Neil Peart -- The Latest News

In 2009, filmmaker Paul Miil released the documentary The Big Story of Small Potatoes. It explored the roots of the lost music scene of Niagara, circa 1964-1974, of which Neil Peart was a musician. As part of his research, Miil spoke to many musicians who played with Neil in his early years, as well as contemporary drummers.

Now, Miil has recut the footage to assemble a new 48-minute documentary, The Origin of Neil Peart. Miil explains in the intro:

Before the footage from The Big Story of Small Potatoes was lost to time, I thought it prudent to fill the commitment I made to myself in 2007 to make the Neil Peart documentary. Neil Peart's band mates and contemporary drummers are the true character of this film. I had a ton of fun researching and finding them, and thank them all for their participation. In any event, it may be more accurate to have the "many" explain the "one"...

Thanks to Paul Miil for documenting this important musical history.

Labels: Origins of Neil Peart, The Big Story of Small Potatoes

If you live in St. Catharines, Ontario, or the surrounding area, there's a free premiere of the film on Sunday, Dec 20, at 2:30 p.m. Here's the official announcement:

Jack and Holli Kizera are pleased to announce they will host the first public showing of filmmaker Paul Miil's documentary The Big Story of Small Potatoes:  Niagara's Rock Music History 1964-1974 at The Golden Pheasant (244 Ontario St. St. Catharines) on Sunday, December 20th at 2:30pm. Admission is free.

The documentary focuses on the dynamic Niagara music scene from the '60s and early '70s, when the region was known as the "Liverpool of Canada." At the time, Niagara had more bands per capita than any other city across the land. The Big Story of Small Potatoes is an in-depth portrait of the kids who made the music scene happen told from the perspective of many of the same teenagers 40 years later.

"I grew up in the area in the '70s and '80s and I even played in some garage bands, but I never knew that there was such a thriving music industry in the streets of Niagara," said Miil. "These guys toured from the east coast to Thunder Bay...and they were sixteen years old. I mean everyone knew that [Neil] Peart came from here, but none of us knew about the scene that he came from."

Miil stumbled onto the lost Niagara music scene while researching a concept for a documentary on Peart, who went on to fame and fortune with Rush. Upon discovering the scope of the scene, Miil changed the subject of his documentary from the one kid to the many kids who were involved. For further information please go to www.miil.ca.

Labels: Documentary, The Big Story of Small Potatoes