by Damon Martin
It was all Dave Matthews doing.
As Kevin Smith took the stage at the Scotiabank Theater in Toronto while he was streamed out to hundreds of movie theaters across North America, the Clerks director admitted that it was years ago when he was at a movie, he saw a special announcement about a one night only Dave Matthews Band concert that would show all over world simultaneously in cineplex after cineplex.
The inspiration stayed with Smith for years. He dreamed of being able to go to his audience in a similar way, and this week he finally got his Dave Matthews moment. Kevin Smith: Live from Behind debuted on Thursday night, when the writer/director, along with good friend Jason Mewes, performed live in front of an audience in Canada, while reaching an audience of millions around the globe.
The concept was simple; Smith and Mewes would conduct a live taping of their podcast Jay and Silent Bob Get Old, and then they would move to a question and answer session. The questions would come from the live audience in Toronto and also via Twitter.
The 3-hour plus event showcased Smith and Mewes in their element. From a disturbing story about how Smith got obsessed with taking care of his daughter’s tortoises, including how he stopped turtle rape (you had to see it to understand it) to Mewes waxing intellectual about the first time he penetrated a vagina, and how girls don’t really have bushes anymore.
To look back, there really was no starting point to the show, but Smith and Mewes played brilliantly off of each other, and what was nothing more than a casual conversation between friends, turned into over an hour of entertainment for a live audience.
From there, Smith went into what most believe is his most perfect form of storytelling. His Q&A sessions, which are stuff of legend, including his iconic Hall H performance every year at San Diego Comic Con, and it’s undeniably where he really shines.
For two hours straight, Smith, along with Mewes, answered question after question from the live and internet audience. Smith didn’t shy away from anything. From funny and self-deprecating to serious and uplifting, Smith held the audience in the palm of his hand for over 180 minutes. When it was over, everyone would have gladly stayed for another three hours.
Smith has openly stated that after he makes his next move Hit Somebody, which begins filming later this year, that he is retiring from filmmaking. While many became sad at the prospect of losing such a funny and unconventional filmmaker, Smith’s true talent lies in other areas.
He’s built a podcast empire, with shows that typically rank as some of the most downloaded on all of iTunes, his public speaking gigs routinely sell out, and then he comes up with gems like Live from Behind where the audience can literally be anywhere and enjoy Smith’s own brand of humor and candor.
The film generation may look at names like Tarantino or Scorcese when speaking about the greats of the last 25 years, but when all is said and done, with ideas like Live from Behind, Kevin Smith may be the most creative mind the entertainment world has seen in the last few decades.
If you missed Live From Behind the only thing I can say is the next time Kevin Smith does a live show, podcast or video stream in your town, run don’t walk to see it. Even if you’ve never seen Clerks, Chasing Amy or Mallrats, just sit back and enjoy because it’s really a viewing experience everybody should have at least once.
