Please Take Me Off the Guest List

by Zachary Lipez

"For those who've never had the opportunity to party like a rock star and felt like they were missing out, Please Take Me Off the Guest List' may very well smooth over those regrets."
-- The New York Times T Magazine, Men's Fashion issue

"It's a gorgeous book, but there's more to it than that. Wakefield is a designer; she juxtaposed Zinner's photos with Lipez's stories of life in the rock and roll gutter in a really unique way. There is literally no way you could make this book into a satisfying e-book. It's a beautiful artifact."
-- The Stranger

In this outstanding collaboration, Nick Zinner's photographs evoke the world he travels with his band the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, while Zachary Lipez's essays recount his adventures as a bartender, drug abuser, bookstore clerk, metal fan, miserable adolescent, and relentless skirt chaser. The book is designed by Zinner's and Lipez's longtime collaborator, book artist Stacy Wakefield.

Nick Zinner plays guitar in the three-time Grammy-nominated rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs and other collaborative projects. His photos have been exhibited all over the world. He lives in New York City.

Zachary Lipez sings in the band Freshkills, tends bar at Beauty Bar Brooklyn, and deejays all over New York City. His writing appears on Vol.1 blog.

Stacy Wakefield worked as design director for Index magazine, Artforum , and Bookforum . She now lives in the Catskills where she designs art books.

Genres: Music, Photography, Fiction

150 pages, Paperback

First published August 24, 2010

About the author

Zachary Lipez sings in the band Freshkills, tends bar at Beauty Bar Brooklyn, and deejays all over New York City. His writing appears on Vol.1 blog.

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat down and read this at work the other day. It was a great way to kill the last 30 minutes of my workday. First off, the design is great--with the essays printed on smaller size paper bound between the photos. Secondly, the essays (by Lipez) are really funny, written with high energy like a really intellectual snob buzzing on speed. It's okay if you can't follow them like a traditional narrative. It's more like rock-n-roll in that way.

[Tuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for its artifact value (you will want to give this to your potentially cool niece when she turns 13)
2 1/2 stars for zachary lipez's writing (its snarky, fairly funny and entertaining, but ultimately a weak derivative of hunter s thompson, I NEED MORE news here zach, http://www.fresh-kills.com/ )
4 stars for the photography (i wish i could see these in a bigger format, and MORE of them, http://www.eviltwinpublications.com/I...
4 stars for the layout, which is an important part of this whole package, maybe even the most important part.
if you have read david byrnes' "new sins" or "dorkismo" by bustillos or "makeshift metropolis" by Witold Rybczynski then this book won't do much more for you, but if you have a thing about the yeayeahyeahs http://www.yeahyeahyeahs.com/ , like creative book making and metal http://stereogum.com/592011/watain-go... , and find coke fiend stories funny this is worth it. a bit too pricey though there akashic. we don;t all live in the vastly overpriced world of big cities.

[superawesomekt · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't think I am the target audience for this book nor do I understand the point of this book. Lots of stories about using coke (among other foolish but often glamorized things)... it probably would have helped if I had known that the writer & photographer are living in the rock 'n' roll gutter *before* reading the end notes. It reminds me of what I thought was glamorously, dysfunctionally cool in college. Except these are 30 year olds...Therefore cross Daisy Jones and the Six with Normal People but in the form of a few blog post style vignettes with original instagram style photos and you've got the idea.

[Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious, beautiful, and quick. A combined effort by designer Stacy Wakefield, photographer Nick Zinner (guitarist for the Yeah Yeah Yeah's) and author Zachary Lipez (singer for the Freshkills). Though the coolest part was actually meeting all three at Powell's Books in Portland.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

my close friend zack wrote the essays, and nick zinner is not only a prolific guitarist, but also a renowned photographer whom i've had the distinct pleasure of exhibiting with in the past. some of the people and places mentioned strike very close to my heart, making this one is a personal fave.

[Tracy Slone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through goodreads first look. It was a great read. The vivid pictures and captivating stories let you live through the storytellers experiences. If you never got a chance to "sow your wild oats," you can definitely read what you missed out on. Great book. Amazing photos.

[Megan Geissler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate the concept.

[Oriana]

oh, want want want. Put out by Akashic, and all about my neighborhood? Yes and yes.