"We like reaching everybody—we like reaching people who don’t necessarily expect it. At nightclubs and whatnot people are expecting a band and they either care or they don’t care—they’re just there to drink. But when you’re out in the street, life is really going on around you," says Roblyn Crawford. In December of 2006, busker extraordinaire Fast Heart Mart set out on a journey to New Zealand. Together, double-necked acoustic guitar-wielding Martin Stamper (whose mother is New Zealand-born) and drummer Crawford toured the North and South islands for four weeks, performing in the streets, at some conventional establishments and at the World Buskers Festival in Christchurch. The trip culminated in a two-week long family reunion. Fourteen hours of footage was captured on a handheld camera, which Crawford diligently edited into a 90-minute rockumentary titled Put Me on an Island . She says they made the documentary as a memento for the family, but it’s not all home movie-style footage. At times the camera was even given to audience members who captured performances. Crawford says New Zealand is very accepting of street performers, and that the only problem the band ran into (aside from two hours in customs) was attempting humor. "They’re really funny people, so often Martin would say ‘I shouldn’t even tell my jokes here because I’m not even funny to you people—I should just try to make you cry.’ So we ended up playing really sad songs." Albuquerque audiences can view the world premiere of Put Me on an Island this weekend at Guild Cinema where, on Saturday night, Fast Heart Mart will perform a 20-minute set.
Put Me on an Island World Premiere
Saturday, Dec. 19, 11 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 20, noonGuild Cinema (3405 Central NE)Tickets: $7 Saturday (includes a Fast Heart Mart performance), $5 Sunday
