I have loved ryan adams music since whiskeytown days, and always will. By all accounts, adams was on a mission to be a rock star from the start. I was the tour manager of ryan adamss band whiskeytown from early 1997 until they broke up in the spring of 2000. Thomas is one of the best storytellers ive ever met. We recently spoke to thomas okeefe, author of waiting to derail. Ryan adams and whiskeytown, altcountrys brilliant wreck okeefe, thomas on. Whiskeytown formed in raleigh in 1994, eventually dissolving in 2000 as lead singer ryan adams, front, pursued a solo career. Ryan did not participate in the writing of the book, but has said he is writing a whiskeytown book of his own. He is not my buddy, i just love his music, so what he does in his life is really of no concern to me.
The rise of ryan adams and his original band whiskeytown amidst the burgeoning altcountry scene is the stuff of legend, or infamy depending on your perspective. The rise of ryan adams and whiskeytown to be told in. Theres no one more qualified to write the story of. Ultimately, pneumonia sounds more like a ryan adams solo project than anything else, and it walks a decidedly different path than the whiskeytown albums that preceded it there are no charging rockers in the manner of drank like a river or yesterdays news, and the country twang of too drunk to dream or someone remembers the rose has. It goes into great detail about whiskeytown, his band with caitlin cary and mike daly, and their tumultuous times together. Ryan adams and whiskeytown, altcountrys brilliant wreck skyhorse publishing hardcover, also available as an ebook on sale. Whiskeytown led the wave of insurgentcountry bands that came of age. Okeefe was the tour manager for whiskeytown beginning with their first major label tour supporting strangers almanac, until their breakup in 2000. Losering, a story of whiskeytown chronicles those five years inbetween. But only three people on the planet witnessed every whiskeytown show from the release of strangers almanac to the bands eventual breakup. Its well written by the author who actually interviewed and had a connection to ryan adams. This is a book for only folks who love ryan adams music who might wonder about the bratty boy genius of the former band whiskeytown.
Tour managing whiskeytown was going to be like chaperoning eighth graders on a class trip to d. Waiting to derail ryan adams and whiskeytown, nashville, tennessee. Losering, a story of whiskeytown by david menconi university of texas press, 222 pp. Whiskeytowns tour manager had a front row seat to ryan adams genius, and his turmoil. The twentyyear veteran of the music industry is currently tour managing weezer. In whiskeytown, however, ryans punkrock past seemed more evident in terms of attitude than musical style. Losering, a story of whiskeytown american music university of texas american music series by david menconi isbn. I own lots of his music, but im sure happy he is not someone in my family. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. One book is a sciencefiction novel adams has been writing for a while that he shared few details about.
His twentyplus year career in the music business includes twelve years with grammy winners train and shorter stints with acts as diverse as d generation, sia, third eye blind, and mandy moore. Twentyplus years later, accounts of ryan adams legendary antics are still passed around in music circles. I wrote a book about that experience called waiting to derail. For fans of whiskeytown, especially those who know at least a little bit about the raleigh area, this is an entertaining and informative look at the history of the band and the altcountry music movement of the midtolate 90s as well as a portrait of ryan adams as an unstoppable songwriting juggernaut and his lovehate relationship with his idea of what being a rock star is. David menconi before he achieved his dream of being an internationally known rock personality, ryan adams had a band in raleigh, north carolina.
On one hand, it paints a portrait of a mercurial talent, adams, a brilliant singersongwriter. Ryan adams and whiskeytown, altcountrys brilliant wreck serves dual purposes. That being said, this book is written by a music journalist. Ryan adams and whiskeytown, altcountrys brilliant wreck by thomas okeefe with joe oestreich on sale. Menconi, a veteran music critic based in raleigh, north carolina, had a front row seat for altcountry wunderkind ryan adams rise to prominencefrom an array of local bands, to whiskeytown, and. Ryan adams is writing a book about whiskeytown and a sci. By fred mills when a young ryan adams first arrived on the raleigh, nc, scene in the early 90s he was a mouthy punk. Check out best of ryan adams by ryan adams, whiskeytown on amazon music.
Losering, a story of whiskeytown american music series menconi, david on. Ryan adams would like to make something very clear. Author thomas okeefe was the tour manager for whiskeytown beginning with their first major label tour supporting strangers almanac, until their breakup in 2000. Ryan adams and whiskeytown, altcountrys brilliant wreck. Ryan adams gettybruno vincent the night ryan adams said fk you to the fillmore it was 1998. Read about the new book about ryan adams and whiskeytown. Whiskeytown book documents volatile early years for ryan adams. Whiskeytown houses on the hill austin city limits 1998. The book captures the end of whiskeytown and the beginning of adams solo career, and is full of the sort of tales youd expect smashed guitars, bad gigs and a revolving cast of fellow musicians such as latterday whiskeytown guitarist ed from ohio ed crawford from firehose along for the ride. Losering, a story of whiskeytown american music series. Before he achieved his dream of being an internationally known rock pers. Ive known author thomas okeefe since the day train opened for whiskeytown in 1998.
Whiskeytowns pneumonia and ryan adamss love is hell get vinyl reissues. It starts out by talking about his early life and his musical influences now and then, many of which are the same. Best of ryan adams by ryan adams, whiskeytown on amazon. The book charts the alcoholfueled path of whiskeytown from just before the release of its 1997 instantclassic, strangers almanac, to the bands demise in 2000. Despite how fetishised vinyl records have become over the. Okeefe has just put down on paper with coauthor joe oestreich his experiences on the road with the group and adams in the book waiting to derail. Thomas okeefe takes the reader inside the van and the venues to give us an entertaining collection of stories from ryans days in whiskeytown. But even from the very first practice, whiskeytown was really exciting to me. I told ryan in 2007 i was planning on writing a whiskeytown book. Then i told ryan, you know, i can sing harmony if you want, and it went from there.
Waiting to derail is a hard book to put downespecially if you love ryan adams. But when you have a frontman as mercurial and erraticallybehaving as ryan adams, theres only so much you can do. This book covers the whiskeytown during the 19972000 strangers almanac tour. A prominent music journalist with behindthescenes access chronicles the rise of singersongwriter ryan adams from his north carolina, altcountry roots with whiskeytown to rock stardom, including stories about the making of the albums strangers almanac and heartbreaker. Shop for vinyl, cds and more from ryan adams at the discogs marketplace. I was never ever sat in a room in the dark, drooling, or whacked out alone for weeks at a time, shooting drugs, he. Ryan adams was in philadelphia with a couple of friends, meeting up with a few other stragglers for dinner and an oasisfoo fightersbeck radio. Packed with behindthescenes road stories, and, yes, tales of ro. This book covers the whiskeytown during the 19972000 strangers almanac tour cycle, written by the person who saw. Country discomfort with ryan adams and whiskeytown. David lawrence menconi before he achieved his dream of being an internationally known rock personality, ryan adams had a band in raleigh, north carolina. A second book will chronicle his earlycareer altcountry group whiskeytown. Waiting to derail ryan adams and whiskeytown posts. Ryan adams losering, a story of whiskeytown by david menconi.
Losering, a story of whiskeytown, traces the nc altcountry bands tale and its volatile leaders through the eyes of a journalist who was there at the beginning. Ryan adams was born november 5, 1974 in jacksonville, north. As a massive fan of ryan adams, i have spent a lot of time with his music. I would think any fan of his, who listens to his lyrics, would realize the guy is pretty troubled, and probably can be a jerk. Ryan adams guitarist, former tour manager weigh in on.
Thomas okeefe was the tour manager for ryan adams and whiskeytown from 1997 until their breakup in 2000. In an interview with the bbc, singersongwriter ryan adams revealed hes working on a book documenting his early band whiskeytown. Losering, a story of whiskeytown from the worlds largest community of readers. Come pick me up the latest ryan adams news and shows. Ryan adams gets the hell outta whiskeytown rolling stone. Waiting to derail ryan adams and whiskeytown, nashville. And now it will be memorialized in ink in all of its debaucherous detail in a new book called waiting to derail. Last month, okeefe and oestreich published waiting to derail. I saw the band 174 times, i wasnt drunk and i have an elephants. A stroll across whiskeytown david menconis ryan adams. Adams, fiddle player caitlin cary and tour manager thomas okeefe.
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