John Waite Documentary Features Mike O’Brian and Carla Rea
John Waite: The Hard Way is an appropriate title for this documentary. And – it uses a short piece of an interview Carla Rea, and Mike O’Brian, from the Mike and Carla Morning Show, did in Waite’s trailer at Junefest 2015.
The title – The Hard Way – speaks to Waite’s five decades of doing it the “hard way,” and finally finding success with such hit songs as “Missing You” and “Restless Heart.” But it was a struggle bringing the documentary to life during a pandemic that prevented filming in more traditional ways.
There was no usual filming of the artist – Waite – walking down the sidewalk, because communities were quarantined. Instead, the director had to rely on unique, socially-distanced methods, and supplement those images with very cool, and very rare archival footage that shows Waite in his prime.
There also wasn’t much archival footage of Waite, who was in the habit of simply playing his songs on stage and not recording the audio or video of the performance. Waite also came from modest means. Both of his parents worked in order to pay the bills, and as a child, he was something of a latch-key kid. They didn’t take many pictures, or certainly any video recordings, because there wasn’t a camera in the house.
John Waite: The Hard Way shows how the pandemic affected artists like John who thrive on the road. Asking someone like him to stop performing is like asking anyone else to give up water or air. Live music is what sustains him and makes him feel alive. It’s what he’s known for nearly 50 years, and seeing how COVID impacted John was rather profound.
John Waite: The Hard Way is an intimate look at John Waite, that includes excellent live and archival footage – including KKLZ’s Junefest 2015. I learned a lot watching The Hard Way, and my respect and admiration for John Waite grew even more. He may have lived his life The Hard Way, but he always stayed true to himself and his art – even when many didn’t want him to.
-Carla Rea
Watch interview clip here:
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