Bang Bang Crash
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A rock and roll drummer abandons his successful music career to pursue his true passion and discovers a deeper understanding of artistic fulfillment in this episodic memoir of swapping one dream for another
In the mid-1990s, fresh out of high school, Nic Brown was living his childhood dream as a rock and roll drummer. Signing a major label record deal, playing big shows, hitting the charts, giving interviews in Rolling Stone, appearing on The Tonight Show—what could be better for a young artist? But contrary to expectations, getting a shot at his artistic dream early in life was a destabilizing shock. The more he achieved, the more accolades that came his way, the less sure Brown became about his path.
Only a few years into a promising musical career, he discovered the crux of his discontent: he was never meant to remain behind the drums. In fact, his true artistic path lay in a radically different direction entirely: he decided to become a writer, embarking on a journey leading him to attend the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, publish novels and short stories, and teach literature to college students across the country.
Bang Bang Crash tells the story of Nic Brown’s unusual journey to gain new strength, presence of mind, and sense of perspective, enabling him to discover an even greater life of artistic fulfillment.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Writing professor and former alt-rock drummer Brown (Floodmarkers) charts his rise from hopeful high school musician to professional percussionist in this mellow memoir. Detailing his early obsession with drumming and his first record deal at 19, Brown recounts feeling he'd "achieved all he wanted" before turning 21, but he eventually grew disenchanted with the music scene and turned to writing. He chronicles his path in episodic style, and in its most dynamic spots the narrative blossoms into a punchy portrait hinting at a deep-rooted passion for writing, evident in the way he describes the first time he notices hearing loss after a show ("my own nightly proof of self-destruction") or when he fabricates a backstory for his band, Athenaeum, that gets picked up by the press. As well, his love for the people he encounters is palpable, among them famous actors, musicians he'd idolized in his childhood, and his many tour mates. Unfortunately, these events fail to coalesce, and when he finally lands a spot at the Iowa Writer's Workshop (after having initially declined Ivy League admission to pursue music), it's hard not to long for a touch more tension. Budding writers and former musicians who've long hung up their instruments are likely to find some resonance, but others will be underwhelmed.
