The lastest short documentary film from the consistently excellent Pitchfork TV series provides a snapshot of the Bounce scene in New Orleans and one of its most prominent crossover acts, Big Freedia, who went from regional darling in the late 90s and early 2000s to performing on Jimmy Kimmel and Carson Daly, featuring in The New York Times and releasing a 2010 solo LP ‘Big Freedia Hitz Vol. 1’ on Scion A/V.
While the film touches on some necessary bases within the bounce music scene – such as the intensity of the live shows, the prominence of Take Fo’ Records and the staple Triggerman beat – its major concern is of Freedia not just as a performer but a local personality, choosing to hone in on elements of daily life that fans or curious readers would otherwise have had precious little exposure to.
Although the vibrancy and humour of the local scene is evident in the rapport between the different characters on display and the rough and ready putting together of the shows, the real insights come with unexpected revelations from Freedia, and how a city can inspire both love and fear in a figure so central to its musical identity.
