‘Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World’ at Rosendale Theatre

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The powerful musical documentary “Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World” reveals how Native American rhythms and stylings helped define American music. It will screen one night only, 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale. “Rumble,” directed by Catherine Bainbridge and Alfonso Maiorana, premiered to critical and audience acclaim at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it won a special jury award for “masterful storytelling.”  The story begins in 1958 with a single recording by Link Wray & His Ray Men: “Rumble.” Many rock ’n’ roll songs have been banned because of their lyrics. “Rumble” was an instrumental, and was banned because of its sound. Wray pioneered the use of distortion and feedback. The fear wasn’t that the song would suggest sex. Rather, claims Martin Scorsese, it was its aggressive and shivering sense of danger that made stations in New York and Boston too nervous to play the song. In the film, Robbie Robertson tells us: “There was this key expression: Be proud you’re an Indian, but be careful who you tell.” As the folk rock era took hold in the ’60s and ’70s, few knew how much Native Americans were helping define its evolution. Admission to “Rumble” is $8, or $6 for members. For more information, call 658-8989 or visit rosendaletheatre.org.