The Speedway Project
Part documentary film, part collective memoir, part mix-tape, total time capsule, The Speedway Project is a multimedia celebration of The Speedway Café, a small but mighty underground music venue that existed from 1985-1990 in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Born as an all-ages venue, “The Speedway” was a cafe that didn’t serve food, with a bar that didn’t serve booze… it was all about the music. It created a stage for local musicians to perform original music and to share the spotlight with their heroes. This cross-pollination of talent created a breeding ground for local artists and underground music junkies alike.
This Project connects directly with the community of The Speedway and weaves their individual stories into a multifaceted collective journal retelling the times once lived in this seedy warehouse underneath the viaduct. Through testimonials from devoted patrons and interviews with band members, club owners and local luminaries, we will discover the transformative impact this underground mecca had on the local scene during the time, and how it became the backdrop to the coming-of-age of an entire generation of misfits, weirdos and outcasts. For many it was a safe haven and became a home away from home.
Interlacing archival video, photographs and ephemera with audio from present day interviews and line art animation, a picture is painted of the legendary shows, epic fights, and countless moments burned in the minds of those lucky enough to have been there to tell the tales. The impact of this underground warehouse reverberates to this day in the shaping of an entire generation built of a vibrant art & music scene, and that’s the end of the story.. or is it?
Visit speedwayproject.com to learn more.