Celebrating Mill Valley’s John Goddard & Village Music

Notes from the 2012 Mill Valley Fill Festival where the film debuted.

Film Note Writer: Lily Buchanan

Starring: John Goddard, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Sammy Hagar, Bob Weir, Ry Cooder, Maria Muldaur, Bettye Lavette, Little Jimmy Scott, Dan Hicks, Pops Staples, David Grisman, Jerry Garcia, John Lee Hooker, BB King, Huey Lewis, Carla Thomas, Collins Kids, Frankie Ford

ROCK’N’SOUL • Mill Valley’s legendary Village Music—for many, the world’s greatest record store—is the center of this cinematic celebration by filmmakers Gillian Grisman (Grateful Dawg, MVFF 2000) and brother Monroe, who lovingly capture the extraordinary story of a unique store, its genius of an owner and their place in the annals of popular music culture. Calling Village Music a record store is like calling Mount Everest a hill; it was a University of American Music, the go-to shop for discoveries, rarities and inspiration for famous and not-so-famous patrons alike, with owner John Goddard its dean and ringmaster. The film chronicles Village Music’s final six months while interweaving its vibrant past, and includes more than 30 artists—from B.B. King to Bonnie Raitt, the Collins Kids to DJ Shadow—across candid interviews, rare archival performances, exclusive in-store appearances and all-star tribute concerts. It’s an apt, openhearted and goose-bump–inducing way to mark the end of a rousing era.