Sister Hazel - Champagne High

What this video is

Released in 2000 from the album Fortress (Universal Records), 'Champagne High' arrived at a moment when post-grunge acts from the Southern and college-rock circuits were crossing into mainstream adult contemporary radio. Sister Hazel, formed in Gainesville, Florida in 1993, had already broken through with 'All For You' (1997) before Fortress extended their reach. The song's thematic core — attending an ex's wedding…

Why it matters

A textbook example of late-1990s/early-2000s adult alternative rock video production: professional major-label polish applied to an emotionally direct song, directed by Nancy Bardawil whose contemporaneous credits (Goo Goo Dolls, Hole, Dixie Chicks) spanned the genre's crossover breadth. The…

The director

Nancy Bardawil is a music video director and filmmaker who founded Big Canvas Films. Her notable music video credits include Goo Goo Dolls' 'Iris' and 'Slide' (1998), Hole's 'Celebrity Skin' (1998), Dixie Chicks' 'Cowboy Take Me Away' (1999), and Bon Jovi's…