Chiefly filmed and edited by Cherry, much of that footage, said to be a “showcasing of Dayton,” will soon be released on Date Nite’s first full-length DVD compilation, “This Won’t Last.” The film will premiere April 12 at Yellow Cab Tavern.
Following the premiere, Dayton punk bands Houseghost, Gwen Danzig (a Misfits tribute band with a Gwen-Downing Groth-fronted Houseghost), and The Passed will perform.
Most of the riders in Date Nite are “rocking 30-plus” with full-time jobs and families, making “This Won’t Last” something they’ve organically evolved and filmed in their spare time, treating every spot like a playground over the past five years.
According to the DVD’s description, “This Won’t Last” has “no pristine setups, no Instagram-perfect rails — just unfiltered creativity, a stubborn refusal to grow up, and a crew that rides like we’re all 18 (even if our knees file complaints).”
Featured riders include Zach North, BJ & Gunnar Shiverdecker, Scott Steele, Joel Sutton, and Tyler Wogoman.
Combining the surrealism and quirkiness of a Spike Jonze video, the miniDV aesthetics of a “Big Brother” tape, and the raw, provocative, and chaotic nature of a Harmony Korine film (think: all the rabbit scenes from “Gummo” that make you want to shower), “This Won’t Last” offers an unfiltered DIY look at Cincinnati and the Gem City through the lens of BMX riders.
“It’s like a product of our surroundings,” said Greg Goldberg, who is featured in the film and often serves as second camera. “Most of it is all street stuff. It’s like we’re making something out of nothing all the time.”
Music and art from Dayton is also prevalent throughout the DVD, which includes tracks from the Raging Nathans and Houseghost. It keeps everything as close to Date Nite’s hometown as possible.
Also inspired by BMX videos of the late 1990s and early 2000s, like from BMX rider Stew Johnson, “This Won’t Last” showcases and celebrates the lifestyle, sandwiched between B-roll and an honest look at city life.
When asked the inspiration behind the DVD’s title, Goldberg said he found the words “this won’t last” graffitied on the side of a building. After he took a picture of the graffiti, the Date Nite crew continually connected with it.
“We would try to go visit old spots with newer people, and they’d be demolished, gone or something,” Goldberg said. “Whether it be positive or negative, all of those experiences come and go constantly. And it just seemed like nothing lasts.”
But the Date Nite crew managed to capture the fleeting tricks, stunts, and jumps of BMX riders around town, set against mercurial cityscapes, arguably making things that “won’t last” last a little longer.
Brandon Berry writes about the Dayton and Southwest Ohio music and art scene. Have a story idea for him? Email branberry100@gmail.com.
HOW TO GO
What: Date Nite “This Won’t Last” video premiere, with music from Gwen Danzig, Houseghost, and The Passed
When: 7 p.m. April 12
Where: Yellow Cab Tavern, 700 E. 4th St., Dayton
Cost: $5
More info: “This Won’t Last” DVD is now available for purchase at d8nite.bigcartel.com/product/this-wont-last
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