LA Meantown/Beastie Boys Rock Showtime

This morning Pittsburgh Post-Gazette TV critic Rob Owen reviews a new book by former Dawson’s Creek writer Jeffrey Stepakoff who confirms there is no shortage of vipers in LA, Meantown USA.

This month’s best reason to crank up the home theatre system is now airing on Showtime Next and available on demand until May 21.

It’s the Beastie Boys’(three Jewish guys from Brooklyn along with Mix Master Mike) blistering, high octane documentary, AWESOME: I F**KIN’ SHOT THAT!, filmed inside Madison Square Garden during the last, sold-out appearance of their 2004 Challah at Your Boy tour,

Camera operators got first billing. This was a concert for the fans, by the fans. Beastie Boys distributed 50 video cameras and let the fans take charge. This is the concert seen through their eyes.

It’s a 20,000-person hip hop sing-along. Cameras jiggle as a posse of fans sneak into backstage hallways and work the locks with their credit cards. Another fan attributes her miraculous recovery from a coma to her best friend’s bedside revelation that she’d scored Challah at Your Boy tickets.

The Beastie Boys wade into the crowd. Security has the situation under control – for a little while.

Viacom is trying to ruin all the fun.So fight for your right to partaaay andyoutube your way through this vintage clip.