Glorious Noise has been a longtime supporter of the Columbus, Ohio band Two Cow Garage. They represent everything right about independent music—from their incredible energy on stage and development as musicians and performers, to their Do It Yourself attitude, dedication to the road, and genuine appreciation of each and every fan. They are proof of GLONO’s motto: rock and roll can change your life. Rock and roll took these three guys together and transported them out of Smalltown, Ohio into the wide open spaces of this great country. But GLONO is just one signal in a cacophony of noise devoted to great music, so it’s heartwarming to find another voice trumpeting Two Cow’s greatness.
John Boston says the idea to shoot a documentary on Two Cow Garage came up over dinner with his wife. Frustrated that a band so great was struggling to reach out beyond a handful of fans in any given town, he wished aloud that someone could tell their story and show how there are still bands out there doing it “for the right reasons.” These were guys with no traditional musical education, nor any guidance, out there doing what they loved. It was then that Boston’s wife pointed out the obvious, that he should do what HE loved and just make the film himself. After all, why not take a DIY approach to making a documentary about the ultimate DIY band? (Watch the trailer (7MB mov).)
Boston is 34 years old and struggling with the same philosophical issues those of us who grew up knowing Punk as not so much an attitude as a philosophy. How do we maintain integrity when faced with boring jobs that offer security and money and all the things we so easily dismiss in our teens as so many poisoned apples? Sure, our parents had nice houses, but it’d be a cold day in Hell before we put on a suit and went to a job we hated every day! But then we graduate college and start to long for the minor comforts of a nice place to live and a second-hand car. So, we take those jobs but keep playing in bands, or participate in local theater, or launch music criticism websites.
Having studied at NYU before moving to Chicago, a city with a thriving independent theater scene, Boston works as an administrative assistant while he continues to explore acting and now filmmaking. Glorious Noise sat down with Boston at a north side Chicago bar to discuss his film and the band that inspired it.
Continue reading The Long Way Around: One Badass Year with Two Cow Garage