by jon bosworth jaxvillain@yahoo.com
Tim Massett is one of those people that has improved the culture of our town ever since he arrived here from Texas more than five years ago. You may have met him at the San Marco Theatre, where he programs the midnight movies, or you may have even been to his warehouse in the Brooklyn area of Riverside. It was called The Pit; a simple warehouse that served as the screening room for Subterranean Cinema as well as many local punk rock shows. Subterranean Cinema was the name for the film screenings Massett would host, showing some of his extensive private collection of rare movies and shorts.
“[Subterranean Cinema] has begun to cool its jets. I am still programming stuff for The Pit now and then, and it will always be floating around, but my programming has become a bit more focused on the events and such I provide at the San Marco Theatre and with the film festival.”
As Subterranean Cinema “cools its jets,” he hopes to eventually open a local draft house. He’d prefer downtown, but he’ll settle for any spot he can find and afford. Meanwhile, Massett is picking up a new torch by starting a record label he calls Shrug Records. His debut release is a heavy white seven-inch by Shana David. David’s songs are simple and witty. Her off-kilter voice skitters around the single-note keyboard melodies to sound like a young girl singing profane but hysterical over the soundtrack to an old Nintendo game.
“Shrug is something I have been itching to do for a long time. Shana allowed me to give birth to Shrug.”
When you meet Massett, you understand why he calls the label Shrug. Even things that really excite him barely get more than a raised eyebrow. Except when it comes to a great film, then his enthusiasm peaks, but it still has his signature sarcasm.
“First up is the soundtrack to this fantastic film by Jim Finn: Interkosmos. The film is about the failed East German space program and it’s a musical. The score is provided by Colleen Burke and Jim Becker (of Califone, Red Red Meat fame). This is going to be engineered and pressed by the same folks that recently did Brian Wilson’s Smile. It’s gonna’ be on some heavy 180g pink vinyl and these maniac designers from Chicago-Dexterity Press are handlin’ the jacket design. We will also be coming out with Shana David’s full length country LP with Howie (from local sissies, Tuffy) strummin’ along. Then a split ten inch with Tuffy and Cerberus Shoal’s new project. Then a vinyl release of Daniel’s Who Is Bozo Texino? Soundtrack.”
These ambitious projects are only the beginning, but Massett doesn’t foresee a quick million in the record business in Jacksonville.
“I am not sure what kind of investment it is other than turning my cash into vinyl gems. Yeah, it’s a vinyl investment. Shrug will be a vinyl/mp3 download only [label]. Mp3s have made CD production unnecessary, but vinyl will always be needed.”
In addition to starting Shrug, The Pit is being converted into a recording studio.
“The screening room is still there and now that I no longer live there, I needed to find someone to use up the other 3/4 of the space. Scott Madgett has been itchin’ to do a studio, which is fantastic, and of course it will help Shrug in the long run.”
Primarily the function of the studio will be to help Massett make ends meet at The Pit since he “put the kabosh” on the punk rock shows.
“I realized going to jail because others were allowing 15 year olds to drink sounded not so fun. I am not that punk rock.”
Look for Shana David’s debut release on Shrug Records, Terminally Bourgeois, at the album release party at Yesterdays on October 6th, or find it on the shelves of local record shops such as Inertia Records and Moon Colony Razorblade in the coming month.
“I will also be working on getting some distribution to get these [records] off my living room floor.”
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