- This event has passed.
John Doe in conversation with Tom DeSavia
June 6, 2019 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm UTC+0
City Lights in conjunction with Litquake and San Francisco’s Rock n’ Roll Book Club
present
John Doe and Tom DeSavia in conversation
celebrationg the release of
More Fun in the New World: The Unmaking and Legacy of L.A. Punk
by John Doe and Tom DeSavia
from Da Capo Press
Sequel to Grammy-nominated bestseller Under the Big Black Sun, continuing the up-close and personal account of the L.A. punk scene, with 50 rare photos
Picking up where Under the Big Black Sun left off, More Fun in the New World explores the years 1982 to 1987, covering the dizzying pinnacle of L.A.’s punk rock movement as its stars took to the national — and often international — stage. Detailing the eventual splintering of punk into various sub-genres, the second volume of John Doe and Tom DeSavia’s west coast punk history portrays the rich cultural diversity of the movement and its characters, the legacy of the scene, how it affected other art forms, and ultimately influenced mainstream pop culture. The book also pays tribute to many of the fallen soldiers of punk rock, the pioneers who left the world much too early but whose influence hasn’t faded.
As with Under the Big Black Sun, the book features stories of triumph, failure, stardom, addiction, recovery, and loss as told by the people who were influential in the scene, with a cohesive narrative from authors Doe and DeSavia. Along with many returning voices, More Fun in the New World weaves in the perspectives of musicians Henry Rollins, Fishbone, Billy Zoom, Mike Ness, Jane Weidlin, Keith Morris, Dave Alvin, Louis Pérez, Charlotte Caffey, Peter Case, Chip Kinman, Maria McKee, and Jack Grisham, among others. And renowned artist/illustrator Shepard Fairey, filmmaker Allison Anders, actor Tim Robbins, and pro-skater Tony Hawk each contribute chapters on punk’s indelible influence on the artistic spirit.
In addition to stories of success, the book also offers a cautionary tale of an art movement that directly inspired commercially diverse acts such as Green Day, Rancid, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wilco, and Neko Case. Readers will find themselves rooting for the purists of punk juxtaposed with the MTV-dominating rock superstars of the time who flaunted a “born to do this, it couldn’t be easier” attitude that continued to fuel the flames of new music. More Fun in the New World follows the progression of the first decade of L.A. punk, its conclusion, and its cultural rebirth.
John Doe, a founding member of groundbreaking punk band X, has recorded eight solo records and as an actor has appeared in over fifty films and television productions.
Tom DeSavia is a long time record and music publishing A&R man based in Los Angeles, California. DeSavia began his music industry career as a journalist.
About Litquake:
San Francisco’s annual Litquake literary festival was founded by Bay Area writers as a week-long literary spectacle for book lovers, complete with cutting-edge panels, unique cross-media events, and hundreds of readings. Since its founding in 1999, the festival has presented close to 1400 author appearances for an audience of over 32,000 in its lively and inclusive celebration of San Francisco’s thriving contemporary literary scene. Litquake seeks to foster interest in literature, perpetuate a sense of literary community, and provide a vibrant forum for Bay Area writing as a complement to the city’s music, film, and cultural festivals.
visit: www.litquake.org
About the Rock ‘n Roll Book Club:
Founded in 2011, San Francisco’s Rock ‘n Roll Book Club is a loose group of regulars and non-regulars who enjoy music and reading about it. They generally meet every other month at a bar’s backroom to discuss a book and listen to related music, over drinks and food mentioned in the book. They read new releases, classic memoirs, biographies, oral histories and music criticism, usually focusing on music from the 60s and 70s, preferably including sex, drugs, and good writing. They’ve met with authors Alice Bag (via skype), Robert Gordon (via Skype), Greil Marcus and V. Vale (RE/Search).
visit: Rock n’ Roll Book Club