Aristotle once said, "Youth is easily deceived because it is quick to hope." And while "hope" seems to be a dirty word in today's hazy economic times, two young St. Petersburg residents — Ryan Zarra and Ryan Grosjean — are helping breathe just that into the 'Burg's already blossoming music scene.
Both film school products, the 22-year-olds are responsible for St. Pete Beat — a year-old series of music videos showcasing some of the city's most promising talents performing in some of its lesser-known locales. Shot in a grainy yet aesthetically rich tone, the series already boasts 16 clips and serves as visual documentation of the youthful energy powering St. Pete's cultural revival.
The videos encompass the sonic spectrum. They capture surf-punks Michael Christmas inciting crowd surfing in a clothing store, electro-soundsmiths Young Egypt creating cascades of beautiful noise while kneeling on the ground, and Mark Etherington sending his booming tenor into the hollow spaces of an empty parking garage. The best sessions feel unstaged and earnest, reflecting St. Pete Beat's incidental origins. "It was a personal project," Zarra told CL. "It evolved into something bigger than I thought it would be."
Grosjean downplays his role in the process ("[Zarra] asked me if I wanted to help. I was like, 'yeah'"), but both Ryans share a clear affinity for their hometown and a desire to expose quality music while encouraging their neighbors to go out and experience it in real life. The goal is to encapsulate the bands on video, but the Ryans mention that it always boils down to the live experience.
"The artists are awesome, but go to shows instead of watching," Zarra said. "The video is how it actually was — we want people to watch it, realize what they have in their backyard, and experience it."
A long-form St. Pete Beat documentary that shines a more introspective light on the city and its artists is in the works, but Zarra isn't rushing. "It's about the commonality of the struggle," he said of the film, "what music is to these artists and musicians."
At the end of the day, Zarra and Grosjean are artists as well. They're trying to connect the worlds on either side of the lens. When asked about their enchantment with St. Pete, Zarra offered a quote from one of the municipality's most famous residents.
"Jack Kerouac called it 'the town of the newlywed and living dead'," said Zarra. "I feel like the youth are slowly taking over the dead."
It's unclear how that movement will eventually bend the cultural path of the city, but if Zarra and Grosjean have a hand in it, they'll be sure everyone else gets a really good look.
This article appears in Dec 1-7, 2011.