Nerdcore Rising is an entertaining documentary about a nerd rap group called MC Frontalot and their first tour around the United States. The name of the movie comes from their self-titled style of music, which they dubbed nerdcore. It's an interesting film about what it takes to travel and play shows, and what makes it unique is the style of music and the fans they attract. It is available for rental or online viewing via Netflix.
The music from this band reminded me a little of G. Love and Special Sauce because it has a very funk rhythm to it. There is a drummer and a bass player, plus a keyboardist and a singer. The result is music that doesn't sound like overly synthesized looped beats like what you hear in most hip hop or rap. In other words, these guys are real musicians. This documentary reminded me a little of the scene in Revenge of the Nerds 2 where the Tri-Lambda nerd frat does a live show where they perform a very 80's style rap, but the people in this band are real.
I found the band members to be a rather charming bunch. The singer is a talented wordsmith who doesn't so much look the part of a nerd, but he does kind of talk like one, if that makes sense. I think he's a lot cooler than he gives himself credit for, and sometimes I wonder if he puts on a little bit of an act while doing the shows. None of the other band members are what you might call stereotypical nerds, but these days being a ‘nerd' is such a broad category that you can't really peg down one look and call it such.
The majority of the documentary focuses on the people involved in the tour, what it was like for them to travel and play shows, and how the audience reacted. In most places, some fans showed up and really supported the music. In other shows, people who just happened to be at the bar or club that night weren't always impressed. If you weren't familiar with their music, I can see how you might be taken back by them because the lyrics come so fast that you can't always get what he is saying.
Even if you don't like the music, and I can't say that I will be rushing out to buy their albums anytime soon, this is still an interesting look into what goes on behind the scenes with touring bands. Nationally known acts might have an entourage of roadies and help with them, but these guys did it all pretty much on their own. In some ways, it shows that being a ‘rock star' is a lot of hard work and not quite as glamorous as you might expect. The fact that these guys are making it is impressive.
There was one part of this movie that made me really mad and I keep meaning to write the producers about it. As they are travelling from Florida to Louisiana, they decide to drive through some of the Katrina-ravaged areas to sight-see. From what is shown on film, it looks like they drove through sometime in late 2005 or early 2006. What made me mad was that it shows them driving down the beach in Biloxi, MS and at the bottom of the screen it said ‘New Orleans, LA'. As a MS coast native who lost everything I owned to Katrina, I reflect the sentiment of a lot of people where I live that we are sick of always seeing New Orleans associated with Katrina. You'd think a bunch of ‘nerds' would know how to read a map, because New Orleans doesn't have beaches like what is shown on the film. In fact, they really don't have beaches at all.
Despite the geographical flub, I still found Nerdcore Rising charming. I think the band members are showmen first and nerds second, but they certainly have carved out their own niche and it is cool to watch people like this succeed.
Recommended:
Yes
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older
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