Beautiful was the idea for a movie about the world of female musicians in Boston, which the documentary Beautiful Was The Fight, directed by Dave Habeeb, aims to be. It highlights several contemporary female musicians currently active in the Boston area. They include frontwomen as well as all-female bands and span several musical genres and styles. Artists include Jen Kearney, Ruby Rose Fox, Chelsea Berry, Red Shaydez, DeSirene (formerly known as Destiny Claymore), Susan Cattaneo, Liz Bills, Jazzmyn Red, and Lilly Senna. Bands include the metal act Stormstress, Happy Little Clouds, Sapling, Haley Jane And The Primates, Sarah Blacker & The Light, and When Particles Collide.
“…about the world of female musicians in Boston…”
Also interviewed are JJ Gonson, the last female owner of a Boston rock club, and Jenny Bergman of The Secret Bureau of Art and Design. Bergman oversees a program that lets little girls form their own bands and write their own songs. Bergman predicts this training will result in an explosion of female-made music in Boston once this generation of little girls grows up. Interviews mixed with live performances and studio recording sessions flesh out what being a woman music maker in Beantown is like.
There were a lot of reasons I was geared to see this film. I was born in Boston, and all my rock gods are women. I also just so happen to be married to a female band leader. Beautiful Was The Fight, in many places, gets it exactly right. The women selected have some of the most poignant insights into the craft of music you will hear. Their dedication to their art in the face of the disintegration of their industry is inspirational. There is constant resignation about how far you can get in the business in a city like Boston versus the hubs of New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville.
"…an honest portrait of the state of music..."
