Michael Moore opens the festival. In a suit, no less. “Body by Sears Big & Tall.”

Up-and-coming actress Susan Sarandon accepts some kind of lifetime super awesome award.

After the Searching for Sugarman doc, out comes Rodriguez!

Rodriguez takes a bow during the standing ovation. So cool.

Rodriguez leaves the building! Really big in South Africa. Big in Traverse City.

WHAT A COOL NIGHT: So my little mom heads into town earlier this afternoon, to get a jump on the “standby line” for the Traverse City Film Festival. Kind of a big deal around here! So awesome. SO MANY killer films to see, with an incredible volunteer army putting the whole thing on. So mom went down there and frantically calls, “Get into town! Might be able to get you a ticket!”

So I throw on some shorts, finish the two kielbasa dogs dad whipped up for me, and whip into the big city. I find mom, and meet her at the very start of the line. Some time goes by and she gets a ticket. Leigh joins us, and the crowd behind is getting a bit restless with the “cutting in line” shit going down.

But hey, let’s get technical for a second: MY MOM STOOD THERE ALL DAY, BUD.

Okay, so the place is jampacked, and they allow another ten seats in. Leigh and I snake a couple tickets and get in to see, Searching For Sugarman about Detroit’s elusive Rodriguez. Look the guy up.

Michael Moore kicks off the event, warms the crowd with some laffs and updates, then brings Susan Sarandon out to accept some awesome award. Pretty damn cool. One of our great actresses. Graceful, funny and striking. Still in awe of her performance in Dead Man Walking. That Susan Sarandon, up close and stuff.

We watched the doc, and it was INCREDIBLE. I won’t give anything away, but will say this: Required Viewing for all Detroiters, Michiganders, music fans, and hell, human. Just incredible.

And holy shit, after the doc is done, Michael brings out Rodriguez, and the place goes nuts. Totally choked up. So damn cool. I got the reissues a couple years back and haven’t totally dug in just yet. I will be hitting them hard when I get back to Portland.

I feel blessed to have been able to get in to such in on the “big night” for the TC Film Festival. Such a cool thing. Living so far away, you feel a bit detached, you know?

And shit, seeing Dave Marek’s work at the beginning gave me goosebumps! My buddy from high school and pizza making! Class of ‘91, man! Hell yeah. Got a quick handshake on the way in, and hope to bump into him again while I’m home. Awesome job, Dave! Do whatever the hell you have to do to see his film, Somewhere West.