Hello, my name is Ethan Hawke. I'm here at Amoeba Records.
The single greatest record store in the United States of America, by the way.
If you are near the vicinity of Los Angeles, California
do not stop, do not go to the movies, do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Take whatever cash you have and come here, because it's so much fun here, man.
Alright, well first off, I'm here promoting my movie, or our movie I should say, 'Blaze'
which is a movie about the life of Blaze Foley.
And I'm really grateful for this opportunity you've given me to talk about this movie.
This is a documentary about the outlaw country music scene of Austin
that is one of the like... it's so beautiful.
It slices like a razor blade through your body and you open up in a good way.
If that could possibly feel good, that's what it's like.
I'd like to introduce myself.
There's something about it that really moves me.
And Townes is an amazing presence in this movie.
I'm Townes Van Zandt.
If you like country music and movies, you gotta see this.
Ok, now, we're gonna first walk around to the backyard.
I just can't recommend it enough. So I'm getting my own copy, because I don't have one.
Next, oh, ok, well that brings us to Mr. Van Zandt himself.
The true-blue poet laureate of the United States of America, I think.
Take your Robert Frost books, throw them out the window.
Put on a Townes Van Zandt record, right.
Kristofferson gets a lot of credit for being a literary Texan country songwriter.
Dylan, obviously, but Townes, in a lot of ways
he really achieved what I think Blaze Foley was really going after
which is the poetry of the dispossessed.
Townes' great influence and hero in his life was Lightnin' Hopkins.
There's a a movie called 'The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins.'
It's just unbelievable good, by Les Blank.
And all of Les' movies about music are phenomenal. 'A Poem is a Naked Person.'
Would you shut up, I'm trying to make a movie here.
Are you loaded now?
But this music is built on so much pain and so much crime and so much hurt.
Y'know, crimes done against mankind.
Lightnin' sings about suffering in a way that invites you in and heals, I think.
I think it's incredibly beautiful. And the movie, the Les Blank film
is strangely one of the sexiest damn movies you ever saw in your life.
I mean, it's full of like the joy of being alive.
The white people's folk, country, is built on the back of Mississippi John Hurt
Blind Willie McTell, Lightnin' Hopkins.
Y'know, obviously it's white folks trying to sing their song
but it's built on the back of this music that predates it.
Ok, this guy can rock n' roll.
Hamilton was the lead singer of The Walkmen.
The best live show I've seen in years was Hamilton in Brooklyn.
A lot of times you see people play their music, and that's nice.
But Hamilton did something bigger than that
which is that he did what rock n' roll is supposed to do. He lit the stage on fire.
Alright, this guy can sing. Wow.
Next up on your docket, Hurray For The Riff Raff.
Whoever's released this album needs a serious talk about the shrink-wrap.
They need to do better, ok?
This is a major artist who deserves better shrink-wrappage treatment.
Hurray For The Riff Raff, she's changing, she's evolving.
Y'know, when they first started, it was real country folk. Beautiful.
I know it's wrong, but that's alright.
That album, phenomenal album. This new album, she's growing up
and she's getting political and we are all grateful for it
because she's singing her heart out and she is another woman who can rock n' roll.
Hurray For The Riff Raff, you heard it here first, folks.
I don't know if you heard it here first. You've probably heard of her already.
The legend, John Prine.
There's a great story where Kris Kristofferson brought Willie Nelson to see John Prine play.
I actually don't know whether Willie bought Kris or Kris brought Willie.
But one of them turned the other and said, well what do you think?
And the other one said, well, we could break his fingers.
He makes sense out of the world.
He's so funny and so insightful, and he writes about pain
much the same way Lightnin' Hopkins does.
In a totally different... their music is different.
But he writes about pain and makes you laugh, and it's so human.
I've felt really connected to it recently.
Steve Zahn, the actor, actually originally turned me on to John Prine.
We were listening to him obsessively.
I probably wouldn't have heard of Blaze Foley if it weren't for John Prine.
He covered 'Clay Pigeons' on an album in 2006
and that's what made me kind of go, who wrote that song?
What the hell is that song?
So not only is he a great writer and thinker but he recognizes other people.
And I'm sure Blaze isn't the only one that feels indebted to him.
So god bless John Prine.
There's a very funny thing on YouTube where Bill Murray talks about falling in love with John Prine.
Worth checking out.
I'm thinking to myself, who the hell put him in charge of the sense of humor?
As I'm going way into this record.
Let me tell you, one of the most frustrating things about being an American right now today
is I was taught that in communist, like fascist countries
you had to like salute the flag or you'd be sent to the gulag, right?
And in free countries, the reason why it's beautiful and meaningful
that we sing along or put our hand over heart, is because we're not forced to.
It's a free country. That's what the people fight and die for.
And let me tell you this, since when is taking a knee a sign of disrespect anyway?
Men and women that have been in the military
have come back and been treated unjustly by the country they fought for
I literally don't get it, it makes me so mad.
Because honestly, if you have a serious conversation about it with anybody
my brothers in the military, you can have a serious conversation and people can talk about it.
And instead we have people lighting fires of division.
You can't even watch a football game and enjoy it anymore. It makes me insane.
Somebody... where is Branch Rickey? Right? Branch Rickey.
Where are these managers, these football teams, these owners?
Somebody hire this guy. You're gonna make a fortune
because your fan base will skyrocket. And he can play. Ok?
So I light a candle for Kaepernick. I have spoken.
Send hate mail to...
Lucinda Williams. 'Car Wheels on a Gravel Road' is an amazing record.
She doesn't have a bad record. She helps me get along with people.
I somehow feel bigger and better because you listen to her music.
And we all owe a huge debt to titan Lucinda WIlliams.
Shooter Jennings. C'mon, this is Waylon's son.
This guy can play. I love Shooter.
I loved his album 'Put the 'O' Back in Country.'
And his father had one of my favorite lines about country music.
I get in trouble whenever I talk about this, 'cause I think these guys want this kind of rift to stop
but I think it's so funny I can't stop.
He says these modern-day guys, y'know, they're doing to country music what pantyhose did to finger-fucking.
Y'know, so Shooter's putting the rock n' roll back in country.
I mean, he is a major, major talent.
He's not somebody's son, he's Shooter Jennings.
I think I have something else in my bag.
Oh, Nicki Lane. I don't know, she's one of the best women in country music right now
and I just thought I'd give her a shout-out. I actually have this album
but my daughters also love this album, so I got another one.
And that's all the news that's fit to print.
Thank you for joining me for What's in My Bag. My name is Ethan Hawke.
I approve this message.