STORYLINE: Young Jerry and Annie as they chase Dead and Company’s final 2023 tour in a questionable camper van, organizing their lives around the music with intensity.  (IMDb)

“I’m just travelin’, travelin’, travelin’, I’m just travelin’ on” – Dolly Parton, Travelen’ Thru from the film Transamerica (2005).

   In 1969 Jack 

 Nicholson and Dennis Hopper took to the lien road, in the indy film Easy Rider. Mahershella Ali and Viggo Mortemsen traveled through the deep south in the best picture winning Green Book (2018).  It was a family affair for Toni Collette, Steve Carrell, and company, as they road tripped it in 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine.  The documentary Summer Tour, has now traveled its way into a theatrical release. 

     Summer Tour is the latest documentary about the music industry, in some form or fashion, to be released. Since there is a continual flood of this worn out subgenre, there is clearly a market for it.  At least, Summer Tour, takes a chance and puts a different slant on the musical documentary subgenre. 

    Instead of focusing on a musicians back story, and rise in popularity, the primary focus is on following the band, Dead and Company, around the county, on their final tour.  Viewers get to know the central characters, the love they have for the music, and the culture around the band.  Those were the interesting parts to the movie, and needed what dominated the focus of the movie. Instead the music based documentary split its time with a history of the band, Dead and Company.  

   Here is where the movie lost me.  In what had the potential to be a personal feature about a fandom, and the culture around it, turned into another run of the mill motion picture. Considering the quantity of documentaries about musicians, and with proceeding features, that are far superior, this is just white noise within It’s ranks. Considering the quality of releases this year, it the same statement holds true. 

    Summer Tour is a documentary that looks at the music industry from a different point of view, but fall short of doing something truly unique.   

    Until next time, I will see you at the movies!