"$5 Cover"

So far I've really enjoyed what I've seen of MTV's new series "$5 Cover", directed by Hustle & Flow writer-director Craig Brewer (discovered via the ever-wonderful Boing Boing.) It's a sort-of quasi-reality show about real-life local musicians in Brewer's hometown of Memphis, Tenn., with the musicians (mostly) acting as fictionalized versions of themselves. This approach produces some slightly wooden acting, but that's hardly of importance when the real highlight of the show is the local music scene, with the music performed either by musicians who are characters in the show, or by local musicians as a backdrop to their antics. So far my favorite discoveries are Amy Levere, who recently showed off her music in Austin at SXSW, Al Kapone, a rapper who wrote some of the music for Hustle & Flow, and Harlan T. Bobo, who apparently has an anfinity for performing in clown make-up. While watching the episodes online I thought "Wouldn't it be great if they could do this for other local music scenes?", so I'm delighted to here that that's apparently the plan. I can promise I'll stay tuned in if they do.