Meet Me in the Bathroom

source: Meet Me in the Bathroom

I was obsessed with this era of rock as a teenager and I still love it all these years later, so I was expecting to love this, but I just didn't. The film touched on some interesting topics, but never followed through with any of them. Karen O had some terrible things happen to her, but the film talked about each of them for a minute or so and then moved on. And I'd like to know more about Albert Hammond Jr's drug addiction. Where is he now? Where is everyone now? The movie just stops in the 2000s without any real feeling of completion. Many years ago, I purchased two cheap, "unofficial" documentaries about The Strokes. Meet Me In The Bathroom was not even as good as those were. It didn't feel like there was a narrative or purpose for it. It truly is just a timeline of events. It doesn't even do a good job of telling us why we should care about any of the artists mentioned. It just expects you to know who they are already. So anyone who isn't familiar with this era of rock should probably skip this film altogether. At certain points, it seemed like the filmmakers were trying to lead us to believe that Julian Casablancas was dead. My roommate who doesn't know about these bands questioned if he was still alive. I know that wasn't their intention, but it happened because there wasn't enough thought put into the film's structure. They kept showing images of Julian looking sad with emotional music and then having voiceovers of people talking about how the music industry wasn't what he thought it would be or how he could never find where he belonged, etc. Also, I hate that Ryan Adams gets to have a voice in this film. In fact, I was going to rate this movie a 5 and lowered it one point because of that. I have no idea what the filmmakers' opinion on him is because, again, it's just a timeline of events without any personality, but the film almost gives him a pass on a lot of things because they refuse to pick a side. Not only was he the one to introduce drugs to Albert, he was basically a groupie, obsessed with The Strokes. Given the fact that his most successful album is just covers of Taylor Swift songs, it's no surprise that he's a leech, but I wish the film had pointed that out more. He also claimed The Strokes were rude to him at one point because they were at the end of their fame and probably jealous. It's obvious to anyone paying attention that that's not why they didn't want him around, but The Strokes never get to share their side. So, a lot of people watching probably believe Adams, especially people coming into this without knowing anything about him.

This was a hard documentary to rate. On the one hand the amount of video they have of these bands at the start is gold. And I felt like I was back experiencing a youth I never knew. But the documentary flow and direction is hard to pick up on and the constant dancing between bands is hard, they're all interesting in their own way however and I watched this for the Strokes but I didn't skip or lose interest for any part of the doc. It's so good seeing bands like the Strokes and Interpol live right at the start of their careers, musically they had it right away. Also interesting to see bands like Yeah Yeahs, the rapture, Moldy Peaches and LCD soundsytem early who Didn't have it to start with... but learnt quickly and started to make good sounding music for their already present coolness. Except for that LCD soundsytem guy, he doesn't look like a rock star at all so even more props to him-workmanlike. I dreamt of being a rockstar and playing music to get the attention and acclaim I never got from my peer groups and opposite sex when I was growing up. Watching this I'm glad I didn't get it - would've ended up more of a narcissist than I was then. It's actually incredible many of these equally screwed up folks turned out pretty okay. Interestingly, to me this is proof that survivorship bias and luck is a thing in music as well, and like success in many arts and creative endeavours, having rich parents helps... If you like one or more of these Bands I definitely recommend you watch.

As a fan of The Strokes from Day 1, this was a must watch for me. Of course, I absolutely loved it. I never knew Albert's struggles went that deep. I learned so much about more about the band and appreciate them so much more now. As a native New Yorker, I remember the time period when this was all going on. The city still had a special vibe to it. There was something special in the air. All of it is gone now. You basically have to almost be a millionaire to live really nice and rents are out of this world. But for that period in time The Strokes had revived the NYC rock scene, and were on top of the world. At one point they were labeled, "the new kings of rock." Some people have even suggested that they saved Rock N Roll. Bold statement, but in my eyes, very true. The pressure they faced after "Is This It" dropped is enough to drive anyone crazy. Julian was really tough on the guys, especially Albert it seems. I have some love for the Yea Yea Yeahs, but mostly cause of the energy that Karen O brings. I didn't know much about how they came up, but it was very interesting to find out in the documentary. All the other bands shown were of no interest to me, so I won't bother mentioning them. This is a very informative watch, and pure nostalgia. The time breezes on by, no drag whatsoever. Sit back, relax and enjoy. Apologies for this write up. Wasn't really a review, just some random thoughts about the doc. This gets a LennyReviewz Score of: 9/10.

I grew up watching those bands and I remember what the media used to say about them, that they were going to save rock music. But now after 2 decades... Yeah, they were just kids. We were just kids. Really, I was literally a kid. And I'm from Brazil and could relate to them so I thought I would be all emotional and so on. It was nice to see the bands but there's a lot of unnecessary drama and white-rocker-men-from-new-york-problems'. Maybe we're not just grown up but grew out of all of this so niched and dated scene from the past. Anyway, maybe with a short edit and a more developed story from Karen O, for instance it would be better to watch. Overrall, it was 6/10 and worth for the nostalgia.

An exciting and well documented journey through the New York music scene that emerged in the 2000s, which has The Strokes at its center but includes various artists such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, The Rapture, The Moldy Peaches and LCD Soundsystem to complete the context and show us a bigger picture. The story is told through different testimonies and approached from different angles, generating an agile and cinematically beautiful narrative. A good way to better understand how the scene was built, the people behind the artists and the fact that fame is just a state and that rock stars are human too.

I'm really not sure what I was going to get when I went to see this documentary. However, one thing that is certain is all of these bands are absolutely terrible. The mouldy peaches seemed like some kind of joke band. I can't believe so much energy was focused on such talentless idiots. I really couldn't get into the music of the strokes, and Interpol were just dull and boring. Karen O was interesting, but it would be tough to say that you would want to see a whole movie by her, or even listen to a whole album by her band (sorry I never got into the Yeah Yeah Yeahs). I've watched a lot of music documentaries, recently, some really interesting and informative and some drivel. This is in the drivel pile. Messy, shambolic, and in cohesive. I guess if maybe you were into the very dull bands that are featured in this Docco, you might get something out of it. But if you're not already an avid fan of these very boring bands, this documentary is not for you. It was not for me.

Quite apart from it jumping all over the place it was overall a bit of a mess. I like The Strokes, the whole spoilt rich kids being able to do whatever they like is annoying, you can always be wild and crazy when you have daddy's money to fall back on, but The Mouldy Peaches were beyond irritating, especially that vacuous 9/11 song she did, what an awful band. There are lots of reviews wishing there was more on Karen O, I found that she was the main focus of the documentary, it was basically all about her, but she's got a great voice and deserves credit though. Only Interpol came out of it well, they were largely humble, not spoilt rich kids who have the safety net of privilege and money to catch them if they fall. The inclusion of Ryan Adams was disturbing, that creepy predator should not be given any publicity. Really liked the bit on James Murphy too, it seemed a nice, albeit brief, break from Karen O and The Strokes to get some insight into him and Interpol. Overall, a poor documentary. It seemed interminable too, felt lie 3 hours rather than an hour and 46 minutes.

As "Meet Me In the Bathroom" (2022 release; 105 min.) opens, it is "1999" and we are introduced to Adam Green (of the Moldy Peaches) and their very humble beginnings at an open mike night. Karen O (of later the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) also moves in those circles. One day they run into Julian Casablancas of the just formed Strokes at a party... At this point we are less than 10 min. Into the documentary. Couple of comments: this is the latest collaboration between co-directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern ("Shut Up and Play the Hits"; various music videos). Here they take Lizzy Goodman's critically acclaimed book of the same name and turn it into a visual feat and feast. The documentary follows the early beginnings of New York's Burgeoning rock scene that really started taking off in 2000-2001, with bands like the Strokes, Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Rapture, and LCD Soundsystem. All of them are featured extensively, and the amount of archive footage that the film makers were able to unearth is absolutely amazing, and THE main reason to watch this. While the book covers the entire 00's decade, this documentary focus on the decade's initial 5 years. This is probably the reason why Vampire Weekend is conspicuously absent in this film, as they didn't did start until 2005 or so. That aside, all these bands provided a true soundtrack of my life in the 00's and I caught those bands in concerts multiple times during that decade (and thereafter). If it sounds like I am gushing a bit over this documentary, I will not deny it. I absolutely LOVE this documentary. "Meet Me In the Bathroom" premiered on Showtime over the Thanksgiving weekend and is now available on the SHO streaming app, where I caught it a few days ago. If you love any of these bands, or you are perhaps curious what life was like in NY 20 years ago, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

I have been anxiously awaiting this film, and it really let me down. I wanted to feel the excitement of this time and place and as soon as I would start to, it walked it back and jumped subjects, losing any momentum. These bands defined my early adulthood, at a time when things were really chaotic. But this film was chaotic in a different and uninspired way. I couldn't tap into the nostalgia I was hoping for, and it left me really sad and almost angry because there was so much potential and it could have been so much more. I'm also disappointed that they gave Ryan Adams any kind of screen time, while giving next to nothing to TV on the Radio. They deserve their own movie. And so does Karen O, who was a bright spot in a really lackluster movie.