DIRECTORS DANNY SZLAUDERBACH & DAN FETHERSTON WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE FOR A POST SCREENING Q&A

Synopsis

Surrounded by wheat fields, cowboys, and cars, four bespectacled misfits in Kansas grabbed instruments and blasted out “a ravenous strain of rock ‘n’ roll” as tuneful, brainy, and enthralling as anything coming from the coasts. They worshipped the Stooges and witnessed the Sex Pistols bring punk to the Great Plains, igniting within them an uncontrolled prairie fire to do-it-themselves. While building a scene of "weirdo new wave freaks" in their home state, the band toured the country and drew the attention of influential figures like Allen Ginsberg, John Cale, and Jonathan Demme, but their independence and refusal to sell out sparked tension within the group and kept mainstream success at bay. Through original interviews, restored concert footage, and appearances by fans including Evan Dando, Freedy Johnston, Grant Hart, and Thomas Frank, this documentary shows how the Embarrassment rose out of nowhere to become a post-punk legend that's almost been forgotten — until now.

Dir. Danny Szlauderbach, Dan Fetherston, USA, 96 min, 2022

Tickets are $13

Doors are at 12:00 PM, come eat and drink in the theater before the show!

As of July 1st, the Bryant Lake Bowl Theater will no longer require proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 tests at the door. Click here for our current COVID-19 policy.