Milwaukee indie-rock band Diet Lite never half-asses it. The group’s albums, videos, and live shows are all dialed to the max, full of life and energy and occasional crowd surfing. So when the time came to release a DIY tour documentary, did Diet Lite slap 20 minutes of footage together and put it on YouTube? No, Diet Lite did not. Enter Stumble Out The Gate, a 90-minute documentary on Diet Lite’s first regional tour, which the band undertook in July 2022.
The film, directed by Bridger Flory, premiered last month at No Studios. It’s now available for rent or purchase on Vimeo. Only $5 to rent? Cheap!
“This was not an arena tour,” explains a press release, “nor was it backed by any sort of funding outside the guys’ day jobs, meager merch sales and some extra cash from the venues each night. This is where all bands start, but it’s an experience that few who haven’t actually lived it themselves ever see.”
Max Niemann, Kelson Kuzdas, and Evan Marsalli make up the three-piece Diet Lite. The group’s latest album is the excellent Into The Pudding, released earlier this year. The group’s next Milwaukee show is set for Saturday, October 14 at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn.
Stumble Out The Gate, meanwhile, is a must-view for anyone who has ever played in a DIY band, toured with a DIY band, or has dreamed of playing and touring with a DIY band. As someone wisely tells Diet Lite early in the film: “These are the days that y’all are going to remember for the rest of your lives.”
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