This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN "SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN" YET AND STILL WISH TO DO SO, DO NOT READ THIS BLOG POST.
The premiere of Malik Bendjelloul's film at the Library Center Theatre Thursday night was full of surprises as long as you ignored the Sundance director of programming's opening remarks that the film contained a "delightful surprise."
You see, the film is about the search for someone long thought dead, so right away Trevor Groth essentially spoiled the surprise for the rest of us. Just as predicted, the search for the musician Sugar Man turned out to be successful, and the Sugar Man is alive and well.
But even though that surprise was blown, the biggest one of the night was the appearance of "some people from Detroit," as Bendejellou announced during the post-screening Q-and-A. Rodriguez who is known as Sugar Man in the film entered the screening room to shocked and rapturous applause.
"It's a great time to be in Utah," Rodriguez told the crowd. He added, "I want to thank everyone ..." Just then, someone from the audience yelled "Thank YOU!" The sentiment was shared by the rest of us who loved the music that he made in the early 1970's that was tossed aside by America but incredibly embraced by South Africa, of all places.
Rodriguez, who retired from the music business after his first two albums flopped, was unashamed of having been a working man for most of his adult life. Without intending to, he had a message that seemed to go along with this year's theme of film makers focusing on the 99 percent. "Poor doesn't mean dirty," he told the crowd. "Poor doesn't mean mean. Poor doesn't mean stupid."
Rodriguez also told the crowd that he would be performing at the Sundance ASCAP Music Cafe on Monday at 4:40 p.m.
David Burger