Spend an Evening with Saddle Creek: The First 10 Years of Saddle Creek Records

Indie-rock darling Conor Oberst, the frontman of Bright Eyes, was only a nerdy 13-year-old in 1993 when a group of his Omaha, Nebraska buddies decided his songs needed to be recorded—100 crudely-made cassettes were distributed, marking the beginning of what would become Saddle Creek Records. The origins and subsequent rise of the label (which, not surprisingly, corresponded with the increasing popularity of Oberst) are exhaustively documented in Jason Kulbel and Rob Walters' 90-minute Spend an Evening with Saddle Creek, which—despite the title—is more of a documentary than a concert film. Short and gritty snippets of amateur-shot concert and home video footage are woven among interviews with the founders, including Oberst's big brother Justin, and members of the bands it helped launch—Bright Eyes, Polecat, Rilo Kiley, and The Faint, among others. Unfortunately, the story of this independent label isn't the least bit intriguing, and the only striking thing about the interviews is the seeming obsession of everyone connected with Saddle Creek to get absolutely everything recorded, "no matter how bad it sucked," deadpans Bright Eyes' Mike Mogis. You can add this doc to the pile. DVD extras include 72 minutes of bonus interviews, concert footage, and home movies. Of interest only to fans of Bright Eyes and obsessive champions of the indie music scene, this is not a necessary purchase. Aud: P. (M. Moore)