My guest this week is NYC-based musician, author, and performance artist Joseph Keckler (NPR's Tiny Desk, tours with Lydia Lunch & Sleater-Kinney), who chose the 1929 two-reeler short St. Louis Blues, which is the legend Bessie Smith's first and only film appearance.
We discuss Joseph’s iconic performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Series, how he came to unleash his powerful vocal range on a wide range of audiences, choosing to write and sing in German about the adult moments where he was relapsing into a teenage Goth, befriending and touring with Lydia Lunch, Bebe Hansen, the current No-Wave scene in NYC, the excitement of having a standoff with an audience, opening for Sleater-Kinney, confusing but life-altering concert billings, where we both were when first hearing Bessie Smith and the imprint it left on us, why this 1929 short film of Bessie Smith was almost destroyed in the 50s, tape trading with The Residents, hearing Aretha Franklin's voice coming up through the floorboards and being obsessed with Cab Calloway & Bessie Smith as a child, Bessie’s acting chops and the unique direction of this performance & more.
So let's sing at the top of our lungs into the bottom of our beer mug on this week's Revolutions Per Movie.
Joseph will be performing on May 31st 2026 in NYC at TV EYE w/ Genre Is Death
Tickets available at tveyenyc.com/calendar
JOSEPH KECKLER:
josephkeckler.com/
BESSIE SMITH in ST. LOUIS BLUES:
youtube.com/watch?v=xIGscPYfEGs
REVOLUTIONS PER MOVIE:
Host Chris Slusarenko (Eyelids, Guided By Voices, owner of Clinton Street Video rental store) is joined by actors, musicians, comedians, writers & directors who each week pick out their favorite music documentary, musical, music-themed fiction film, or music videos to discuss. Fun, weird, and insightful, Revolutions Per Movie is your deep dive into our life-long obsessions where music and film collide.
Revolutions Per Movie releases new episodes every Thursday on any podcast app, and additional, exclusive bonus episodes every Sunday on our Patreon (over 125 bonus episodes are available and counting). If you like the show, please consider subscribing, rating, and reviewing it on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!
PATREON:
The show is also a completely independent affair, so the best way to support it is atpatreon.com/revolutionspermovie. By joining, you can get weekly bonus episodes and series such as A Very Opinionated Look At Urgh! A Music War & What Makes The Midnight So Special?, A Devotees Look At New Wave Theater, Exploring The Axis: The Oral History Of Frontier Records With Lisa Fancher, Dips On Chips w/ Jeff McDonald of Redd Kross, physical goods such as a limited edition 7" Flexidisc, and other exclusive goods that I send out to you for supporting the show. It helps the show to keep going and is greatly appreciated!
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THEME by Eyelids 'My Caved In Mind'
www.musicofeyelids.bandcamp.com
ARTWORK by Jeff T. Owens
https://linktr.ee/mymetalhand
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