Roadie

Roadie is a 1980 American musical comedy film directed by Alan Rudolph about a truck driver who becomes a roadie for a traveling rock and roll show. The film stars Meat Loaf and marks his first starring role in a film. There are also cameo appearances by musicians such as Roy Orbison and Hank Williams Jr. and supporting roles played by Alice Cooper and the members of Blondie. Plot Travis W. Redfish is a beer-drinking, bar-brawling, fun-loving Texan, who works as a distributor of Shiner beer. He also helps his father, Corpus C. Redfish with the family salvage company, whose motto is "Everything will work if you let it!" B.B. Muldoon is his best friend and business partner, and the romantic interest of Travis' younger sister Alice Poo. While B.B. and Travis are making deliveries in their Shiner beer truck, they notice an RV that has broken down on the side of the road. At first, they laugh at the thought of helping the stranded motorists, but then Travis sees wannabee groupie Lola Bouillabaisse smile at him through the rear window of the RV. Travis slams on the brakes and decides to help, hoping to get a closer look at Lola. Lola is a huge fan of Alice Cooper and Travis has never heard of "her". Road manager Ace wants Travis to drive them to Austin for a show to be played by Hank Williams Jr., produced by music mogul Mohammed Johnson. After repairing the RV, Travis lets Lola talk him into driving to Austin, where his ability to set up equipment in record time impresses Johnson, who demands that he work additional shows. Despite his own loathing for Travis, Ace forces Lola to persuade the unwilling Travis to continue working as their roadie, so Ace can get the credit for his work. Lola takes advantage of Travis' dazed state after a bar fight to get him to drive the group to the airport (eluding a police pursuit on the way) for a flight to Hollywood. Travis is angry and homesick when he wakes up and finds himself in Hollywood, but relents when Lola cries. He saves one show by physically threatening the band into playing and, when a Blondie concert is nearly cancelled due to authorities' refusal to provide power, builds a DIY electrical generator that runs on cow dung, gaining him national publicity as the "greatest roadie that ever lived" due to his unusual techniques for fixing equipment.