Steve Miller Band Premiers Film “Live From Chicago”

Sunday, October 7th,  marked yet another momentous and exceptional show by the infamous Steve Miller Band. After their LA concert Saturday night the band, along with Coming Home Media and Blue Rider Pictures, premiered their new film, Live from Chicago, at the Mann Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. It was followed by an after-party at Citizen Smith on Cahuenga Blvd. The film, as implied by its name, is the complete coverage of their live two day concert in Chicago earlier this year. The show is filmed in high definition and produced using some of the finest technology in today’s world of film production. The screening was followed by a Q&A session with a panel including Steve Miller and led by 95.5 KLOS’ Uncle Joe Benson, during which one fan commented that he had never before believed that the filming of a concert could actually be better than the live show it had covered.

Although the bulk of questions and comments focused primarily on the technical aspects of the production rather than the show itself, the musical quality of it contributed hugely to the impressive outcome of the entire production. The producer was quick to note also that the final product is only as great as it is because of Steve Miller and his full cooperation and unmatched talent.

Following the premiere the band hosted a party at Citizen Smith with a guest list including Andy Johns, the music "mixer" for the film and old friend of Steve’s, David Spade, Uncle Joe Benson and many more familiar faces. At the party I had a chance to talk extensively with the band–excluding Steve who, according to a close friend, was "probably hiding in some dark corner in the VIP area." This band is notable for so many reasons, even when one excludes their obvious artistic skill and longevity as a successful group. The members are humble, kind, and entirely level-headed about their success. Joseph Wooten, the piano player, told me that he keeps a photo of his sons on the piano during concerts (which can be seen in the film) and that he likes to think of his piano space as an office space in that the typical business person adorns their workspace with family portraits and reminders of what is important in their lives.

The DVD set, Live from Chicago, which includes two DVDs and one CD, will be out in theatres in 2-3 weeks and available for sale shortly thereafter. It will also be shown on television around the same time, hopefully in high definition. This film is not to be missed, whether you are an old fan or just have a couple favorite tunes. I myself used to choreograph dances to classics such as "Jungle Love," "Rock’n me," and "Swing Town" at the early age of 7 and this film was a reminder of  how spectacular and talented this band truly is. In short, see it and then buy it because you will have to.