, OK … anyone familiar with Baton Rouge music knows Thou is anything but chill. The popular, nationally touring band has the benefit of being labeled “sludge metal,” and its pairing with one of the first-ever horror films, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, will probably be just as dark and twisted as the film itself. (Has anyone ever moshed at Movies & Music on the Lawn?)

The rest of the acts are mostly known for traveling more funky, groovy, soulful and acoustic routes, making for excellent counterpoints to their complementary films, which run the gamut of slapstick, romance and even a Hitchcock classic.

Also new this year: three kid-friendly shorts that will all be soundtracked by the students of Baton Rouge Music Studios.

Get ready to relax and stretch out on the lawn for one of Baton Rouge’s more unique series.

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The schedule:

May 27: The Cameraman (1928) with a live score from funk/soul band Alabaster Stag
June 24: La Bohème (1926) with a live score from chamber rock band Minos the Saint
July 29: The Freshman (1925) with a live score from “the thinking man’s drinking band” The Rakers
Aug. 26: “Kids Night” shorts with live scores from students of Baton Rouge Music Studios
Sept. 29: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) with a live score from metal band Thou
Oct. 28: Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail (1929) with a live score from folk/rock duo Palomino Darling

Admission is free for BRG members or $7 for non-members. Unlimited popcorn is included in the price of admission. Screenings begin at 8 p.m. or sunset. batonrougegallery.org 

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This article was originally published in the May 2017 issue of 225 Magazine.