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Check this space all week for reviews of the Philly flicks making up the 15th annual FirstGlance Film Festival.
We’ll start this review off with a little analogy just to create some perspective: JC Dobb’s was to Philly what 
CBGB’s was to New York City — the end-all-be-all of Philly’s local music scene for over two decades and, at its peak, was the city’s premier rock 'n’ roll stomping ground.
Philly director George Manney’s (pictured right) documentary, Meet Me On South Street: The Story of JC Dobbs, describes the history of the sacred neighborhood bar that was a stepping stone for big namers like George Thorogood, Nirvana and Oasis. Starting in the early-70s when JC Dobbs’ was “the coolest neighborhood bar," Manney tells the watering hole's story through a number of still images, video montages and interviews from those who witnessed Dobbs’ rise from local hangout to Philly music scene mecca.
Not limiting itself to one genre, JC Dobbs was home to a wealth of rock 'n’ roll, country and punk rock acts between 1976 and 1996, and the film explains how, at its prime, JC Dobbs attracted hundreds of acts a year and provided local musicians a stage to hone their style and chops in front of an always-packed house. The movie also spends a lot of time describing how the bar was more than just a place to hear music — it was also a family bar where you’d find all of your friends on any given night of the week.
Whether it was George Thorogood jamming on the venue’s tiny homemade bandstand or the bar’s own Last Minute Jam Band, Manney compiles tons of old footage to help viewers catch a glimpse of the music that rang out in those hallowed halls. But while these video artifacts make for a cool, vintage glimpse of the history of the bar and the bands that played there, the film itself suffers from poor production quality. As Philebrity notes, the documentary does look like it was made in iMovie, with corny graphics, effects and transitions that make you question if the film was put together by a lazy college student.
Although Meet Me on South Street doesn’t get points based on production value or presentation, it does do a great job explaining how JC Dobbs created a haven that nurtured and defined Philly's music scene. It makes you long for another club like it to exist today — a venue that can embrace both local musicians and the people who love to hear new, cutting edge music.
CITY PAPER GRADE: B
Sat., Oct. 15, 5:45 p.m., $10, screens with Burning Witches, Love, Processed, The Kook, FLAGPOLE, Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St., firstglancefilms.com/philadelphia.
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