Overview:
The film tells the story of Bill Hanley and how he revolutionized live concert sound.
From the audience members to the organizers, the onlookers, and, of course, the performers, the original Woodstock Festival was awash with interesting, creative personalities, many of whose stories remain overshadowed by those of the larger-than-life artists who graced the stage that fateful weekend at Max Yasgur’s Farm. One of the most vital and overlooked participants in the landmark 1969 event is sound engineer Bill Hanley, the subject of The Last Seat in the House, a new documentary by filmmaker John Kane that will screen at Upstate Films’ Orpheum Theatre on August 15.
Often called the “Father of Festival Sound,” Hanley pioneered revolutionary methods that brought sonic clarity to large-scale concert events that had previously been thought as impossible to achieve. The Last Seat in the House draws on candid interviews, detailed personal accounts, and thorough research to chronicle Hanley’s colorful, fascinating story and explain how his innovative approach to audio engineering reshaped the concert industry—along with the way that music itself is presented and how this has affected the popular culture surrounding it.
Based on college professor and visual artist Kane’s 2020 book The Last Seat in the House: The Story of Hanley Sound, the film also looks at how the personal and professional costs of building an industry would eventually move on without its founder.
The Last Seat in the House will show as part of Upstate Films’ Close Up series at the Orpheum Theatre in Saugerties on August 15 at 4:15pm. Kane and Hanley will introduce the film, which will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Greg Gattine of Radio Woodstock. Tickets are $11.50 adults, $9.50 seniors/students, and $7.50 under 16.
