Wetlands Preserved: The Story of an Activist Nightclub (2005)
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91% of critics liked it
(11 reviews) -
64% of users liked it
(35 ratings)
A lot have people have opened rock clubs for a lot of different reasons, but Larry Bloch is one of the few to have opened a music venue as a medium for social change. In 1989, Bloch and a handful of friends, none of whom had experience running a nightclub, opened Wetlands in New York City's Tribeca… More A lot have people have opened rock clubs for a lot of different reasons, but Larry Bloch is one of the few to have opened a music venue as a medium for social change. In 1989, Bloch and a handful of friends, none of whom had experience running a nightclub, opened Wetlands in New York City's Tribeca district, and as part of their business plan, each month a percentage of the club's proceeded were to be donated to a nonprofit Center for Social and Environmental Justice, with the annual payout often exceeding 100,000 dollars. In addition to the club's success as an avenue for fundraising, Wetlands helped give a home to a new breed of bands whose music suited the hippie-esque vibe of the club while opening new territories in improvisational rock, and Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Blues Traveler, and Gov't Mule were among the acts who were regulars attractions at Wetlands before finding worldwide fame. Dean Budnick, a senior editor at Relix Magazine (a journal that frequently covers the jam band scene) makes his directorial debut with Wetlands Preserved: The Story of an Activist Rock Club, which examines both the music and the message behind this fabled venue. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- Unrated, 1 hr. 37 min.
- Directed By
- Dean Budnick
- Genres
- Documentary, Musical & Performing Arts, Special Interest
- On DVD
- Apr 22, 2008
Critic Reviews
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Rafer Guzman, Newsday
If you never twirled barefoot in the funky old club, Wetlands Preserved may be of limited interest, but it's a loving and thorough document of a small slice of rock history.
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Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
With its carefully-chosen soundtrack, funky animation, and enthusiastic interviews, Dean Budnick's affectionate documentary pays apt tribute to Wetlands, a local landmark that closed in 2001.
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Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
Wetlands Preserved is a fond account of the rising, thriving and eventual closing of the TriBeCa club known as the Wetlands Preserve.
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Nora Lee Mandel, Film-Forward.com
Entertainingly builds a convincing case for the club's significance as a NYC outlet for the politically-conscious interplay of Americana rock, folk, and hip-hop.
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Kam Williams, NewsBlaze
A fitting tribute to some intrepid souls who dared to try to carve out an altruistic utopian escape right in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a most materialistic metropolis.
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