Gambles: You Won’t Remind It
A music video capturing life through the eyes of a homeless man
Since their inception—and later rampant explosion as both an artistic endeavor and a promotional tool—music videos have become an important medium for channeling new messages and additional layers to the tracks they accompany. With “You Won’t Remind It,” NYC-based band Gambles delivers upon this with an insider eye. Chris, a homeless man befriended by Gambles’ frontman Matthew Daniel Siskin over the last three years, dons a GoPro camera and the result is insightful, jarring and beautiful.
“For 16 years, Chris has lived between Versace and Vera Wang on Mercer Street. We’ve been friends for the past three; long conversations about his experiences, where he was from, his brother he lost touch with 35 years ago,” Siskin shares with CH. Before their friendship, Siskin would avoid the 6′ 5″ man, “hiding in my own life when I saw him coming, I didn’t want to engage.” But with their frequent close proximity and an understanding of the homeless man furthered with each passing, a friendship ensued.
It’s this awareness, acceptance and love of the shared story that propels Gambles’ music. Founded in 2012 by Siskin, Gambles was born out of a need to verbalize the last few years of his life—embrace and address them. Through touring, both in the US and Europe, and the recording of his 2013 EP Far From Your Arms, Siskin honed his musicality and lyricism—and ultimately picked up two band members for his stage show.
For the creation of this video, Siskin collaborated with filmmaker Joe Wehner. He selected this video project for this particular track because, “When I was trying to think of this song visually, I resonated with the idea of just being on the outside—or, other side of things. I knew I wanted to do something with Chris, see it all through his eyes.” Therein, Siskin explains, this “is a mirror, a flipping, a look at ourselves—the parts we’re ashamed of, our ability to look someone in the face and erase their presence.” But most importantly, it’s “a peek at the world Chris and others like him view everyday on the streets.” The video is powerful, and a well-matched representation of the work Gambles produces.
Shortly after the production of this video, Chris moved into The Bowery Mission after years on their wait list. Support The Bowery Mission—an organization that provided more than 382,400 meals, 34,850 bags of groceries, 93,700 nights of shelter and 48,600 articles of clothing last year—online.
Video courtesy of Gambles, images courtesy of Nola Palmer
