Every town has that one local band that everybody’s uncle swears by. You know, every Friday night, beer in hand, and some damn fine music. Director Scott Simerly Jr.‘s documentary short, Hog Heaven: The Pigz Brotherz Story, asks what happens when the city that made a band like that starts paving over its past.
Today, Raleigh, North Carolina, is getting a makeover. Cranes are up, and condos are going in, but there is a cost. In 1984, Danny Squires and his high school buddy Sonny Sherrill would sit around and write songs. Just as they were writing their twelfth song, they discovered that the Berkeley Cafe in downtown Raleigh was hosting an open mic night. The boys took the opportunity to sing a few songs to friends and strangers. They called themselves the Pigz Brotherz.
Cars speed past the Berkeley Cafe in downtown Raleigh in Hog Heaven: The Pigz Brotherz Story.
“After the show, they walked away with $13 in tips, plus beer, food, and an offer from the owner to come back as a regular act.”
After the show, they walked away with $13 in tips, plus beer, food, and an offer from the owner to come back as a regular act. The Pigz started playing the Berkeley twice a month, and before long, people were packing the joint to see them perform. The band’s legend carried on for decades.
Hog Heaven is about a couple of guys who did what they loved… playing music. They never achieved the kind of fame that would have propelled them to bigger venues. They were local celebrities, and that was enough to get them back on stage.
In Hog Heaven, Simerly captures the story of his honorary uncle Danny’s band for posterity, featuring Squires reminiscing about the band, the recent passing of his bandmate Sonny, and the sad reality of time as the Berkeley closes its doors and moves down a few blocks. Sure, the Berkeley will continue in a modern, updated setting, but nothing beats the fond memories of history. Hog Heaven: The Pigz Brotherz Story delivers the wonderful nostalgia of the past and the harsh realities of growing older.
For screening information, visit the Hog Heaven: The Pigz Brotherz Story official website.
"…every Friday night, beer in hand, and some damn fine music."
