Hey all,
 These are a couple of inserts about "Bandwagon" I found in the Raleigh N&O.
The articles were too long to put here, so I just snipped the stuff I found
on Doug. (If you want to read the whole thing, do a search on the N&O site
for 9/12, probably under Bandwagon.) <A HREF="http://www.nando.net/nt/nao/">Th
e News & Observer on the Web</A>
"A Bit Rocky, But a Great Ride"   
<<But the characters and details are broadly drawn for
dramatic purposes, serving to bring the issues into focus.
While it takes some suspension of disbelief, "Bandwagon"
works. One big reason is Doug MacMillan, whose day job is
lead singer of the Connells.
     MacMillan makes an auspicious acting debut in
"Bandwagon," projecting a knowing wisdom about the
dynamics of rock bands that can come only from being in one
for more than a decade. He plays Linus Tate, an underground
legend who signs on as road manager for Circus Monkey's
first tour. As the mishaps accumulate, MacMillan sits in the
back of the van and projects a zenlike calm as he reads a
thick, mysterious book.
     While he's there for moral support, MacMillan lets the
band make its own mistakes. He also comes through at
crunch time, which comes in Jackson, Miss. After a brutal
all-night drive, Circus Monkey's interpersonal tensions
explode in a freakout involving a girl, a fistfight, a handgun, a
fishing pole and a trip to jail for band leader Tony. Stuck
behind bars, he has to face up to the fact that his artistic
motivations may be less pure than he has been letting on to his
bandmates.>>
 
"Bandwagon Rolls--Finally"
<< Another corner they cut was in paying Connells singer
Doug MacMillan, who has the movie's biggest supporting role
as Circus Monkey's road manager. MacMillan's payment was
a car used in the movie, a 1974 Chevrolet Nova (which is still
running). Given MacMillan's performance, Schultz got a
bargain.
     "We had talked about that part since before I started
writing it," Schultz says. "We grew up together and have been
making movies since we were about 12. So I knew he would
play it. He made what he did look easy, when it could've been
really bad. The way I described that part to people -- the
'mysterious road manager' -- they found it almost annoying.
But Doug was able to do it in such a way that it was
entertaining and not pretentious, even while saying a lot of
things that seem ridiculous on the page."
     In many ways, "Bandwagon" actually turns on MacMillan's
part because he plays the role of conscience to the band. It's
easy for one's motivations to become confused and nebulous
while trying to balance a desire for artistic expression with the
demands of a "career."
     That applies to movies as well as music.>> 
-Erica