Surprise. Excitement.
A buzz. A shock.
The entire music market was like a roller coaster, with twists and turns, thrill after thrill. The media frenzy just wouldn't stop.
The world kept spinning fast.
2003 belonged to the band "August 31st."
Their journey was nothing short of magical. Whether it was how Anson met the band members, how the album Midnight in Summer entered the public's radar, or how the band infused new energy into rock music, every part of their story left people in awe.
From "Roar Hey" to "Long Live Life" to "Wake Me Up," they delivered surprise after surprise, showcasing the band's charm from every angle.
Rumor has it, Warner Records wasn't planning to slow down.
Usually, an album with ten songs releases about three to four singles to promote it—that's the norm. If they wanted to release more singles, it's not impossible, but from a cost perspective, it wouldn't be worth it. Three singles typically provide about six months of promotional time, which is plenty long enough.
There's no need to drag it out any further.
Midnight in Summer was released last year and has dominated the charts from April to December this year. You could hear August 31st's music everywhere. By now, the promotion should have been enough.
Yet, Warner Records was planning to release a fourth single from the album.
The incredible success of the first three singles gave Warner confidence—they believed the album's promotional cycle should be extended.
The story shouldn't end here.
This rumor created waves, instantly sparking excitement across music forums. Fans speculated and even placed bets:
Which song should be the fourth single?
The competition was intense.
This revealed the album's high reputation—fans acknowledged the consistent quality of every song. Almost every track had its own supporters, who believed it deserved to be a single.
Everyone was eagerly waiting.
Such enthusiasm was rare.
All signs indicated that Midnight in Summer would continue its momentum into 2004. Spanning across three years, it showed the fierce resurgence of rock.
But that's all for the future.
And none of it concerned Mangold.
What truly caught Mangold's attention wasn't "Wake Me Up" hitting number one on the Billboard charts, but the story of how August 31st composed and performed the song on the streets of Manhattan—a tale straight out of a Hollywood fairy tale.
In Johnny Cash's career, his 1960 New Year's Day unplugged performance at a prison marked a pivotal moment. In that performance, he demonstrated his unique musical vision and interpretation of the art of performance, leaving a lasting impact.
Even twenty years later, that performance was still being talked about.
In Walk the Line, that show was a key moment, which was why Mangold and Kitchell insisted that the actors perform live. Without a real live performance, it would've been impossible to capture Johnny Cash's legendary charisma on that prison's simple stage.
And in Anson, Mangold saw something rare.
It was a quality Joaquin Phoenix didn't have, and it was what truly moved Mangold.
For the first time, Mangold realized that through Anson, they might capture Johnny Cash's most beautiful and moving musical gift—the part they once thought was impossible to replicate.
Now, Mangold finally understood why Johnny had such admiration for Anson, and he became Anson's biggest supporter, firmly believing Anson could be the heart of the film.
After all the twists and turns, they arrived where they were now.
...
The doorbell rang, like the fluttering wings of a bird, its crisp sound cutting through the oppressive heat. But there was no response.
Lucas Wood stood at the door, a little helpless. He raised his hand and gave the door a gentle push, only to find that the dark green wooden door wasn't even locked.
Creak.
It opened with a light push.
Lucas shook his head with a sigh, stepping inside. He walked through a bohemian-style living room, searching as he called out.
"Anson?"
"Anson!"
His voice echoed through the narrow hallway as he walked. A peaceful and quiet atmosphere filled the space, bathed in shades of green. Outside, the blazing sun dominated the sky, with summer clinging on for dear life, unwilling to leave. Autumn had only briefly peeked in during the mornings and evenings. Inside, however, it was calm, like a hidden paradise. There were no ponds or fountains, yet it felt like you could hear the gentle flow of water.
Until—
"I'm here. In the studio."
Lucas stopped in front of the bright golden light coming from the backyard, then turned into the studio. The room was packed with canvases and frames of all sizes. The smell of paint lingered in the air, but it wasn't overwhelming.
There, Lucas spotted Anson, wearing denim overalls, seated on a high stool. In front of him stood a canvas taller than a person, and Anson was fully immersed in his painting.
"Anson, your door wasn't locked," Lucas called out.
Anson didn't turn around or respond immediately, keeping his focus on the canvas.
Lucas waited patiently, standing a few steps behind him.
After a while, Anson finally mumbled, "I know. But no one ever comes here."
Lucas rolled his eyes, "What if some random stranger just walked in?"
Anson replied, "If someone's determined to break in, is a door lock really going to stop them?"
Lucas: "…Anson, I'm not joking."
Anson finally sat up straight, glancing at Lucas's serious expression. "Alright, alright, I'll remember to lock the door. But honestly, there's nothing valuable here. If someone breaks in, they'll be disappointed."
Seeing Lucas about to protest again, Anson raised his hands in surrender.
"I get it, I get it."
"I just want you to relax a little. This isn't LA or New York. Even the paparazzi find this place boring. Nobody knows I'm here. We don't need to be so uptight."
"Otherwise, what's the point of me sneaking out here?"
At this moment, Anson was in Columbus—
Ohio.
This city was known as the most laid-back place in North America. Despite being Ohio's capital, its population was just under 900,000—hardly bustling.
Even quieter than Portland.
No one had any idea that Anson had chosen Columbus for his vacation.
Here, Nora Wood had a studio that she rarely used, though sometimes she'd come by to work. Anson did the same.
After wrapping up Spider-Man 2, Anson didn't stay in crowded LA, nor did he head to a popular vacation spot. Instead, he grabbed a bag and quietly came to Columbus to paint, disappearing from the public eye.
Unnoticed, he vanished into his retreat.