Last night I went to a screening at the Hallwalls Gallery of a documentary twelve years in the making called
Blaze Foley: Duct Tape Messiah. The event included a q&a with the director Kevin Triplett, and was followed by a one man concert by Gurf Morlix who was a friend of Foley's and who shared a number of funny stories not included in the film. Foley (that's him above) appeared to be kind of an outcast, often drunk and homeless, but with a soul that garnered many friends and which came across in the very pretty, touching, and often funny songs that he composed. The film does a great job of telling how his career was regularly upended by his idiosyncrasies and addictions, while also making it clear why he was so beloved by so many of those who took the time to get to know him. Morlix (that's him below) was one of those and his stories of a time when Foley basically lived on his couch were themselves highly entertaining, but with an edge of poignancy that Foley could never quite pull things together. The concert of Foley compositions was one revelation after another (the only one familiar to me was something covered by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard on an album I picked up back in the 80s). At this point, the movie can only be seen in these special screenings, as Triplett is still working on some copyright clearances, but if you get the chance, go see it; and if it iincludes a performance by Morlix, don't miss it-- this was just a great evening of entertaining music and stories, and even though Foley's story has a kind of tragic ending (he was murdered), you can't really come away from hearing his story without it leaving a smile on your face.
p.s.-- the reference to "duct tape" in the title is due to one of Foley's idiosyncrasies: he used such tape as a fashion accessory, apparently as a joke in response to the flashy garb adopted by so many mainstream country performers in the seventies and eighties. A fan made Morlix a coat completely out of duct tape for this tour, which he wore to perform one number last night (see picture); but only one number because as Morlix explained, "Duct tape doesn't breathe."
Last night I went to a screening at the Hallwalls Gallery of a documentary twelve years in the making called Blaze Foley: Duct Tape Messiah. The event included a q&a with the director Kevin Triplett, and was followed by a one man concert by Gurf Morlix who was a friend of Foley's and who shared a number of funny stories not included in the film. Foley (that's him above) appeared to be kind of an outcast, often drunk and homeless, but with a soul that garnered many friends and which came across in the very pretty, touching, and often funny songs that he composed. The film does a great job of telling how his career was regularly upended by his idiosyncrasies and addictions, while also making it clear why he was so beloved by so many of those who took the time to get to know him. Morlix (that's him below) was one of those and his stories of a time when Foley basically lived on his couch were themselves highly entertaining, but with an edge of poignancy that Foley could never quite pull things together. The concert of Foley compositions was one revelation after another (the only one familiar to me was something covered by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard on an album I picked up back in the 80s). At this point, the movie can only be seen in these special screenings, as Triplett is still working on some copyright clearances, but if you get the chance, go see it; and if it iincludes a performance by Morlix, don't miss it-- this was just a great evening of entertaining music and stories, and even though Foley's story has a kind of tragic ending (he was murdered), you can't really come away from hearing his story without it leaving a smile on your face. 
p.s.-- the reference to "duct tape" in the title is due to one of Foley's idiosyncrasies: he used such tape as a fashion accessory, apparently as a joke in response to the flashy garb adopted by so many mainstream country performers in the seventies and eighties. A fan made Morlix a coat completely out of duct tape for this tour, which he wore to perform one number last night (see picture); but only one number because as Morlix explained, "Duct tape doesn't breathe."
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