Fan: A Game of Rock 'n' Roll Trivia

Fan, quite simply, is a game of Rock 'n' roll trivia, mostly focusing on indie/punk/post-punk/alternative music from its inception in the 1960 to now.

Introduction: I’ve written this book to share an enthusiasm (obsession?) with those who love popular music as much as I do. I want you to have something to do when you need a break from rehearsal, to have a common focus of joy among your friends, to alleviate the inevitable boredom on a long road trip or during a good shit. I am no musician, nor do I understand the complexities and genius required for success in even the smallest of local cover bands. I suspect many fans out there are the same. So, in a way, this book is not really about “music” at all. It’s about being a fan of music, the rock ’n’ roll that has mattered most to us over the past 30 years. Rock ’n’ roll is one of the first things I, as an adolescent, could claim some intellectual ownership over that wasn’t given to me by my parents, teachers, whomever. I mean come on, the excitement of cashing a paycheck from the steak house I bussed tables at when I was fourteen, going straight to the record store with my friends, perusing the import section for anything that looked dangerous, exciting, different, or interesting (Satanic?), and then making a purchase, peeling the clingy shrink-wrap off the record, pinching open the sleeve and smelling the vinyl, feeling the cool static-filled sleeve while perusing the art and liner notes, and then finally listening. Listening. How could one not become knowledgeable about such things? Just as every Catholic-school kid knows the names of religious rules and objects, so I knew about bands. It was cool, and when there was uncertainty in our young lives, there was also that coolness that no one could take away. It was our way to be smart, and our first forays into the human conversation. I swear, in high school, it was the only knowledge I truly believed mattered, and to this day, the sonic beauty of the Velvet Underground or Radiohead, the Sonic Youth or Wilco, makes me feel…well, I guess the word is human. Okay, so it’s just a bunch of questions, a mass of trivia, a game. But what am I if not those things, too? Trivia, okay, but not trivial. So go ahead...play!

The rules are very simple. You get one point for every correctly answered question and three points for every correctly answered followup question, always located directly after the initial query. If you get the first question wrong, you may not answer the followup, but the previous answerer may steal, though again without an opportunity for a followup. Followup questions aren’t for stealing at all. All answers are located directly after the question in the e-edition. First person to 20 wins. Or, play it anyway you want. Read it in the bathroom. Ask each other questions on a road trip, at work, or in the bar. Most of all, enjoy it. And when you’re done, go buy lots of records, because I promise they’ll make you feel great!

http://www.williamralphpress.com/