A month ago you could have asked me to list 50 musicians that I’d like to see a documentary about, the Avett Brothers probably wouldn’t have been on that list.  It’s not that I don’t like their music, I just don’t think about their music…at all.  I’ve stuck more money into jukeboxes than I’d care to tally, but not one time did I ever stop on the Avett page for even half a second.  The sole reason I watched this documentary is because it was directed by Judd Apatow and produced by HBO.

They did a good job.  May It Last is really well done and as I was watching it, I realized the Avett’s have the perfect level of fame for a documentary.  I’ve heard of them and for the most part can tell if a song is theirs, but I also knew nothing about their personal lives or where they came from, so much so that I wasn’t even positive that they are actually brothers (they are).  The music scenes are fine, but I was much more drawn to the bits on family, North Carolina upbringings, and life on the road.  It’s a gentle and tender 100 minutes that will make you feel good.   If you like music docs and/or folk music you should check this out.  HBO On Demand.  Grade: C