Time Well Spent

There was a packed house this past Thursday night at Lincoln Hall on Chicago’s north side for a screening of director Balin Schneider’s Out Of Time - The Material Issue Story. Schneider was on hand, along with original Material Issue members Mike Zelenko and Ted Ansani, and the three of them provided a heartfelt introduction before the film began. Zelenko and Ansani would return to the stage a few hours later with vocalist-guitarist Phil Angotti for a live set of Material Issue music.

Schneider has crafted a compelling if short study of a band that seemed destined for major success but inexplicably fell short. It’s a familiar scenario for Chicago area music fans who’ve seen major labels bungle the marketing of Shoes, Off Broadway, and The Elvis Brothers. Except in this version, the outcome was genuinely tragic when charismatic lead vocalist-guitarist Jim Ellison committed suicide.

Securing an interview with music producer Mike Chapman was a major coup for a young director like Schneider. Chapman produced Material Issue’s 1994 Freak City Soundtrack album,  and was widely respected for his work with Blondie, The Knack, Sweet, and others. His studio expertise, along with a deep admiration for the band’s material and musicianship, seemed to guarantee a desperately needed mega-hit album. But, as Out Of Time shows, it didn’t happen.

Throughout the film, Chapman delivers funny, insightful, and at times, heartbreaking observations about the recording sessions, and Ellison in particular. There are also interviews with Shoes guitarist-vocalist Jeff Murphy, who produced Material Issue’s first two albums; Ellison’s family members; Metro owner Joe Shanahan; Sound Opinions radio show hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot; and musicians Brad Elvis, Chip Z-Nuff, and Jay O’Rourke. Schneider keeps the film lively by adding live performance footage and rock videos of Material Issue and other popular acts back in the 1990s.

Even for those of us familiar with the Material Issue story, the coverage of Ellison’s suicide feels like a punch in the face. That’s not an error on Schneider’s part; it’s a testament to how close he’s brought us to these three talented and likable musicians. Still, it would have been nice to have a more upbeat message woven into the final minutes of Out Of Time. Phil Angotti has done a solid job on lead vocals and guitar through a series of Material Reissue shows over the years. Yet he’s not mentioned in the film, and neither is the annual International Pop Overthrow festival that is named in honor of Material Issue’s stellar debut album.

Purists might insist those elements don’t belong in a documentary about the band in its heyday. But I would argue they prove there is still plenty of time to celebrate and rock out with Material Issue. At any rate, Out Of Time - The Material Issue Story is a must-see for power pop and Chicago rock scene fans.