THUNDER BAY - In the late '80s and early '90s, the Canadian independent music scene was exploding and as now iconic bands like SNFU, Sloan, and the Rheostatics were touring across the country performing in bars and clubs, the story of one popular stop in Thunder Bay is now being told in a new film.
Five Bucks at the Door: The Story of Crocks N Rolls, a documentary directed by Kirsten Kosloski, had its world premier at the Calgary Underground Film Festival on Tuesday.
The premier was held online for Alberta audiences and a live question and answer session with Kosloski followed.
“It is exciting to see the Calgary festival figure out a way to still keep that festival-going experience through an online format, it’s been great,” Kosloski said.
The film, which was nearly five years in the making, chronicles the story of Crocks N Rolls and its owner, Frank Loffredo, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as well as the all-ages scene.
“I grew up in Thunder Bay and I grew up going to Crocks N Rolls,” Kosloski said. “I started going to Crocks N Rolls in the late '80s and early '90s when I was 15. I got a real musical education through Frank Loffredo, the owner, and just meeting other young people interested in arts and culture at that time.”
Kosloski said she, and many other youth growing up in Thunder Bay during that time, can credit Loffredo for inspiring young people to pursue creativity by exposing them to the independent music scene.
“Frank and the Crocks N Rolls story and the legacy in Thunder Bay I just feel is so important to tell,” Kosloski said. “The film really is about community and that grassroots philosophy and the power of creating your own world.”
“Crocks and Rolls was such an anchor in the music community. It became a mainstay in Canadian music. I’ve probably seen every iconic Canadian independent artist within those 10 years.”
Influential musicians and artists from across Canada, including Dave Badini, Sook-Yin Lee, and Bob Wiseman appear in the film.
“It’s just been so amazing to talk to people and have them share their personal histories and their stories about Crocks N Rolls,” Kosloski said. “But in the film they also talk about how they remember Thunder Bay and what a special time it was.”
Kosloski also spent years gathering and archiving materials from that time, including concert posters, tickets, and photographs, which were not only used for the film, but will also serve as a time capsule for Loffredo.
“All this information, tickets, show posters, t-shirts, it's all disappearing,” she said. “So to be able to put that together, all of that information, into one place and archive it for Frank and his family is really important for me.”
The documentary tries to capture that feeling of the early '90s, both aesthetically and musically.
“I put it together in a way that sort of captures that feeling of self discovery,” Kosloski said. “It was really important for me to capture that 90s do-it-yourself aesthetic. Visually it’s very much a nod to that time.”
Kosloski has co-directed other projects in the past, but this is her first solo venture and also the first time she put her own story into a film.
She said the film is not only about the story of Crocks N Rolls and Loffredo, but also focuses on the all-ages scene, of which she was a part.
“Crocks gave this alternative perspective on arts and culture,” Kosloski said. “I think that influence impacted the young people who went there. Frank encouraged the youth culture by showing them what was possible and it did affect them in their adult lives.”
The legacy of Crocks N Rolls is already well known across the country, Kosloski said. When working as a music journalist in Calgary, everyone always knew about the bar in the middle of the country.
“This bar I used to go to as a kid has such a national relevance,” she said. “People coast to coast know of this place and know of Thunder Bay. It’s just so exciting to see people response with such excitement for the premier tonight and just for the film.”
Kosloski was hoping to premiere the film in Thunder Bay, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plans had to change, but she is still hopeful to bring it to the city in the near future.
“Once restrictions lift I think I would like to come back to Thunder Bay and show it there at some sort of event or festival,” she said. “That was always the intention of the film, to come to Thunder Bay and share with audiences. I hope to have news very soon.”
For more information visit the Five Bucks at the Door website.
