Goldmine Review

“Soulhat: Goldmine” (2000)
Produced by Stephen Barron

Goldmine
Big Backyard
Stranger Things
Space/Find the Time
Preacher Man
Neighbor
Prayin’ for Rain
Big Nose
Wiggin’
Smile/Credits

Stephen Barron’s “Goldmine” is a 58-minute document of 10 live performances by Austin’s Soulhat. The video covers the earliest period of the band, from 1991-1993, and features the band’s original two-drummer lineup, as well as the scaled-back four-piece that became famous.

The video was well-produced, having used a variety of cameras at each location — primarily at La Zona Rosa during the first several Mother Earth’s Day Festivals, and at the Black Cat on Sixth Street on the first night of recording for the “Live at the Black Cat” cassette.

The video quality is quite good and Stephen obviously spent a great deal of time editing the vast amount of film he had. Plenty of footage of each band member is interspersed with wide crowd sweeps, prompting our small audience to “ooh” and “ahh” when someone we all knew was recognized in a much-younger form.

And though the video gets a little too conceptual at points, most of “the concept” works so well that who are we to complain? Simply put, this is the best visual document of early 90s Austin music we’ve ever seen (maybe the only one)? If only someone had thought to do this with Twang Twang Shock-a-Boom!

We were impressed with the song selection, which captured much of the band’s early material (though how Stephen could leave out the crowd favorite and tribute to the band’s biggest fan, “Emily,” is something we’ll have to ask).

And for anyone with “Live at the Black Cat” on their brain, the middle section of this video will absolutely floor you. Stephen synched the final mix of the “Black Cat” tape with footage from the 8/29 taping for three songs, Find the Time, Preacher Man, Neighbor. Imagine getting to see Kevin say “It’s just like any other night. Ain’t no different.” Now, for the first time in ten years, you can.

We’ll have to look at the video a couple more times before offering a definitive review, but we’ll end with a big thank you to Stephen… for all your hard work on the Mother Earth’s Day festivals and this truly amazing video.

Stephen Barron’s “Goldmine” aired on Austin’s Channel 16, on 4/30/01 at 11 pm. The format was standard television, the audio taken from both audience and soundboard sources.

submitted: 5/1/2001