The Silent Movie Theatre-hosted Don’t Knock the Rock ’08 music film series hit awesome territory with its second feature: You Think You Really Know Me: The Gary Wilson Story. The 2005 documentary starts off chronicling (now-defunct) Motel Records’ successful attempt to track down Gary Wilson, the reclusive, eccentric mastermind behind 1977′s ground-breaking opus You Think You Really Know Me (an album Wilson originally self-released after recording it in his parents’ basement.) After the reunion, the film delves into Gary Wilson’s past (we have the privilege of seeing footage from the comically bizarre short films Gary and his friends made as teenagers) and his current life (he lives with his girlfriend and dog in San Diego, where he works night shifts at an adult bookstore.)

The film is somewhat sloppily made but has a good sense of humor and is a real treat nonetheless, especially for the avid Gary fan who’s been wondering what he’s been up to all these years. The real highlight of the night, though, was the live performance.

Wilson’s live performances are always inspired, musically slick,and very avant-garde, and after the frenzied parade of mannequins, duct tape, and flour captured in the documentary’s live concert footage, the bar was set.

Gary waddled out in furry red regalia with a blow-up doll strapped to his back and proceeded to meet the high expectations that had been set for his performance. The first song was a crowd-pleaser (“I Wanna Lose Control”) and as Gary sang about wanting “to lose control for about fifteen minutes,” we believed him.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t seem to let quite as loose as he usually does. It could have been the unusual format (two songs at the front of a brightly lit movie theatre), and not being able to play with his old friends The Blind Dates may have played a part as well. That night, Wilson was backed by a pick-up band of sorts, including lo-fi disciple Ariel Pink on bass and a former Motel Records exec from the film on drums. The band played extremely well; it’s just not an easy task to replicate twenty years’ worth of chemistry. Several moviegoers later commented that the times they had seen Gary perform with the original Blind Dates, he had seemed more comfortable and the show was a lot better.

Even with that said, though, Gary delivered an outstanding performance that night.

Gary and company ended the evening with the classic “6.4 = Make Out.” After being doused with baby powder (or was it flour?) by Shauna Guidici, Gary slithered to the floor and writhed around down there, largely out of view of anyone beyond the front row, for the rest of the song.

Despite such flamboyant antics, Gary Wilson never came off as showy or ostentatious, rather just a strange, brilliant man oozing with creativity and raw energy. It’s qualities like these, and the ability to unselfconsciously channel his feelings and impulses into a compelling, innovative musical performance, that made Wilson’s performance at the Theatre one of the best local performances of the year.

— Regina Cherene