City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, follows up the success of its July Cinema & Carafe House showing, Mistaken for Strangers, with a pair of acclaimed music documentaries. End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones – described by Variety as “a punk Last Waltz” – traces the seminal punk band’s peaks and valleys over its 20- plus year career before disbanding in 1995. Beatles-related Good Ol’ Freda showcases the life of The Beatles longtime secretary Freda Kelly and her amazing stories about John, Paul, George and Ringo and the madness that surrounded them during the 1960s. End of the Century shows Wednesday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m.; Good Ol’ Freda shows Wednesday, Oct. 1, 8 p.m. in City Winery’s performance venue projected onto dual 90-inch screens and heard on City Winery’s state-of-the-art Meyer Sound® system.
To purchase concert tickets or to become a City Winery VinoFile™ member, call (312) 733-WINE (9463) or visit www.citywinery.com/chicago/
Read about the films below.
End Of The Century: The Story Of The Ramones: Wednesday, Sept. 24 ($5 general admission)
Beginning with the band’s first concert performances in the mid-’70s, End of the Centuryexplores the eccentric and highly volatile band members – in all the various lineups presented over the years – as the Ramones slowly gained fame for their high energy and high-tempo style of music that would later influence generations of punk rockers around the world. Mixing archival interviews with new interviews of the various surviving band members, as well as interviews with a number of the Ramones’ contemporaries, End of the Century encapsulates the East Coast underground music atmosphere of the 1970s and ’80s that the band inadvertently shocked into existence.
(Jim Fields & Michael Gramaglia, 2003, DVD, 105 min.)
Good Ol’ Freda: Wednesday, Oct. 1 ($5 general admission)
Freda Kelly was just a shy Liverpudlian teenager when she was asked to work for a local band hoping to make it big. Though she had no concept of how far they would go, Freda had faith in The Beatles from the beginning, and The Beatles had faith in her. History notes that The Beatles were together for 10 years, but Freda worked for them for 11. Many people came in and out of the band’s circle as they grew to international stardom, but Freda remained a staple because of her unfaltering loyalty and dedication. As The Beatles’ devoted secretary and friend, Freda was there as history unfolded; she was witness to the evolution – advances and setbacks, breakthroughs and challenges – of the greatest band in history. Themed drink specials may include green Apple-tinis in tribute to The Beatles’ record label.
(Ryan White, 2013, DVD, 86 min)
