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Acting the Giddy Goat Welcome to downtown Toronto and welcome to the Horse & Groom, a local bar where the over-educated and under-employed gather to contemplate art and philosophy and gurgle a steady stream of disgruntlement beneath the city's high-gloss, media-saturated veneer. We follow a month in the life of would-be writer, beer connoisseur, and resident cynic Brewmaster Bill, who, bored and horny, dissects the behavior of his off-kilter circle of friends, ponders romantic and familial relationships, and pursues a vision of Omar Khayyam, while waiting for midday customers in the dank bowels of Pilchak's U-Brew Palace. Brewmaster Bill's circle includes one Johnny Raccoon, the would-be star, small-time folk-rock musician who busks in the subway and plays in local bars while waiting for the opportunity to finally cash in on the possibility of turning twenty years of local notoriety and world anonymity into the fame and fortune he deserves. Then there's Martin Hedley, the would-be philosopher king turned kindergarten teacher and Bill's customer at Pilchak's U-Brew Palace, who forfeits the immediate financial and emotional needs of his wife and daughter for the sake of his elusive academic career. And there's Adam Allman, the quintessential everyman: an English-language teacher, a former keyboard player for Johnny Raccoon's band, brother-in-law to Brewmaster Bill, husband to Connie Guarda and add to that list the looming title of soon-to-be father. Here we greet Adam in the midst of a mid-life crisis, looking back on his brief thirty-something years of life, wondering where his youth went and waiting for the moment when he'll start growing old. In the mix are side characters: Susan Harris, the awkward art history fanatic who's in love with the Dionysian-like Drake Liedermann, filmmaker extraordinaire; "Rhetoric" Brown, who manages to respond to everything with a rhetorical question; and Andrea Smits, who tries to sell the whole crew on self-help by "Maximizing thru Mindwork!" And there you have a typical night at the Horse & Groom. It is here at the Horse & Groom, one stormy May night, that this cast of characters is hurled through time, memory, and place. The rhythm of life becomes constant and clear. All the mundane details become meaningful, all the would-be's become will-be's, and in this one moment of surreal ecstasy, the veil of irony is finally lifted.
Flynn Robinson is 18 years old and has just made the most important decision of his life. Excited by an offer to play guitar in a top club band, he’s decided to drop out of high school and be like his hero and namesake Ray Flynn, a musician who has defied convention his whole life. But Flynn has problems. He’s smitten with Allie, a singer in another band, and can’t bring himself to tell his girlfriend Julianne they’re finished. His moral dilemmas continue when he is offered a stolen guitar. Then, when Flynn discovers that his idol, Ray, isn’t the man he thought he was, he starts to see everything in a different light.
Flat-Out Rock The bands that rocked the 60s and 70s still resonate today. The pioneers of 60s rock spoke for an entire generation of young people. Their music and personas reflected the conflicting moods, politics and passions of a turbulent era. Now, a new generation of musicians and fans is discovering the unique sound from that incomparable musical period. Charge into Flat-Out Rock and step on stage with 10 icons of 60s and 70s rock. Author and musician Mike Tanner puts you in the front row as he chooses a pivotal event in the careers of the greatest rock artists of the era. He tells readers who influenced these classic bands and, in turn, which contemporary bands have drawn on the sounds from that time. Tanner lists each band's best songs and albums, and highlights some of the other great figures who enjoyed popular appeal. From
Jimi Hendrix's burning performance at the Monterey Pop Festival to
the Rolling Stones' tragic concert at Altamont, you'll witness the
most extraordinary era of recent times. Also profiled: With a blend of pulse-pounding storytelling and captivating images, Flat-Out Rock is the perfect introduction for young fans.
Click here for a short video of Mike discussing his book Flat-Out Rock
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