Dave Grohl

I was in my 20s and a fan of MTV in the early 90s. So, of course, I knew of Nirvana. I was, however, agnostic about their music as I was about the Foo Fighters'. I might be able to name a song or two from both groups but I had never bought any or even purposely sought them out. However, every time I came across a story about Dave Grohl, he just seemed like a cool guy. So, when I had an extra Audible credit that I needed to use before it expired, I bought the audiobook for The Storyteller (read by Grohl, himself).

After listening, my impression is confirmed. Dave just seems like a totally awesome, down-to-earth guy who had a couple lucky breaks but who mostly worked his you-know-what off to get where he is. I loved the stories of his life on the road, particularly in the early days (pre-Nirvana) when he was slogging around in a van, sleeping on people's floors and living on a per diem of $7.50 a day. The later stories, when he's finally hit it big and is hobnobbing with celebrities could get tiresome, especially when he expresses surprise that he's actually given good seats and backstage passes to a charity concert featuring some of his idols. But you really believe that he is a humble guy who is truly star struck and above all, grateful to meet his heroes and for all that he has. You finish the book thinking that Dave is not only a lot of fun, but more importantly, a good human being, a great friend and an awesome dad and family man. I'd love to hang with him. Might have to go out now and buy some Foo Fighters songs.… (mehr)

I love biographies of musicians and this one was an exception in that it wasn't centered on drug abuse. As a straight edge musician I'm always looking for a connection with these people, many who I've looked up to since I was a kid.

I can't say I'm a huge fan of the Foo Fighters or Nirvana, but it was definitely interesting to hear about their journey and how it all went down. He doesn't spend too much time on the details of Kurt's downward spiral, but enough to give you an idea of what happened.

After the initial history of learning to play and being in bands, the rest of the book centers on either Dave meeting famous people and sometimes performing with them, his experiences as a father and son, and then the occasional tour story. He seems extremely grateful for all the blessings he's received and really seems to care about people.

This was written before the death of Taylor Hawkins, so it's especially painful to hear Dave talk about him and their relationship with such compassion.… (mehr)