THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN WWW.KANSAN.COM NEWS WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2007
LAWRENCE
Film festival gives insight into life along the rails
By Sam Carlson scarlson@kansan.com
The train has long been a means of transportation for people, and not just the ticket-buying passengers of Amtrak. A whole culture of freight train hoppers that took off during the Great Depression still exists today, according to a documentary film festival that took place at the Replay Lounge on July 16.
A mixture of full-length feature films and YouTube shorts that made up the Hobo Film Festival told the stories of those who hitched free rides on freight trains across the country.
Shawn Lukitsch, owner of the small film production company that produced some of the films and organized the festival, said he
"I really cannot explain what it's like to be out there," he said. "If you want a kick in the ass, this is it."
About 30 people sat inside the bar, located at 946 Massachusetts St., to get a glimpse at the rarely-seen side of the railroads.
had been riding freight trains since 1994. He said he thought that train riding was the last remaining form of "red-blooded American adventure."
One movie told of the camaraderie between the hobos, who were defined as traveling workers. Tramps were defined as traveling non-workers, and bums as non-traveling non-workers. The film also explained that the rails provided hobos with a forum to get together and tell their tales.
Lukitsch said that the hobo culture consisted of people from all walks of life who were in search of adventure. He said he's met a wide variety of people on the train, including neurosurgeons and psychologists. He added that the term "hobo" shouldn't carry a negative connotation.
"They're not scumbags, they're professionals," Lukitsch said.
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Lukitsch said that the hobo culture was dying, and the film festival was an attempt to preserve its legacy.
"We want to make it a point that it's not something that's going to be around for long," he said.
Alyssa Montoya, a Lawrence resident who called herself a "traveler," said the world of train riding is a well-kept secret.
said.
"A lot more people are traveling for free and no one knows it," she
One movie contained interviews with former hobos sharing their stories about life on the rails. The hobos strummed guitars and sang songs while others described the "hobo stew" that was commonly eaten.
At least one audience member didn't think the films accurately portrayed hobo life.
"A lot of it is romanticized," said Manny Manzani, a Lawrence resident. "It's a lot about good times. Being a hobo isn't just about good times."
The Hobo Film Festival tour began in Asheville, N.C., earlier this month and will make more than 20 stops across the country before ending at the National Hobo Convention in Britt, Iowa.
Edited by Joe Caponio
A small local band talks about life without fame, fortune or groupies
By Sam Carlson
scarlson@kansan.com
Kansan: Describe your fan base.
Matt: I'd say it's a fairly good mix.
Because we go to school, we advertise at KU. We also throw flyers up downtown.
Three 20-year-olds and a high school teacher make up the local band The Afterhours. Matt Falkenstien, Lawrence junior and lead vocalist, is joined by guitarists Kenny Nall and Bryan Anderson and drummer Anthony Birchfield. Nall is also a junior from Lawrence and Anderson is a 2001 KU graduate and high school English teacher. The Afterhours played The Jackpot Music Hall last week, and have played at several other local venues, such as The Replay Lounge and the Gaslight Tavern. The Kansan sat down with the quartet to get a glimpse of the band life.
Kansan: Any groupies?
Anthony: Unfortunately, no.
Matt: I think you have to be at a higher level. He's married (pointing
Interviewing The Afterhours
Bryan: We want to sound like the soundtrack to a good time. I'd say garage rock is as good as any.
Matt: We actually play in a basement.
Kansan: How do you classify your music?
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Bryan: Basement rock.
to Bryan) so he can't get too wild, or at least we're not supposed to tell anyone about it.
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Kansan: What do you think of the Lawrence music scene?
Matt: It's important to have your own niche because you're always going to sound like somebody or people are going to compare you to this or that.
Kansan: How did you come up with the band's name?
Matt: I really don't know. You pick a name that you all agree on and then you go online and Google it and there'll be like 10 other bands all over the world.
Bryan: Being a college town, there's a lot of competition because everybody and their grandma decide to go to college and then form a band.
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Kansan: So there are other bands called The Afterhours?
Matt: I think there's an Italian one.
Bryan: Yeah, but it's not "The"
Afterhours, it's just Afterhours.
Matt: And I think there's a girl
group, like a Spice Girls sort of
group. I guess if worlds collide we'll
just have to see who plays better.
Kansan: Where would you like the band to be in five years?
Matt: It'd be nice to be together for that long. I think our most realistic and our main goal is to just get big in Lawrence and to be able to play at will where we want.
Bryan: I think we're ready for whatever happens.
Anthony: Ride the wave.
Kansan: Do you guys expect to get signed?
Bryan: There's interest in releasing a single, so we're getting some local label interest and that's cool. If that opportunity happens we'll definitely do that.
Edited by Ben Smith