Hitless Wonder : A Life in Minor League Rock and Roll

by Oestreich, Joe

• ISBN13: 9780762779246
• ISBN10: 0762779241
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-06-05
• Publisher: Lyons Press

Summary

Everyone knows the price of fame. Hitless Wondermeasures the price of obscurity. What happens when you chase a dream into middle age and, in doing so, risk losing the people you love? This book recounts the two-week tour that forces Joe Oestreichsinger, songwriter, and bassist of the band Watershedto decide if he and his longtime bandmates still have a future together. In the mid-'90s, Watershed's large Midwest following led to a six-figure deal with Epic Records. But the band never had a hit, and the label dropped them. Seventeen years later, long after their more famous peers have called it quits, Watershed keeps climbing into the Econoline and touring mop bucket bars. But Joe can't help but wonder: Are he and his bandmatesapproaching forty with wives and kids and mortgagesadmirable or pathetic? Successes or failures? The tour tests the bonds of Joe's friendships and the strength of his marriage, as he's torn between the lure of the road and the call to finally settle down. An accomplished journalist and creative writing instructor, Oestreich tells his story with humor, heart, and unflinching honesty. Readersfrom Baby Boomers to Gen X-erswill be deeply moved by his voice, while appreciating his quixotic struggle to live out a dream.

Author Biography

Joe Oestreich has published essays in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and elsewhere. His work has been shortlisted for The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2007, The Best American Essays 2008 and 2009, and The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses 2010. He teaches creative writing at Coastal Carolina University.