Call it fate, Call it karma, hedonism, obsession and addiction: Olivia Hannant reviews Lovelace and Southern’s adaptation of Meet Me in the Bathroom.
The eponymous documentary film, based on the novel by Lizzy Goodman, named the song by The Strokes off their album Room On Fire, offers a captivating glimpse into the thriving indie rock scene that emerged in New York City during the early 2000s. Against the backdrop of the political and cultural turmoil that followed the 9/11 attacks, this archival documentary immerses viewers in the raw, DIY ethos of Lower Manhattan's music scene. Featuring insightful interviews with key players like The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, James Murphy, and The Moldy Peaches, this film provides a fascinating and illuminating account of a pivotal moment in music history making it an interesting watch for any enjoyer of early noughties rock.
Exploring the rise of the Mouldy Peaches, Karen O’s struggle with being a female Korean American front woman, psychedelicized TV on the radio and the privileged roots of The Strokes as they rose to fame. Whilst reviews have been mixed, in watching you’re reminded why Julian Casablancas had the crowd in his hand whilst belting out stripped-back rock, overcoming his shyness whilst acting like he had not a care in the world. Karen O’s sexualised reality of being a front woman of a rock band, having to manage disrespectful onlookers whilst also struggling with racial identity in a heavily male-dominated white industry. Murphy of LCD Soundsystem’s success with producing The Rapture and then struggling and creating new music in an ever-changing environment with technological advancements.
"The documentary caters to our desire to witness iconic rock bands in their prime."
The documentary expertly blends together a mix of interviews, grainy camcorder footage from the crowd, and exclusive clips captured by the musicians themselves. Giving the documentary an authentic feel, I enjoyed the use of purely archival footage, with the opening scene of Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs seizing the microphone. However, the documentary quickly transitions to a more serious tone, as Ed Begley recites a passage from Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass over a montage of raw archival footage of Lower Manhattan. This sequence serves as a scathing critique of those who believe that New York City is the centre of the universe. By using a recording from the late 1950s, the film boldly asserts that the indie rock scene of the early 2000s in the Lower East Side was just as culturally significant as the Beat Generation era. The evocative words of Whitman, "Manhattan crowds, with their turbulent musical chorus! Manhattan faces and eyes forever for me," effectively capture the enduring impact and significance of the music scene that emerged during this period.
The audience is presented with scene-setting of the dive bars and dance nights that formed the backdrop for these bands. While the book persuasively argues that these venues and parties fostered the community that coalesced around these artists, the film avoids exploring these details. Instead, the documentary caters to our desire to witness iconic rock bands in their prime. As an audience member, it is what I desired, no shoehorned storyline just these bands at their prime.
"The film makes a tenuous but plausible connection between the artists' exodus from Lower Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks and their subsequent takeover of Brooklyn."
I felt Meet Me in the Bathroom provides a poignant reminder that Manhattan was not a permanent haven for the trailblazing indie rock musicians featured in the film. As the documentary draws to a close, we witness most of them departing the city, with Karen O lamenting the decline of the scene and yearning for the early days. The film makes a tenuous but plausible connection between the artists' exodus from Lower Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks and their subsequent takeover of Brooklyn. Moreover, the influx of musicians and creatives into the borough may have contributed to its rapid gentrification in the following years. In this way, the documentary offers a nuanced view of the ebb and flow of the indie rock scene in New York City during a turbulent period in its history.
Olivia Hannant
Edited by Roxann Yus
Cover image courtesy of Meet Me in the Bathroom on Chapter's Facebook page.
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