Big Easy Express

3 1/2 stars for a joyful train ride
The corporate descriptor has it about right regarding this brief (67 minutes) documentary. "3 bands. 6 cities. 1 train, and thousands of miles of track..." The bands are the U. K.'s Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros from down under and the Old Crow Medicine Show from Tennessee. The train stops and concert venues are Oakland, San Pedro (L. A.), Phoenix, Austin and New Orleans. I know I'm missing one. Maybe L. A. and San Pedro are considered separately.

In any case don't expect a concert film. It isn't. Certainly there is plenty of music, especially the final joyful 3 band collaboration on "This Train." The unrated film is the Amtrak equivalent of a PG Jack Kerouac "On the Road" film. We see the various bands practice, write songs together, jam and generally have a good time with various family members along for the ride. For this viewer, I enjoyed the gig in Austin when the Mumfords invited the Austin H. S. marching band to perform with them with...

My Last Waltz
I have memories as a kid of my father showing me the classic documentary The Last Waltz. I have a feeling my son will have the same memories of me watching this documentary over and over again.

I was lucky enough to see Mumford and Sons just before they blew up at a little venue with 200 people in Phoenix and then less than a year later with over 10,000 people at the biggest venue of this Rail Road Revival Tour in Tempe. Being at the concert was an unforgettable experience, and this documentary captures that brilliantly.

I would have liked more interviews with the muscians, I would have liked to have learned more about them. That is my only criticism of this video. I watched it two times in the few hours since it arrived via UPS. The music, the bands, the train, it is musical nirvana.

Nothing will beat having been a part of the rail road revival tour, but this video captures it and I hope you will watch it and watch three brilliant bands, Mumford,...

Amazing!!! I didn't want it to end.
What a great documentary. All three bands are amazing. Alexander Ebert (Edward Sharpe) and his music is the 2nd coming of Jesus. Old Crow Medicine show needs to stop screwing around and do a Northwest tour....please. But seriously, this documentary was great. I loved it, my kids loved it and it's the closest thing you can get to experiencing this legendary tour outside of being there. Easy purchase.

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