Last night’s post-premiere-screening party for The Good Heart (Magnolia, 4.30) happened at the Parkside Lounge (317 East Houston near Avenue B). The crowd included Good Heart director Dagur Kari, costar Paul Dano and g.f. Zoe Kazan. Not long after 11 pm The Martinets — the hard cranking garage-poet band fronted by Magnolia Pictures president Eamonn Bowles — took the stage in the rear room.


Magnolia Pictures president Eamonn Bowles during last night’s set at the Parkside Lounge.

This was my third Martinets encounter (the first happened five years ago at the Knitting Factory Tap Bar on Leonard Street), and I was reminded yet again that these guys are vigorous, fast and rock-sharp. They play crafty, well-shaped material with intellectually pointed lyrics, and Bowles “sings like a mad banshee and plays electric guitar like a ringin’ a bell,” as I wrote in ’05. The other Martinets are guitarist Daniel Rey, bassist Dave Rick and drummer Roger Murdock. Last night’s lead-off number was “I Don’t Follow.” (Or was it the second song?) It was all twangy kick-chop-bang-yow…whuh-buhm-buhm-buhm-bop.

I realized after listening to my video that my Canon SD1400 IS is a bust when it comes to recording amplified sound.


The Good Heart director-writer Dagur Kari — Tuesday, 4.20, 10:25 pm.

Parkside Lounge