Film: “Satan & Adam” with filmmaker Ryan Suffern

• Film

• Event Date: Thursday, March 28, 2019
• Time: 8:00 pm (CDT)
• Location: Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St., Urbana, IL
• Cost: Free Admission

In 1986, when harmonica player Adam Gussow asked if he could jam with one-man band Sterling "Mr. Satan" Magee, it was the beginning of an unforgettable collaboration—dubbed Satan & Adam. Amidst the racial tension in New York City, this Jewish Ivy League graduate and black Mississippi blues man made an unlikely pair, but their musical styling perfectly aligned. After a chance encounter with members of U2 and a celebrated debut record, the duo rose to international acclaim from their Harlem street corner. But as quickly as they were discovered, their meteoric rise was cut short when Mr. Satan mysteriously disappeared. The result is an odyssey 23 years in the making that captures a miraculous journey of friendship, heartbreak, and the transformative power of music.

The film screening will be preceded by a reception at 7:00 pm. A question and answer session with Illinois alumnus Ryan Suffern (English, 1999) will follow the screening.

This Department of English event is cosponsored by the Program in Jewish Culture and Society, the Trowbridge Initiative in American Cultures, and the University of Illinois Press.