Scene: The rock 'n' roll guide to Sundance

South by Southwest is still about two months away, but in the meantime, there’s plenty of music-related activities going down at the Sundance Film Festival, which gets underway Thursday Jan. 17, in Park City, Utah.

Here’s a rundown, for those in need of a rock ’n’ roll fix.

Rock ’n’ roll movies

-- Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Long-standing, relatively obscure Canadian metal band Anvil (pictured) gets the documentary treatment. This is the film that holds the most promise, in the mind of this writer, as it aims to look at how a veteran band survives on the outskirts of fame, how it maintains a cash flow during its European tour and why it never gave up the rock ’n’ roll dream. Filmmaker Sacha Gervasi is said to be a long-standing friend of the band, meaning he probably treats Anvil with reverence rather than laughing at them. Metal site Blabbermouth says Anvil will perform with Slash at Sundance.
Screenings:
Friday, Jan. 18, 5:30 p.m. (Library Center Theatre, Park City)
Saturday, Jan. 19, 9 p.m. (Tower Theatre, Salt Lake City)
Sunday, Jan. 20, 12 p.m. (Egyptian Theatre, Park City)
Sunday, Jan. 27, 12 a.m. (Egyptian Theatre, Park City)

-- CSNY Déjà Vu
Directed by Neil Young (under the pseudonym Bernard Shakey), the documentary tracks the band’s 2006 "Freedom of Speech" tour, looking at the group’s continued involvement in rock ’n’ roll activism. The description on the Sundance site labels it “self-centered, yet fresh and critical,” so expect some antiwar boomers patting themselves on the back, but here’s hoping some of the non-concert aspects of the film capture the group’s relationship with its fans, and how the music colors their involvement –- or lack thereof -– in political activism.
Screenings:
Friday, Jan. 25, 9:30 p.m. (Eccles Theatre, Park City)
Saturday, Jan. 26, 9:15 a.m. (Eccles Theatre, Park City)
Sunday, Jan. 27, 12:30 p.m. (Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Salt Lake City)

-- Todd Martens

-- Slingshot Hip-Hop
This documentary from Jackie Reem Salloum looks at Palestinian hip-hop and the music that’s coming out of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle. A number of the musicians featured in the film will perform on Monday, Jan. 21, at 2:30 p.m. at the Music Cafe.
Screenings:
Friday, Jan. 18, 11:30 a.m. (Prospector Square Theatre, Park City)
Saturday, Jan. 19, 12 p.m. (Screening Room, Sundance Resort)
Sunday, Jan. 20, 11:30 p.m. (Holiday Village Cinema II, Park City)
Monday, Jan. 21, 6 p.m. (Tower Theatre, Salt Lake City)
Wednesday, Jan. 23, 9:30 p.m. (Holiday Village Cinema IV, Park City)
Friday, Jan. 25, 8:30 p.m. (Holiday Village Cinema II, Park City)

-- Patti Smith: Dream of Life
“Dream of Life,” the debut documentary offering from Steven Sebring, holds more promise than the typical rock doc as it followed Smith over the last 11 years. It’s all distilled into 109 minutes, promising a look at how the life of the punk-rock poet continually intersects with her art. The singer herself will perform Monday, Jan. 21, at the Sundance Music Cafe (6 p.m.).
Screenings:
Sunday, Jan. 20, 6:15 p.m. (Holiday Village Cinema III, Park City)
Monday, Jan. 21, 3:15 p.m. (Holiday Village Cinema III, Park City)
Tuesday, Jan. 22, 12:00 p.m. (Screening Room, Sundance Resort)
Friday. Jan. 25, 11:30 a.m. (Prospector Square Theatre, Park City)
Friday, Jan. 25, 9 p.m. (Tower Theatre, Salt Lake City)
Saturday, Jan. 26, 9:15 a.m. (Holiday Village Cinema III, Park City)

-- U2 3D
The Sundance premiere “U2 3D” was filmed during the band’s 2006 tour of South American stadiums with all sorts of fancy three-dimensional technology. Marvel as Bono’s hand reaches out to your face, or the Edge’s guitar swipes right in front of you. Though 2004’s “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” was U2 going through the arena-rock motions, the tour it inspired was anything but, yet this is probably for fans only.
Screenings
Saturday, Jan. 19, 9:45 p.m. (Eccles Theatre, Park City)
Sunday, Jan 20, 12:00 a.m. (Eccles Theatre, Park City)

-- Young & Heart
Who says there’s ageism in rock ’n’ roll? Stephen Walker’s documentary looks at a chorus of senior citizens that covers adventurous rock and punk songs, including Sonic Youth’s “Schizophrenia” and the Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” In the hands of this elderly choir, the latter, according to the Sundance description, becomes “an amusing meditation on life and death.” Not bad for a song about the dissolution of a relationship.
Screenings
Friday, Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m. (Broadway Centre Cinemas VI, Salt Lake City)
Saturday, Jan. 19, 6:30 p.m. (Peery's Egyptian Theater, Ogden)
Monday, Jan. 21, 9:15 a.m. (Holiday Village Cinema III, Park City)
Wednesday, Jan. 23, 8:30 p.m. (Library Center Theatre, Park City)
Saturday, Jan. 26, 2:30 p.m. (Prospector Square Theatre, Park City)

Movies for the rock ’n’ roll fan

Choke
Adapted from the Chuck Palahniuk novel of the same name, “Choke” follows the exploits of a sex-addicted scam artist working to keep his sick mother in a hospital outside of his price range. Music and film blog the Playlist had a rundown of songs featured in the film, from artists like Radiohead, Fiery Furnaces and the Twilight Singers. Additionally, former Shudder to Think guitarist Nathan Larson composed the score.
Screenings
Monday, Jan. 21, 8:30 p.m. (Racquet Club, Park City)
Tuesday, Jan. 22, 8:30 a.m. (Racquet Club, Park City)
Thursday, Jan. 24, 11:30 a.m. (Racquet Club, Park City)
Friday, Jan. 25, 12:15 p.m. (Eccles Theatre, Park City
Friday, Jan. 25, 12:00 a.m. (Tower Theatre, Salt Lake City)

Great Buck Howard
John Malkovich plays a failing illusionist in need of a comeback in Sean McGinly’s film, which was produced by Tom Hanks. The film is to be scored by dance-friendly indie rockers Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, whose “Some Loud Thunder” saw them going in a bit more atmospheric direction.
Screenings
Friday, Jan. 18, 6:30 p.m. (Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Salt Lake City)
Friday Jan.18, 9:30 p.m. (Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Salt Lake City)
Saturday Jan. 19, 3:15 p.m. (Eccles Theatre, Park City)
Sunday. Jan. 20, 6:30 p.m. (Peery's Egyptian Theater, Ogden)
Sunday, Jan. 20, 11:30 p.m. (Library Center Theatre, Park City)
Mon. Jan. 21, 9 p.m.(Screening Room, Sundance Resort)

Be Kind Rewind
The latest from Michael Gondry (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) stars Jack Black and rapper-actor Mos Def. The latter plays a video clerk who ropes his friend into reenacting a host of films for one of the store’s elderly customers after all the VHS tapes are erased. The score was composed by Jean-Michel Bernard and features a number of selections from pianist Fats Waller. The music will be performed at a Sundance concert (see below).
Screenings
Sunday, Jan. 20, 3:15 p.m. (Eccles Theatre, Park City)
Monday, Jan. 21, 8:30 a.m. (Library Center Theatre, Park City)
Tuesday, Jan. 22, 9:30 p.m. (Redstone Cinemas, Kimball Junction)
Thursday, Jan. 24, 6:30 p.m. (Peery's Egyptian Theater, Ogden)
Saturday, Jan. 26, 9 p.m. (Tower Theatre, Salt Lake City)

Performances:

-- The Aggrolites:
The Los Angeles-based Aggrolites, a reggae band raised on punk rock, will headline a Wednesday night showcase that also features DeVotchKa’s Nick Urata. The Aggrolites are certainly rooted in tradition, but there’s a soul that permeates through the group’s music and keeps the Aggrolites from being a genre rehash.
Performance:
Wednesday, Jan. 23, 8:15 p.m. (Sundance House at the Kimball Art Center)

-- Jesca Hoop
The L.A.-based, Bjork-influenced folk rocker (pictured), who's received the blessing of Tom Waits, creates oddly delicate pop songs. There’s a vampy, almost jazz-like quality to some of her songs, many of which receive ornate orchestrations.
Performance:
Friday, Jan. 18, 3:50 p.m. (Music Cafe)

-- Sondre Lerche
The singer-songwriter won over the Hollywood crowd for his work in “Dan in Real Life,” and the sensitive acoustic rocker has been getting a bit more aggressive of late.
Performances:
Sunday, Jan. 20, 4:35 p.m. (Music Cafe)
Monday, Jan. 21, 4:30 p.m.(Music Cafe)

-- Motion City Soundtrack
A vastly under-appreciated Midwestern power-pop band, Motion City Soundtrack’s recent “Even If It Kills Me” is loaded with irresistible melodies, gleaming keyboards and punky guitar lines.
Performance:
Sunday, Jan. 20, 3:50 p.m. (Music Cafe)

-- Sea Wolf
Sea Wolf -- the stage name of Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Alex Brown Church -- released its debut on Dangerbird Records in 2007, featuring the CW-friendly “You’re a Wolf.” The album doesn’t lack as much bite as that single, with its eerily relaxed keys, but there’s a subtle moodiness to his intricate indie rock.
Performances:
Friday, Jan. 18, 4:30 p.m. (Music Cafe)
Saturday, Jan. 19, 4:30 p.m. (Music Cafe)

-- Patti Smith, Michael Gondry, Jean-Michel Bernard
In addition to Smith’s solo performance on Jan. 21, she’ll appear at this Jan. 20 concert designed to celebrate the connection between music and film. Gondry and composer Bernard will showcase selections from “Be Kind Rewind,” and though not listed on the Sundance site, Peter Golub, director of the Sundance Institute film music program, says Mos Def will be in attendance.
Performance:
Sunday, Jan. 20, 8 p.m. (Kimball Art Center)

(Photos: Anvil courtesy www.anvilthemovie.com; U2 courtesy Los Angeles Times; Jesca Hoop courtesy Frank Ockenfels)

-- Todd Martens, Extended Play