Music DVDs

The Passing Show: The Life & Music of Ronnie Lane

(Eagle Vision)

Whether he was playing for 120,000 or 12, Ronnie Lane remained a musician's musician whose influence far outstripped his wealth. He walked away from the Faces in 1973 as Rod Stewart's impending superstardom broke the band in America, instead sinking his money into a ramshackle, money-hemorrhaging caravan of musicians and circus acts that toured the British countryside as the Passing Show. It's an appropriate moniker for this endearing documentary about Lane's all-too-brief ride on the planet. Beginning with his working-class upbringing in London's East End, The Passing Show unspools Lane's narrative through archival footage and interviews with fellow travelers like Pete Townshend and Eric Clapton. The Small Faces and Faces are given their due, but producer/directors Rupert Williams and James Mackie give special weight to the earthy, full-bodied folk songs from Lane's post-Face years as chronicled by the revelatory new compilation, Just for a Moment. Lane's Austin years are preserved through friends like KGSR's Jody Denberg and Joe Ely, but seeing him sing "Ooh La La" at the Big Mamou is the most poignant reminder of his time here. After moving to Colorado, Lane succumbed to multiple sclerosis in 1997. Even if you come to The Passing Show knowing nothing about Lane, you'll miss him by the time the credits roll.