Braid

One of the pioneers of emo as it is known today, Braid, along with bands like American Football and Cap'n Jazz, was responsible for a whole wave of music that, like it or not, has become a staple of modern punk rock. The band dissolved in 1999 to pursue other musical interests, most notably Vagrant emo heavies Hey Mercedes. This DVD reissue of the documentary of their last five shows contains the original film, plus a new retrospective, featuring current interviews with the members and new footage from the 1999 farewell shows. The original Killing A Camera has held up incredibly well over the past five years, and the transfer to DVD looks and sounds fantastic. The strength of the film is that it is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a simple "concert film." The shows are not played in order, nor in their entirety; rather, one performance of each song has been plucked out and the order rearranged, creating a smooth but diverse viewing and listening experience. Each song is book-ended by interview clips with the band discussing their formation and their current break up. The interview locales vary from empty swimming pools to tour vans and range from slightly self-indulgent anecdotes to thoroughly moving observations. The performances themselves are top-notch, while the band and the fans both clearly pour their hearts out in these final shows. The newly-added retrospective is an intriguing look at the band now; although it aims to inform the viewer as to what the members are up to currently, chances are most fans that pick up this DVD are quite aware of Bob, Todd, and Damon's pursuits with Hey Mercedes, as well as Chris's work with the Firebird Band. The extra performance clips from the farewell shows are interesting, however, and add to the original experience. A strong testament to the power of one band, this DVD should satisfy fans who missed out the first time around. (Bifocal Media, www.bifocalmedia.com)