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Before Baltimore filmmaker Keith Chester had even edited a single frame of his first feature length effort, he had a venue in mind for its premiere.

"Keith had a vision three years ago, that he wanted to show this film at The Weinberg," said Andrew McCutcheon, whose band — Frederick's own 80s alternative rockers The Skeptics — is the subject of Chester's tongue-in-cheek feature, "The Skeptics: In a World of Their Own."

"It was kind of like us saying, ‘We want to play Carnegie Hall,' you know?"

It would seem the band gets its name earnestly. On March 25, the eve of the Frederick Film Festival, Chester's movie, partnered with a Skeptics reunion concert, will serve as the fest's opening event at the historic theater.

"I think they were very surprised to see it come to fruition," said Chester, who began production on the film back in 2007, when McCutcheon and band mates Dennis Crolley and Stephen Blickenstaff met on the Cultural Arts Center stage for the first time in almost 20 years.

While that confab was the first official meeting between Chester and the band in full ("I think I had once been to one of the rehearsals in Andy's basement – but we didn't really know one another," he said), the filmmaker had long been a friend of Blickenstaff, The Skeptics' drummer.

"I met Keith in the early 80s," recalled Blickenstaff, a Frederick illustrator renowned for his idiosyncratic, macabre style. "He had seen my artwork and liked the way I saw the world, I guess. He had all of these ideas for Super 8 films. So I kind of became the camera man for a while."

By the time The Skeptics took shape in 1984, Chester had moved out of the area.

"I was working as a manager of a record store at The White Marsh Mall, and as a result had become interested in the alternative rock scene," Chester said. "In 1986, the band gave me a copy of their CD, ‘Snallygaster.' As I listened to it, I liked it more and more."

Some 20 years later, Chester was still listening. He had begun crafting short films inspired by the band's music. "One of the tracks, ‘A World of Your Own,' was a pivotal song for me," he said. "It got me thinking that I'd like to make a documentary about the band."

The resulting 71-minute film chronicles the band's heyday, a six year period culminating with their swan song at Frederick's In the Street circa 1989, and features interviews with all members, including original Skeptic Ben Stein and former bassist Kevin Sefsic; former D.C. area collaborators like The Slicky Boys and The Velvet Monkeys; and, of course, says Chester – fans.

Even industry insiders like Brian Forsythe of Kix, Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation, and local musician Scott Devours, current drummer for The Roger Dultey Band, get in on the act.

"These were people who were inspired by The Skeptics," said Chester. "A lot of really cool personalities. [The band gets] embarrassed by that, but it's a fact."

For McCutcheon, who says he's seen a rough cut of the documentary, the emergence of old friends has been a kick.

"It's interesting to us, because these were people that we knew," he said. But, by far, the most intriguing of these familiar faces? Their own.

"I'll tell you one of the things I'm most excited about," said McCutcheon. "In the 80s, Steve had one of those camcorders that used an actual VHS tape. And from 86 or 87 on, he brought it to all of our rehearsals and shows. So there was a lot of footage from back in the day for Keith to draw from. It's kind of a blast from the past for us."

Blickenstaff remembers those days well.

"In some ways, it seems like it was just yesterday," he said.

Getting the band back together

McCutcheon, Crolley and Blickenstaff reunited once again in October last year for an impromptu concert at Guido's on North Market Street. Next Thursday's concert, however, will be the first time in over 20 years that Stein and Sefsic will join their peers on stage.

"It's hard to get everyone together," said McCutcheon. "Ben, one of the guitarists, lives in Bethany Beach and has his own business and kids. And Kevin, who was our alternate bass, came to the reunion show the last time, but wouldn't come up on stage. This time, we made sure to give both plenty of warning."

"We were able to wrangle them in," concurs Blickenstaff, who notes that he may even play the Theremin for a few sets, an instrument he dabbles in as part of another band, The Atomic Mosquitoes.

"If all goes well, we might actually have a rehearsal beforehand," said McCutcheon.

Then ... and now

Things have certainly changed in Frederick over the last twenty years.

"The 80s in Frederick – you really only had Bushwaller's, you know? That restaurant and bar scene on Market Street. There wasn't a whole lot of original music," said McCutcheon, who calls Los Angeles home. "Back then, you were either a hair band, a Top 40 band, or other. And the general population seemed to have a hostility toward music that fit that label. So there was kind of a bond between all of us. It may have been self-imposed, but we saw ourselves as the outsiders."

But as Chester's film illustrates: Once a Skeptics fan, always a Skeptics fan.

"A lot of people who grow up in Frederick tend to migrate to D.C. or Baltimore or even New York. I'm surprised at how many came out," said McCutcheon of previous shows. "I'm hoping we haven't worn out our welcome from what, essentially, has been three reunions over the last two years. But I think the one thing that will have people showing up is that a lot of them are actually in the film. I hope they will want to come out and see themselves on the big screen."

They're not alone.

"It's really exciting to see the film at the Weinberg," said Blickenstaff. "I love the Tivoli. When I was a kid, I used to go see movies all the Tivoli all the time. The idea of seeing a film about a band that I was part of in that same room is kind of surreal."

And then there's the whole "catching up with old friends" thing.

"I'm looking forward to playing with the guys," he said. "But I would be excited about playing with them even if we were in a garage somewhere."

‘The Skeptics: In a World of Their Own'

F3 Opening Event; film screening and reunion concert

When: Beginning at 6 p.m. March 25

Where: Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick

Tickets: Free

For information:

301-600-2828

www.weinbergcenter.org

www.frederickfilmfest.com

Schedule

6 p.m. Happy Hour with music from The Jug Band

7 p.m. Short films

7:30 p.m. World premiere of "The Skeptics: In a World of Their Own" with director Keith Chester

8:45 p.m. The Skeptics Reunion Concert