Features
Hitting Rock Bottom With The Rock Bottom Remainders
By day, they’re famous authors. But at night when they pick up their musical instruments and jam, well, they’re still famous authors. The Rock Bottom Remainders return to the road, booking two dates on the West Coast.
With a lineup consisting of Stephen King, Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, Dave Barry and cartoonist/Simpsons creator Matt Groening, the literary world’s only touring rock band will play Los Angeles El Rey Theatre June 22 before playing a private date for the American Library Association Convention in Anaheim June 23.
Although heavy on the lit side, The Rock Bottom Remainders will have one bona fide professional musician among them with Roger McGuinn of The Byrds returning as “special musical guest.”
During an interview in 2010 Barry told Pollstar how McGuinn fits into a band made up of authors.
“He brings a little thing we like to call ‘talent,’” Barry said. “It really is amazing over the years the number of really good musicians who have been willing to get on stage with us. Warren Zevon played with us a lot over the years. We even had Bruce Springsteen get up on stage with us once. Judy Collins, Gloria … who did the song “I Will Survive?” Gloria Gaynor – she did a version of that song with us.
“But Roger, lately when he can, likes to play with the band. He’s kind of a literate human and I think he likes us more as authors than as musicians. But what’s great about Roger is he’s so good when he gets on stage. And that’s when I’m talking about turning it down to minus 4, turning it way down.”
""We like songs that don’t have too many chords in them."