Reason for picking up this book
I never followed David Grohl's career post-Nirvana. Still, I was always curious to learn how he pivoted into his own band - The Foo Fighters.
This audiobook is a great listen, and there are a couple of instances when the fourth wall is broken. David Grohl is wholly dedicated to his craft and loves what he does.
Takeaways
Discovering Punk Rock
Music is often discovered through a shared experience. David got his introduction to Punk Rock from a childhood friend Tracy. Before long, he was attending the underground rock scene.
"Does everyone know about this ?"
What is interesting about this part of his story is how he describes the spread and distribution of punk rock. Most records and cassettes were produced by small indie companies. The homemade cover art was basic and very different from the high-end music labels.
This introduction to Punk Rock made David Grohl want to play the music on the drums and the guitar.
Valhalla of Volume
Some of the lines in this audiobook are just a joy to listen to. For example, Dave describes watching Panterra -
Rex Brown stalking the stage, carrying his bass like a massive flamethrower aimed at the crowd. And Dimebag Darrell . . . god's gift to guitar, stealing the show with such ease, such swagger, such cool, leaving jaws dragging in the summer dirt. It was a Valhalla of volume.
After being acquainted with Panterra, David Grohl was invited to hang out at Panterra's club in Dallas. During the road trip to Texas, David lost his wallet containing his means of ID and was therefore denied entry to the club. Years later, he was recognized, and his wallet was returned by the gas station owner's daughter.
SyFy
The book also covers Science Fiction and Ghosts -
The term Foo Fighter was used during WWII to identify unknown flying objects. David Grohl decided to release his music anonymously using this name.
The first house he purchased had a presence in the lower that seemed to follow people around. Despite this, he continued living in this house.