Unfurling the decades-long journey of one of Athens’ seminal rock bands, Weirdo: The Story of Five Eight begins with the mental health crisis that pushed singer and guitarist Mike Mantione toward songwriting and performance, then recounts the band’s history from there. A major theme in the documentary is what success and artistic validation mean in a world where mainstream popularity can be evasive for creatives. Weirdo—which was directed by former Athenian and Flagpole editor Marc Pilvinsky—primarily tells its story through the band’s current members (Mantione, guitarist Sean Dunn, bassist Dan Horowitz and drummer Patrick Ferguson), but also features familiar voices like Bill Berry of R.E.M., Amy Ray of Indigo Girls, Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers and more. The event will begin with a screening of the documentary, followed by a Q&A session with the filmmaker and a show from Five Eight.
WHO: Weirdo: The Story of Five Eight
WHEN: Friday, Dec. 20, 8 p.m.
WHERE: Flicker Theatre & Bar
HOW MUCH: $15
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