Meet Me in the Bathroom is a documentary film directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, based upon the book of the same name by Lizzy Goodman, and the name of a Strokes song from their 2003 album, Room on Fire. So, it’s no surprise that The Strokes are the headliner of this ode to the NYC/Brooklyn rock scene of the late 90s and early 2000s. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are the co-headliner in the film with supporting roles from James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) and Interpol with appearances from TV on the Radio, The Rapture, and the Moldy Peaches. Showtime’s Meet Me in the Bathroom is a grainy scrapbook from the formative years of these diverse bands, most of which are still going strong. I have just one album apiece by The Strokes and TV on the Radio, but four of the five by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and all seven by Interpol (see previous posts about the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Interpol New Music Alert: Five Bands You May Not Have Heard of (and One You Have) and Interpol & Spoon Concert Review: A Sublime Juxtaposition of Musical Styles).
The film is all archival footage with no current interviews. As with many a rock documentary, the early live performances and rehearsals are the highlights: The Strokes opening for The White Stripes in 2002, “something was completely unleashed that night.” Karen O getting mobbed at the early Yeah Yeah Yeahs shows. James Murphy taking The Rapture under his wing at his DFA record label and then forming his own creative outlet, the highly danceable electronic punk of LCD Soundsystem. Interpol working on an early version of “Untitled” and rocking “Slow Hands” in concert.
These bands were greatly impacted by 9-11 with many being in the vicinity of the Twin Towers that day. It doesn’t matter how many times we’ve seen the footage; 9-11 will never cease to shock us. A musical migration from Manhattan to Brooklyn soon followed as musicians took over abandoned warehouses, continuing their DIY ethic. Buzz about bands was created by seeing them play at local venues and word of mouth; social media wasn’t born quite yet. The bands and their fans developed a spirit of community.
The film shows the pressures of early success, particularly on band leaders Julian Casablancas of The Strokes and Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The Strokes also blamed singer-songwriter Ryan Adams for contributing to guitarist Albert Hammond’s drug dependency, another major obstacle for the band to overcome. Karen O was sensationalized as the female lead of a rock band facing constant expectations to live up to her mesmerizing stage presence. The groups stayed together through challenges that would have doomed many other young bands. Were they (are they?) the last rock renaissance? The scene’s cultural importance is still being debated as they continue to make new music. If “Last Nite,” “Maps,” “PDA,” and “North American Scum” hold a special place in your heart, check out Meet Me in the Bathroom.
D² Rating ◼◼◼☐☐
Trivia: This band formed in Brooklyn in 1999, later moved to Cincinnati, Ohio and was in the Meet Me in the Bathroom book, but not in the film.
Answer: The National