“Vicariously Being There”: How The T.A.M.I. Show Invented the Concert Film

Whether we’re watching Stop Making Sense for the 100th time, catching The Eras Tour in a packed movie theater, or tuning into Coachella live on YouTube, today we take for granted that we can see live concerts recorded for screens big and small. But in the 1960s, there was no set answer to the question of how to capture a concert on film, or what to even do with such a product once it’s been made.

In 1964, the concert film The T.A.M.I. Show gave young America a stunning answer, showcasing on large movie screens an eclectic medley of performers including the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, the Supremes, and an electrifying set by James Brown. The T.A.M.I. Show opened a path for more concert documentaries to be made and find their audiences, but it was also a unique moment in American popular music history. Join Landon Palmer as he uncovers the curious story of The T.A.M.I. Show, one that involves William Shakespeare, strange television technologies, and a very short-lived charity organization. In this talk, he’ll explain how this movie came to exist and why there’s never been anything quite like it since.