Wetlands Preserved Gets Released Tonight (Finally)

Wetlands Preserve, the beloved neo-hippy jam band club down by the Holland Tunnel, has been given a funny film tribute by Dean Budnick, senior editor of Relix magazine. His film Wetlands Preserved features ample archival footage and interviews with artist ranging from Bob Weir to Dave Matthews. The documentary was actually completed two years ago, but it took Budnick forever to find his keys and get out of the apartment.

From its opening in 1989 to its closing on September 10th, 2001, the Tribeca club served as the de facto headquarters for the golden age of the jam band scene, where groups like The Dave Matthews Band, Blues Traveler and Phish rocked into the wee hours. But Wetlands also hosted a smattering of ska and hardcore bands, as well as serving as a community center for local activist groups. Also, you could rip bongloads to your heart’s content, as this clip from the documentary demonstrates:

The phatty flashback to Clinton era hippiedom begins tonight at Cinema Village; here's the official trailer and the Times review. And Wetlands Preserve still exists as an environmental activist collective.