Press

Steve Golley - At The Hub

By John Hubbard
Mid-York Weekly

Steve Golley knows it will be a long, cold, expensive winter and he is using his considerable artistic talents and boundless energy to help.

Golley, well-known here abouts as a singer-songwriter and bandleader, has spent a good part of the last two years becoming a filmmaker. The result is “The Quest for Sadie,” which will have its Hamilton premiere November 19 at the Palace Theater. Showcasing the music of Bag ‘A’ Bones (“Not just a band. A way of life.”), the film will be shown at 7 and 9 p.m., with all ticket proceeds going to the Community Action Program to help defray the cost of fuel oil for folks in Madison County.

Sadie is the name Bag ‘A’ Bones band members gave that mysterious essence that appeared when everything was clicking; when Steve’s songs were penetrating, when the rhythm section was swinging and the big bottom was holding it all together. Whether playing at a benefit or jamming during the regular Monday night rehearsals, Bag ‘A’ Bones’ aim was to coax Sadie to dance among them, so that the total was more than the sum of the parts.

Two years ago the Earlville Project was created to capture that magical synergy on film. Bag ‘A’ Bones was granted permission to turn the old Earlville School into a sound stage and for two weeks, while the band played, a crew developed. Matt Nelson managed the lights, Frank Goodrich handled the sound and camera operators were recruited. Other volunteers stepped forward whenever jobs needed to be done and, finally, concert-goers were urged to be themselves.

In the end, Golley, who had a vision of how it would all work out, had 45 hours of tape.

“When I came back with the footage and saw the potential we had, it took my breath away,” says Golley, who set about learning to make a film. “I used the palette that I had, which was the band,” he says. “By the end of the show, Sadie was there.”

Back in 1977 Golley’s first album was one of the earliest homemade efforts to be released. He feels “The Quest for Sadie” is similarly ground breaking. “If I can do this, anyone can” and he hopes people who see the film will be inspired to take advantage of the technology and create their own projects.

“I’ve spent a kabazillion hours on this,” says Golley. Partly it is to give back to the guys in the band (that’s Marty Mettler on “lead soul guitar,” Carl Pickett playing bass, Jymn Chamberlain on congas and Ron Morgan behind the drum set). They’ll have something now to show their grandchildren that illustrates their stories of the good old days.

Ultimately, the whole process is about more than music, movies or mile markers.

“One of the things I could never do very well was promote myself but this is not about Bag ‘A’ Bones or the film. It’s really about the Sadie Fund,” says Golley, who has been fundraising to meet the costs of staging the premiere so the entire tickets sale can go to the Community Action Program.

Golley knows even two sold out shows can total only a fraction of what it will take to keep Central New Yorkers warm this winter and he is reminded of a story, which he tells much better, but it goes like this.

A man is relaxing at the shore when he notices a beachcomber, who from time to time bends over, picks up one of the countless starfish washed in by the tide and throws it back into the ocean.

“Really think that makes a difference?” challenges the man in the lawn chair.

The beachcomber picks up another starfish, looks it over and then tosses the creature back into the waves. “It does to that one.”

Steve Golley is working for the magic once again, one starfish at a time.

Advance sale tickets to “The Quest for Sadie” are available Parry’s 824-0002. Tickets will also be available at the door.