Rod Webber

Rod Webber is an American musician, filmmaker and actor. Though, in his early music career he shared the stage with anti-folk acts Daniel Johnston (The Devil and Daniel Johnston) and Kimya Dawson, (former Moldy Peaches) [1] Webber is probably best known for his improvisational films and documentaries, many of which were created using Webber's personal manifesto which is cited in various publications about the filmmaker.[2] Webber has twice directed former mumblecore[3][4][5] actress Greta Gerwig, first in his film I Thought You Finally Completely Lost It, and next in Northern Comfort, both shot primarily in a three-day shooting frenzy. Webber has also collaborated frequently (three times) with Doug 'Tiny The Terrible' Tunstall, an outsider politician, WWE wrestler [6] and the subject of Webber's documentary A Man Among Giants.[7] In addition to his filmmaking, Webber has released several successful musical endeavors.

Rod Webber
Born
Rod Webber

Boston, MA, U.S.
OccupationFilmmaker, Musician, Actor
Years active1999–present

Career

At 21,[8] Rod Webber began climbing the college music charts with Burned My Feet On Meat Street.[9][10] Webber followed up Burned My Feet with The You I Knew, featuring the lead track " Blue Hour".[11] According to The Boston Globe, he began a courtship with major labels like Columbia, Arista, and Universal Records, but ultimately stuck to his indie roots, and continues to release records without the help of a major.[12]

In 2005, Webber began directing Monkfish starring Lloyd Kaufman,[13] and Tiny The Terrible, which debuted May 11, 2005 at The Paradise Rock Club in Boston.[14] Webber followed up Monkfish with A Man Among Giants,[15] a documentary in which Webber trails Monkfish star Doug 'Tiny' Tunstall AKA Tiny The Terrible in his quest to unseat James E. Doyle, the Mayor of Pawtucket Rhode Island.[16] After Tunstall was arrested in 2009 for creating a disturbance in a courtroom, Webber bailed him out of jail. Tunstall was subsequently committed to a prison mental hospital, resulting in a year-long effort by Webber to have him released. Unsuccessful in helping Tiny's case through legal channels, Webber released a new feature-length documentary, American Psych Ward about Tunstall's unlawful imprisonment. After 4 days of packed screenings, Tunstall was released.[17]

Webber's effort to have Tunstall released from prison indefinitely postponed the release of Northern Comfort, which he had shot with indie 'mumblecore' queen Greta Gerwig the previous year. The film was delayed until May 28, 2010, by which time, Gerwig had gone on to her mainstream acting career with titles such as Greenberg starring Ben Stiller. Despite the delay, Northern Comfort met with favorable reviews. According to the Boston Globe, Webber and Gerwig create "ornery sparks",[18] and The Weekly Dig called him the "Anti-James Cameron" as a result.[19]

Next, Webber began filming Milkweed, a drama starring Webber and Ali Bell who helped him to produce Psych Ward, the year before. Again, despite Webber's speedy filming technique, the film was delayed to promote the release of My America, a politically charged drama which was shot in the spring of 2010 after the production of Milkweed began. The Boston Globe called the film, "a shocking drama on the subject of racism." [20] Time Out Boston described My America as "chilling." [21]

According to IMDB, Webber Milkweed is scheduled for release later this year, and also stars Mark Wahlberg's eldest brother, Arthur.[22]

Other works
  • Is the creator of UtopiaLand (2010), a new animated series.
  • Created and organized a traveling event called "Circus of the Shattered Monkey" featuring live music, poetry, and sometimes films. The event was also known by its French name "Cirque Du Singe Brisé." [23]

Trivia
  • Rod's version of "Syd Barrett Blues" is the original version released in 2004, and came out a year before The Black Angels (band) "Syd Barrett Blues," which takes the concept of Webber's ode to Barrett in the vein of Barrett's tribute to Bob Dylan, "Bob Dylan Blues." [24]
  • When starting out, was caught making one of his films without a permit. He was forced to shut down his production for use of a plastic toy pistol, and decided to instead release Burned My Feet On Meat Street.[25]
  • For a brief stretch in 2004, Webber wrote songs for his friend Michael Swasey, the host of The Swasey Show at WFNX.
  • In 2007, Webber helped to document fellow Bostonians The Dropkick Murphys for their The Meanest of Times DVD.[26]
  • A longtime resident of Boston, Webber's 20-minute documentary of Brian McNamee shot in Everett, MA helped to break news on the Pro-Baseball steroid scandal [27] in 2008, and was posted by The Boston Herald on their website March 27 of that year.
  • Webber has written, arranged and produced music for a handful of musicals and other theater productions. In 1998 he wrote the music for David Hanbury's Talking To Maybe, and co-wrote a number of songs for Personal Instrument in 2000, also by David Hanbury. He worked as music producer for cousin Jake Oliver's Viva Los Bastarditos.[28]

Filmography as director, cinematographer, composer
Year Film Job Notes
2005 Monkfish Director Actor: Stewart Tanner
2006 Postcards From The Den Of Failure Camera
2007 The Meanest Of Times DP Short Documentary
2008 Brian McNamee speaks at ANC Director Short Documentary
A Man Among Giants Director Documentary
Sweetie Composer Short directed by A.T. Sayre
I Thought You Finally Completely Lost It Director Actor: 'Rod'
2009 American Psych Ward Director Documentary
Virgil & Caesar Director Short
Harmony Korine & The Malingerer Fish Director Short Documentary
Bo Diddley & The Bout With Mike Tyson Director Short Documentary
2010 Northern Comfort Director Actor: Horace
DeathWorld Director Short
Do It Again Camera Kinks Documentary
UtopiaLand Director Actor: Various
2011 Milkweed Director Actor: Lonny Robards
My America Director Actor: E.J. Winston

Discography
  • 1997 – Math & Emotion
  • 1998 – Telepath
  • 1998 – Ascent
  • 1999 – Burned My Feet On Meat Street
  • 2000 – The Death & Burial of Rod Webber
  • 2001 – Incandescent
  • 2001 – Folk Songs
  • 2002 – The You I Knew
  • 2003 – Paper Slipper Shuffle
  • 2004 – Eastertown

Awards
  • Rod Webber won "Choice Award" for A Man Among Giants at Ruff Cutz Indie Film Conference.[29]
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References
  1. Lach (May 31, 2001). "'Purr Music Notes". Purr Magazine. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  2. David Wildman (March 6, 2011). "'Area Filmmakers roll out Reel Alternatives to big festivals". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 18, 2011. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  3. Ty Burr (May 28, 2010). "'Northern Comfort' movie review - 'Northern Comfort' showtimes". Boston Globe. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  4. June Wulff (July 8, 2009). "Larger Than Life, Film 'A Man Among giants' at Somerville Theatre". Boston Globe. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  5. "Greta Gerwig IMDB". Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  6. "Tiny The Terrible IMDB". Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  7. Joel Brown (July 9, 2009). "'A Man Among Giants' movie review - An Attention Seeker's Last Hurrah". Boston Globe. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  8. Tristram Lozaw (January 7, 2000). "Needham Rapper Armed with Potent CD". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  9. David Wildman (January 30, 2000). "He Knows He's A Maverick In Boston". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  10. David Wildman (October 26, 1999). "CD REVIEW: Rod Webber's Burned My Feet on Meat Street". University Wire. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  11. Gail Worley (February 2003). "The You I Knew CD Review". Ink 19. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  12. Joan Anderman (December 30, 1999). "Accidental Artist's Debut". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  13. MJ Simpson (2008). "Where's Lloyd". MJ Simpson. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  14. Scott Matalon (May 11, 2005). "Pony Trouble at Paradise Rock Club". Ponytrouble.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2009. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  15. Joel Brown (July 10, 2009). "Movie Stars Movie Stars". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  16. Linda Matchan (July 5, 2009). "In Duxbury, A Reel Partnership". Boston Globe. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  17. Tenley Woodman (July 5, 2009). "Tiny Dreams Big". Boston Herald. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  18. Ty Burr (May 28, 2010). "Movie Nation - Wesley Morris and Ty Burr - Boston Globe Movie Critics". Boston Globe. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  19. Paul Ryan (May 28, 2010). "Northern Comfort". The Weekly Dig. Archived from the original on June 1, 2010. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  20. David Wildman (March 7, 2011). "EXPERIMENTALLY ILL 4 PRESS Area filmmakers roll out reel alternatives to big festivals". Boston Globe. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  21. David Wildman (March 7, 2011). "DIY auteurs take over Somerville". Time Out Boston. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  22. "Milkweed". imdb.com. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  23. Rich Van Vleet (July 30, 2004). "'The Zeitgeist Gallery: Cirque Du Singe Brisé'". Zeitgeist Gallery. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  24. musicstack (2004). "'Albums, CDs Vinyl'". MusicStack. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  25. Armed With Potent CD article
  26. Boston Phoenix Article about Meanest of Times with video shot by Rod Webber & Greyson Welch of Ketchabrick
  27. Brian McNamee speaks at ANC on Steroid Scandal
  28. Webber is Music Producer for Jake Oliver's Musical
  29. Webber & Team accept Award for A Man Among Giants
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