RICKY LEIGHTON, DIRECTOR OF DOWNEAST HARDCORE: STORIES FROM THE KAVE
1. Hi Ricky, welcome to All the Cores and More! Before we get into the documentary itself, I’d like to ask a bit about your background personally and as a filmmaker. If you wouldn’t mind, would you give the readers some context about who you are, where you’re from, and some of the previous work you’ve done?
I grew up in Randolph, ME just outside of Gardiner where I knew right away I wanted to make movies. That artistic instinct led me to the Blue Hill peninsula where I went to George Stevens Academy and was able to dive into the filmmaking process even further. I graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and eventually found my way back home to the peninsula where I’ve been very fortunate to have a career in video production. I work for a marketing firm called Esquire Digital and they are super supportive of artistic endeavors. Over the years, I’ve gotten to work on some amazing projects such as music videos (shout out to Paranoid Social Club) and a few documentary films on subjects like Candlepin bowling and the steel drum scene here in Maine.
2. For folks who aren’t familiar with The Kave, can you describe this venue in broad strokes—we’ll get into why it’s so unique here in a bit—and tell us some of the bands who played there over the years?
Like most folks, the first time I ever heard of the Kave was when someone told me about a hardcore/metal venue located up in the woods of Bucksport, Maine where bands like Hatebreed and Biohazard had played shows. I think my response was, “in Bucksport?!”
It had once been called the Cadillac Ranch where you could go line dancing and it was then converted to The Kave. Shows were small and intimate and chem-free. You could get some delicious pizza and even camp out there. Shows were extremely accessible where even if you were broke, you could donate some pet food and get in.
It opened in the early 2000’s and ran for nearly 15 years. Bands such as Terror, The Hope Conspiracy, 3 Inches of Blood, Unearth, Agnostic Front, Protest the Hero, Touche Amore, Title Fight, Blood for Blood. The list goes on…some truly amazing acts for this neck of the woods.
I think my favorite part was that the venue owner, Kathy Kave, always tried to have a local band open for these shows. So you could be a local 16 year old with with a band get to open for Biohazard.
CREDIT: JESSICA HARVEY (@fillitwithregular)
CREDIT: JESSICA HARVEY (@fillitwithregular)
3. What is your personal connection to The Kave?
I grew up in a neighboring town and my cousin Shane, who provided most of the score for the documentary, asked if I wanted to go to an Unearth show. That was my first time. I remember walking in there as a 16 year and being absolutely terrified of the dark, cold space. But even back then I remember realizing that it was special. I also had some friends who played shows there (Third Person!) and went to some of the local nights that Kathy hosted.
4. How did the idea for the documentary Downeast Hardcore: Stories from the Kave come about, and how did the project get off the ground?
I was sitting around the fire one night with my friend (and a producer) Sam Gorelick, who said, “You know what would be a good idea for a film? The Kave.” I think my first reaction was “F***!” Because I knew it had to be done. I was pretty burned out from my last film and wasn’t excited about taking on another project but I knew right away that this was special. It was a perfect fit for me.
I then reached out to Kathy and she agreed to meet in person to chat about it. We both wanted to make sure we could approach the project slowly and intentionally. It’s very important to align on the story here especially when you’re dealing with someone’s legacy. I think Kathy and I both knew the story was really about the “Kave Kids” -kids who spent their formative years at the venue, and not just about the bands that played there.
Funding was the major obstacle as we would likely need to film in NYC, Boston and all over Maine. With a project of this scale, I knew we’d need crew and that storage would be an issue (the film’s total project size is 10TB which also needs to be backed up). The New Surry Theatre in Blue Hill kindly agreed to be our nonprofit fiscal sponsor so that we could apply for a Rural Arts grant through the Maine Community Foundation. We were lucky to receive $15,000 from MCF and the Malcom and Nancy White fund and then we raised some money through GoFundMe and our merch drop with Hamilton Industries in Lewiston.
5. What can you tell us about The Kave’s founder, Kathy Findlay aka Kathy Kave, her vision for and work in establishing the venue, and her centrality to Maine hardcore in the 21st century? You basically can’t tell its story without her.
I have never met someone who had so many people stand up and give testimony as to the impact they made on their lives. We did over 60 interviews for this movie and a good number of them were just folks talking about how they wouldn’t be where they are today if it wasn’t for Kathy. She has a super power and it’s helping teenagers gain confidence while also giving them a place to belong. Kathy genuinely cares for each and every kid that came through that door and she would do anything in her power to lift them up. She may have been the venue owner but she also allowed the kids to have ownership over the space. As a result, they policed themselves, kept people in line and provided an open door policy for anyone. It didn’t matter where you came from or how you dressed, as along you treated folks with respect, you were welcome.
As a result, her name is synonymous with Maine hardcore. She gets shout outs all the time even down in Boston. And it all started with her work in the local schools and recognizing the music they were listening to.
6. Who are some of the other key figures involved in this project you’d like to shout out, whether that be crew, interview participants, folks who contributed photos and/or video…?
I tried my best to hire as much local Maine crew as we could. As an artist from Maine, I know how slim the opportunities can be to work in the film industry and we finally had a budget to provide some paying gigs. Our second camera operator Itzel Gourmelon was amazing and our title design was done by the late, great Ryan Eyestone who is another formative figure in the world of Maine hardcore. His aesthetic was essential to the film’s ability to mirror the Kave. Ryan also provided photographs along with photographer Thérèse Grindle. Many Kave Kids sent in photos and videos and we had 90 written testimonials submitted when we announced the project. Obviously we couldn’t include everyone in the film but we do our best to honor them or thank them in the film at some point. Huge shout out to Lenny of Lennyvision who provided hundreds of hours of concert footage.
Additionally, we had dozens of Kave Kids provide music and many of the bands were willing to license their music for free for the film. Truly amazing.
7. What was it, ultimately, that made The Kave so special?
There is one line in the film that I love where Colin of COA says, “so many people are searching for someone who’s older that they respect, that treats you like you’re cool.” And I think that really sums up a lot of what made the Kave special. Kathy not only gave the kids a place to call their own but she also respected them. She listened to their hopes and dreams and empowered them in whichever way she could. It’s what every community or town dreams of doing but few actually succeed. Kathy achieved that with a barn in her backyard while working a full time job.
8. When will the film be released and how will folks be able to view it?
The film is technically in “picture lock” now which means it’s cut and color corrected. We’re just awaiting the sound mix which should be completed shortly. Once that part of post production is done, we’re going to do some screenings, the first of which will be at the Alamo Theater in Bucksport. We have some high ambitions for film festivals because we want this story to reach as many folks as possible. After we run that circuit, we’re hoping for an online release. Follow our Facebook page for more info!
9. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions! Any last words for the reader?
People are hungry for human connection now more than ever. Start playing shows. Start booking shows. Organize local events. There is a clear demand for community and Kathy showed us it all starts with one person and a flyer.
IMAGE CREDIT: RYAN EYESTONE (RIP)