None of This Rocks

A memoir from the lead guitarist of Fall Out Boy that reads like a double album full of revealing stories from his youth and the realities of modern rock and roll stardom--taking on depression, his mother's brain cancer, antisemitism, pills, petty larceny, side hustles, and pop punk at the turn of the century. Joe Trohman is the glue of Fall Out Boy, responsible along with Pete Wentz for bringing the band together, and then for holding them together over the course of a twenty-year career that has included massive success, occasional backlashes, and one well-publicized four-year hiatus. Trohman is the emotive communicator of the group, the one who made sure they practiced, and kept everyone cool through the low moments. That's part of what this book is about, and it will provide indispensable history of the band for their legions of fans. It's also an insightful look at modern-day rock stardom, from the perspective of a guitarist in a pop world that no longer bows down to the guitar gods the way it once did. But Trohman has a lot to convey beyond that. With a side gig writing for television, Trohman has storytelling chops, and he's lived a rollercoaster life that has fed his music and his worldview. His mother suffered from mental illness and multiple brain tumors that eventually killed her. His father fostered Joe's thirst for knowledge, and was a supportive and wise force, though emotionally distant at times. Joe faced antisemitism in small-town Ohio, and he witnessed all levels of misogyny, racism, and violence amid the straight edge punk scene in Chicago. From partying with famous people, including his heroes like Metallica's Kirk Hammett to getting snubbed by Natalie Portman backstage at SNL, to his own struggles with depression and substance abuse, Joe chronicles ...