Tim Robbins immersed himself in New Orleans culture before directing Sunday's episode of 'Treme'

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Tim Robbins immersed himself in New Orleans culture before directing Sunday's episode of 'Treme'
May 1, 2011
By Dave Walker
The Times-Picayune
Nola.com

“I was down in New Orleans doing ‘Green Lantern’ for nine weeks,” said actor-director Tim Robbins of the 3D comic-book movie due for June release. “I don’t really have a television at home, but I had a television at the place I was renting there, and I had made friends with some of the local musicians, who did not have a television, either. So they were really curious about the show that was being done about their city.

“I had the unique experience of watching ‘Treme’ with locals. It resonated for me immediately, and it resonated for them as well, because they have seen their town get misinterpreted and represented in ridiculous ways.

“Something about this show was different for them. I appreciated that. I loved the writing and the actors. I loved the environment it’s set in. I watched the whole first season in New Orleans, and got in touch with David Simon and said, ‘If you guys need a director next year, I’d be happy to do an episode.’”

“Treme’s” Robbins-helmed episode airs at 9 Sunday (May 1) on HBO.

Best-known for film acting roles ranging from “Bull Durham’s” Nuke LaLoosh, “The Player’s” Griffin Mill, the title character in “Bob Roberts” and Andy Dufresne in the cable-dial-ubiquitous “The Shawshank Redemption,” Robbins also has numerous big-screen directing credits, including “Cradle Will Rock, “Bob Roberts” and the Louisiana-shot “Dead Man Walking.”

As further preparation for his “Treme” directing gig, Robbins also had first-hand experience with the New Orleans culture in which the series is set. His first trip here, years ago, demonstrated the city’s ability to melt clocks.

“I was at a bar watching a band,” said Robbins during a January interview in Los Angeles, where he was doing publicity for the recent HBO film “Cinema Verite.” “It was 5 in the morning, and it got to the end of the set, and I’m going, ‘Great, now we can get out of here.’ And the band comes to the end of the set and the guy says, ‘We’ll be right back!’ I thought, ‘This is unlike any place on earth. They’re usually chasing us out of these bars.’”

A Los Angeles native, Robbins later turned downtime from his “Green Lantern” work to explore the city further. The production offered to shuttle him back to L.A. when he wasn’t needed here, but he opted to stick around for the whole shoot and experience a full immersion in Crescent City living.

“I got an apartment and bought a bicycle,” he said. “And then every day that I was off, I was up. I went to different neighborhoods all over with my bicycle – without a map, without any kind of agenda – figuring if I drove somewhere I’d find something.

“One of the things that I was most impressed with was -- when you’re going through the neighborhoods the concierge is supposed to keep you out of -- how open and friendly and welcoming people were, simply in the way they saw you approaching and smiled and said ‘Good afternoon’ to you.

“And then I started making evening trips on my bicycle into Treme and to all these different clubs the concierges don’t tell you about, and saw some amazing music.”

Robbins became such a regular on the scene that he was drafted to participate in a couple of high-profile 2010 music projects.

One was singing background on “This City,” Steve Earle’s closing-credits song for “Treme’s” season-one finale.

The other was getting in on a Gulf Aid benefit remake of “It Ain’t My Fault,” the YouTube video of which was shot at Preservation Hall and featured the house band, Mos Def, Lenny Kravitz and Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews. (See below.)

“That night I had already been to the Candlelight Lounge and then dba to hear (Walter) ‘Wolfman’ (Washington),” Robbins said. “Shorty texted me, ‘We’re doing this thing. You should come by.’

“That kind of thing happens all the time in New Orleans if you’re open to the experience. You can’t have an agenda or a plan. You just have to be open to going anywhere, and the evening evolves in various ways.”

Robbins was recognized often on his two-wheeler tours, “but it was no big deal,” he said. “Usually, that’s just someone wanting to say, ‘Good on you.’

“I had no problem with it, particularly in the clubs that were away from the tourist areas. People would recognize you, but they’re just happy you’re there, nothing beyond that.”

Robbins said that two of the things he finds most appealing about New Orleans’ music scene are the comparative affordability of shows and the nurturing relationships between the players.

“What you find is this great accessibility,” he said. “You’ve got world-class musicians giving their all in clubs where there is either no cover charge or it’s $5. Seriously, the most I paid at the door there was $10, and that was in the French Quarter. That does not exist in major cities. In New York or Los Angeles, you’ve got to have some money to go out and hear music. You’ve got to be in an elite class to experience theater. A night out at a music club will cost you $200 or $300 in New York or Los Angeles or Chicago.”

The result, he said, is that young musicians in New Orleans aren’t “being priced out of the cultural experience.”

“You have people in their mid-20s playing roots music, blues and jazz on Frenchmen or Royal, unearthing old Ma Rainey songs nobody’s ever heard of, not catering to the tourists by playing ‘The Saints,’” he said. “They’re actually becoming their own musicologists, playing those songs because they love those songs, not because they’re hits.”

It was Robbins’ observation that many of those musicians are being nurtured by the generations ahead of them.

“Here’s the beautiful thing that’s missing in New Orleans: elitism,” he said. “It’s not good for the music, when you’re playing with someone else, to be a narcissist. You have to listen as well as play. The generosity that’s involved in that is essential for musicians to play well together.

“You find people sitting in with each other, giving to each other, supporting each other. It’s not the kind of cutthroat environment you find in other places. Your success only means success for others. It doesn’t mean your success comes at the expense of my success.”

There wasn’t much time for clubbing while Robbins was shooting his “Treme” episode, which was shot last year and is set in late November 2006. He compared the production pace to what he’s seen on the sets of independent movies.

“Oh, you never have enough time,” he said. “You just have to make your day, but that’s cool. All the actors are fantastic, and they welcomed me in. There’s no indulgence on the set from any of the actors. Things move very smoothly. The crew is one of the best I’ve ever worked with, very efficient, hard working, easy to get along with. I liked the experience a lot.”