Roadies – The Showtime Series

       The new Showtime series, “Roadies,” is highly recommended. Sure, the second episode didn’t meet the extremely high bar that was established by the first, but if the other eight episodes in the first season are "only" as entertaining as the second, we are all in for a treat.

     Roadies is a comedy/drama centered on the preparation crew for an arena-level band called Staton-House Band. The featured band is fictional, but in the first two episodes, the concert opening bands are authentic. The Head and the Heart were the opener in the first episode, while Reignwolf showed their stuff in the second.

     Kelly Ann (played by Imogen Poots) and Phil (played by comedian Ron White) were the two characters that stood out. Kelly Ann is a fast-talking passionate “cable layer” with complex insights into the workings of life. Paul is the uniting force of the roadies, with simple yet poignant insights on life. Unfortunately, he was fired in the first episode and made only a telephone video appearance in the second. It reminded us of the 1980’s comedy “Police Squad,” which identified its weekly celebrity guest star during the opening credits by showing the star coming to an untimely death, so that the star didn’t appear again.

     The soundtrack is spectacular. The music is sometimes based on the guest opening band – The Head and the Heart or Reignwolf. In addition, it appears that each episode will feature a Song of the Day (“I Wish I Was Sober” by Frightened Rabbit was the first). There are longer snippets of songs by easily recognized artists (Bob Dylan) and by lesser known band (Freelance Whales). Sometimes it’s merely a few seconds of instruments that bring a smile, such as the acoustic guitar and strings of Landon Pigg’s “Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop” (about 43 minutes into episode 1).    

     “Generator (First Floor)” by Freelance Whales – from Episode 1

     “Light Me Up” by Bronze Radio Return – from Episode 2