Film Review: Any Day Now

Title:               Any Day Now
Director:              Jeff Wyatt Wilson
Producer:            Charlie Peacock, Kristin Dabbs, Marcus Whitney (Exec), Jeff Wyatt Wilson
Cinema:                Jeff Wyatt Wilson
Editor:                  Jeff Wyatt Wilson
Year:                     2009 (116 minutes)

Synopsis: Any Day Now is an enlightening performance documentary that tracks the “Ten out of Tenn” tour in the summer of 2008. Not unlike the cinema verite style of the 60’s, the ten singer/songwriters allow us a brief glimpse into the lives of musicians today. While traveling on Willie Nelson’s old beat up 1984 tour bus, the musicians leave their mark on every city both literally and figuratively. Together the musicians reveal an era of music and define the age of their time while savoring the experience and sense of family that was created.

Review: This film came out of nowhere. I wasn’t expecting much when I entered the theater, but I was blown away by the film and the music in it.

Any Day Now is a sort of “rockumentary” about 10 alternative singer-songwriters from Nashville who team up for a cross-country tour that was dubbed “Ten out of Tenn.”. The ten artists are Andy Davis, Butterfly Boucher, Claire Indie, Erin McCarley, Griffin House, Jeremy Lister, KS Rhoads, Katie Herzig, Matthew Perryman Jones, Trent Dabbs, Tyler James, and Will Sayles.

The film is part concert footage, part “life on tour” scenes. It’s almost two hours long, but it never feels like the film is dragging on or slowing down. Even when the film was over, I wanted more. (Note: I hear that the film has been edited down to 91 minutes.)

In some respects, Any Day Now picks up where A Nashville State of Mind leaves off. A Nashville State of Mind introduced us to the alternative music side of Nashville, a town more commonly associated with country music. Any Day Now takes the next step by taking us on the road and behind the scenes with some of Nashville’s best alternative singer-songwriters.

Director Jeff Wyatt Wilson does a great job of keeping the on and off stage footage very real and genuine. In fact, I think one of the film’s strongest points is how authentic it feels. You never get the feeling that anything is contrived.

If you like musical/performance documentaries (who doesn’t?) and singer-songwriters are your cup of tea (they should be), then I encourage you to see Any Day Now. You won’t be disappointed.

(4.25 out of 5.0)