Did you miss the debut of the Avett Brothers movie? Here’s where you can see it next

The Avett Brothers: Concord’s claim to fame. We love to love them here in North Carolina, and for one night only, their story was played in packed theaters around the country on Sept. 12.

Don’t worry if you missed it. It will be available on HBO in January 2018.

“May it Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers,” is an Oscilloscope Laboratories film by Judd Apatow (with films like “This is 40,” “Trainwreck” and “Bridesmaids”) and Michael Bonfiglio (with films like “From the Ashes,” “Doc & Darryl” and “You Don’t Know Bo: The Legend of Bo Jackson”).

The film chronicles the journey of the band, made up of brothers Scott Avett and Seth Avett, along with Bob Crawford and Joe Kwon. It was shown in theaters around the country, including four in Charlotte.

“We didn’t know what we were doing when we started,” Bonfiglio said. “On the first shoot — and actually for quite a few more after that — we were just sort of checking out if there was something interesting there. It turned out that there was.”

The film was shot all over North Carolina — including Asheville, Concord, Kernersville, Chapel Hill and Raleigh.

“The sincerity of their music is obviously a huge part of what draws people to them, but their sincerity as people, and the goodness and decency of their hearts is what made us realize that there was a larger story to tell,” Bonfiglio said of the Avetts.

Even as outsiders, the filmmakers said they felt welcomed by the brothers.

“I think there was some initial discomfort with us being around so much, but they never expressed that to us,” Bonfiglio said.

Apatow and Bonfiglio spent three years with the band during movie filming.

The film uncovers the creative process during their work on the 2016 album “True Sadness” as band members underwent personal milestones and challenges. History appears in the form of old footage, even from the brothers’ early days with the loud, hard sounds of their former band, Nemo.

“We didn’t want to be dominated by the area we grew up in,” Seth Avett said. The brothers grew up in Concord and still live there.

“We wore cargo boots,” he said. “We listened to Nirvana.”

After being introduced to musician Doc Watson, Seth Avett said, “I realized what could come out of playing acoustic guitar and singing.”

In the film, the brothers are shown during a particularly emotional moment after recording the song “No Hard Feelings.” After being told they had done a great job with the recording, Scott Avett mentioned to Seth he felt that was an odd thing to hear, after they just poured their hearts out into the recording studio.

“Congratulations, you’ve sacrificed the shit out of yourself,” Scott Avett said.

Concord resident Chris Hartsell was planning to see the movie at Gem Theatre in Kannapolis. He said he’s been a fan of the Avetts since they were Margo and Nemo.

“It’s special to me because I grew up with the Avett family,” Hartsell said. “I have lived in their hometown my entire life and have always followed their journey on music and art.”

“I think that this film genuinely makes people feel good when they watch it,” Bonfiglio said. “It’s a portrait of a group of incredibly talented people who support and respect one another and treat people with decency and kindness — something that’s sorely needed in these sad times we’re living in.”

This story was originally published September 15, 2017 at 1:00 AM.