Teddy Geiger on stage last night during his concert at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.  It was the second stop on his multi-city U.S. tour.  Tonight he performs in Sacramento.  On August 1 he makes his big screen debut in the comedy film "The Rocker", starring Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate and Emma Jones.  In September Mr. Geiger's third album will be released.  (Photo: Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com)

Teddy Geiger, Rocking Female Hearts Before "The Rocker" Rocks Movie Audiences

By Omar P.L. Moore/The Popcorn Reel

June 13, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO, California

The three band members on the stage at Great American Music Hall last night were oblivious to the throng of young women standing gathered around the stage.  The seventy or so pre-teen, teenage and early 20-something-aged girls had their eyes trained adoringly on Teddy Geiger, the 19-year-old musician who has captivated millions in a short time with his musical talents and skills.  An hour before he even took the stage the women were shouting "Teddy!  Teddy!" during another musician's performance at the moment she dared to utter Mr. Geiger's name as a coming attraction.  Throughout the two-hour concert not a verse of Mr. Geiger's songs were sung without a chorus of cell phone cameras firing away.  Picture takers disregarded the sign prohibiting flash photography that greeted them at the entrance of the Music Hall, with flashbulbs relentlessly peppering the darkness surrounding the stage of this two-tiered venue.

While the younger ladies stood, danced, bopped and cheered all night the rest of the overwhelmingly female audience for Mr. Geiger was made up of the mostly middle-aged mothers who accompanied their daughters to a concert that for some went past their bedtimes.  Mr. Geiger sang almost 25 songs, including "I Feel Like Dancing", "Sunshine Fires" and "These Walls", just some of the 33 songs being voted on by fans at his website.  TG33 features all the songs that his fans, known as Tedheads, can vote on to appear on his forthcoming album, which is to be released in September in the U.S. and Canada.  As he reminded his faithful contingent last night, the most popular eleven songs will comprise the new album. 

With his musicianship firmly secured, Teddy Geiger is about to expand his horizons and become a movie star -- or as his humble personality might say -- will make his debut on the big screen.  He told his audience of fans as he was in between songs that he would appear in "The Rocker", a musical road comedy which opens on August 1 and is released by Twentieth Century Fox.  Mr. Geiger plays Curtis, the front man of a band cheekily titled A.D.D., who along with his band mates has to co-exist with an immature adult drummer whose pride and ego took a hit after rejection from a prior band and is seeking redemption by encouraging his younger players to keep playing.  The adult who won't grow up is played by Rainn Wilson.  Christina Applegate and Emma Jones also star as Mr. Geiger's onscreen mother and fellow band member respectively.  Funny, heartwarming and sincere, "The Rocker" will be the sleeper hit of the summer across America -- guaranteed.  The film is hilarious and will surely grow a following not only from Tedhead Nation but also from wider, more diverse audiences.  Tidy, clear and well-written, "The Rocker" eschews cliches even as it contains some slapstick moments appearing in films like "A Mighty Wind" and "Spinal Tap".  (For the record, while on stage Mr. Geiger also played "Tomorrow Never Comes", a song which appears in "The Rocker".)  

"The Rocker" is directed by Peter Cattaneo, who also helmed "The Full Monty". 

The Popcorn Reel spoke with Mr. Geiger hours before his concert last night here and soon a companion story will appear.  But last night, Mr. Geiger was far from completely, or even remotely quitting his day (and night) job.  As he effortlessly shifted from guitar to piano and back he talked about how he had risen from sleep very early yesterday and was at a point that where any additional caffeine would only make matters worse not better for him.  He soldiered on into the night with plenty of energy to spare, with confidence, unique and substantive lyrics, underlining himself as one of the most impressive young musical talents to arrive in the 21st century.  Although his stage presence and breezy rapport with the opposite sex was noteworthy -- the ladies cheered when he turned his back to the young women as he bended over to get a guitar -- Mr. Geiger cheekily admonished them, wagging his index finger without turning around.  As he sung one ballad, Mr. Geiger reminded one of Paul Simon in his heyday.  Musically he also has a restlessness and vigor that evokes Paul McCartney but most importantly, first and foremost Mr. Geiger is himself and before he turns 20 this September, very much his own man. 

Without a doubt, Teddy Geiger rocked the Music Hall to its core and will look to continue the feat at venues across North America and "The Rocker" hopes to rock the movie house in every town, city and hamlet when it opens on August 1 in the U.S. and Canada.

Teddy Geiger's website

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