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Power Ballads
Real musicians don’t sign autographs, date models, or fly in private jets. They spend their lives in practice rooms and basement clubs or toiling in the obscurity of coffee-shop gigs, casino jobs, and the European festival circuit. The ten linked stories in Power Ballads are devoted to this unheard virtuoso: the working musician. From the wings of sold-out arenas to hip-hop studios to polka bars, these stories are born out of a nocturnal world where music is often simply work, but also where it can, in rare moments, become a source of grace and transcendence, speaking about the things we never seem to say to each other. A skilled but snobby jazz drummer joins a costumed heavy metal band to pay his rent. A country singer tries to turn her brutal past into a successful career. A vengeful rock critic reenters the life of an emerging singer-songwriter, bent on wreaking havoc. The characters in Power Ballads—aging head-bangers, jobbers, techno DJs, groupies, and the occasional rock star (and those who have to live with them)—need music to survive, yet find themselves lost when the last note is played, the lights go up, and it’s time to return to regular life. By turns melancholy and hilarious, Power Ballads is not only a deeply felt look at the lives of musicians but also an exploration of the secret music that plays inside us all.
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 16, 2011
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About the author
Will Boast
7 books25 followersWill Boast was born in England and grew up in Ireland and Wisconsin. His story collection, Power Ballads, won the 2011 Iowa Short Fiction Award. His fiction has appeared in Best New American Voices 2009, Narrative, Glimmer Train, The Southern Review, and The American Scholar, among other publications. From 2008-2010, he was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. He lives in San Francisco and moonlights as a musician around the Bay Area."
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 25, 2024
4.5
If you told me at any point during the last five years that this would be a five star for me, I would have told you that you were full of shit. It's short stories, white dudes, and late 20th US music culture, nothing that I have historically worked well with in both what I read and what I participate in. Of course, that may be why I was hit so hard in so many places, especially early on where I was full force polar-bear-plunged into aging musician nostalgia and found exactly what I'm always looking for literature-wise in one of the most incongruous of places. Not all the pieces are rendered equal, and indeed, I'd say that the later pieces took too much advantage of the more usual Hallmark weeping topics and were not able to ride that line of human-rather-than-sentiment that bowled me over in the starters. However, what worked did so heartbreakingly well, and there was a sense of gender that was hardly the flourishing lexicon kids can get through graphic novels today, but did the men and the women and the heterosexual relations in such a firmly grounded way that I caught myself at multiple times wondering why it was so fucking hard for every other cishet writer to get it right even today. All, this ended up being phenomenal first book to start off my return to certain public library stamping grounds, and if you feel yourself in the mood for a read with less than 100 ratings on this hellscape of a site, this came out of the woodwork and socked me in the kisser in a way I didn't know I needed till now.
If you told me at any point during the last five years that this would be a five star for me, I would have told you that you were full of shit. It's short stories, white dudes, and late 20th US music culture, nothing that I have historically worked well with in both what I read and what I participate in. Of course, that may be why I was hit so hard in so many places, especially early on where I was full force polar-bear-plunged into aging musician nostalgia and found exactly what I'm always looking for literature-wise in one of the most incongruous of places. Not all the pieces are rendered equal, and indeed, I'd say that the later pieces took too much advantage of the more usual Hallmark weeping topics and were not able to ride that line of human-rather-than-sentiment that bowled me over in the starters. However, what worked did so heartbreakingly well, and there was a sense of gender that was hardly the flourishing lexicon kids can get through graphic novels today, but did the men and the women and the heterosexual relations in such a firmly grounded way that I caught myself at multiple times wondering why it was so fucking hard for every other cishet writer to get it right even today. All, this ended up being phenomenal first book to start off my return to certain public library stamping grounds, and if you feel yourself in the mood for a read with less than 100 ratings on this hellscape of a site, this came out of the woodwork and socked me in the kisser in a way I didn't know I needed till now.
October 14, 2011
Boast's ability to wield these narratives is awe-inspiring. Beginning with a preteen tuba player who wants to polka, through rock stars and their loved ones, through choir masters and rapping teens, each story echos with musical truth. These stories take the music industry and make it universal, accessible.
Several of the stories have common characters, revolving around Tim, the drummer trying to make it in the Chicago music sphere, and his girlfriend Kate. They way these short stories are independent and yet interwoven provides almost a novel-like quality. This includes 6 of the 10 stories. A 7th is tangentially related, similar to the stories interwoven in Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad. Admittedly, I had read the final story "Coda" in Narrative Magazine several months ago. While I enjoyed it then, I found it much richer and a more fulfilling read this time, prefaced by several other stories about the same characters, giving more depth to the emotions therein. The emotions that build over the course of the stories is also quite powerful. After "The Bridge", I had to stop reading. Fiction almost never makes me cry, but this story was one exception.
The other stories show other aspects of the music industry. Perhaps my favorite of these, "Sidemen", examines the life of a touring rock musician's wife and the difficulties with that lifestyle. The sorrow Boast captures in this story resonate with me, someone who has no connection with the music industry. Yet the feelings of loneliness are common and approachable.
I love all of the stories in this collection. Congratulations to Will Boast for winning the Iowa Short Fiction Award. From this selection of his work, it is clear he deserved it.
Several of the stories have common characters, revolving around Tim, the drummer trying to make it in the Chicago music sphere, and his girlfriend Kate. They way these short stories are independent and yet interwoven provides almost a novel-like quality. This includes 6 of the 10 stories. A 7th is tangentially related, similar to the stories interwoven in Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad. Admittedly, I had read the final story "Coda" in Narrative Magazine several months ago. While I enjoyed it then, I found it much richer and a more fulfilling read this time, prefaced by several other stories about the same characters, giving more depth to the emotions therein. The emotions that build over the course of the stories is also quite powerful. After "The Bridge", I had to stop reading. Fiction almost never makes me cry, but this story was one exception.
The other stories show other aspects of the music industry. Perhaps my favorite of these, "Sidemen", examines the life of a touring rock musician's wife and the difficulties with that lifestyle. The sorrow Boast captures in this story resonate with me, someone who has no connection with the music industry. Yet the feelings of loneliness are common and approachable.
I love all of the stories in this collection. Congratulations to Will Boast for winning the Iowa Short Fiction Award. From this selection of his work, it is clear he deserved it.
October 18, 2011
Did you ever yearn for life as a musician? Ecstatic fans, groupie falling all over themselves, roadies jumping and a fetching to serve your genius and record companies lining up to sign you to the deal of a life time?
Then read this book because that isn’t how it goes. Will Boast, winner of the prestigious Iowa Short Fiction Award, bestowed on a first time author for short fiction by the Iowa Writers Workshop has written a collection of stories that are powerful, moving and explore the real life of a musician. From the moment you are bitten by the muse, to that moment you first play in public. From your first paying gig, to the ego of the other players that will compliment your life.
The stories also explore the complications a musicians life takes on with relationships, romance, his own ego and priorities. The necessity of ‘selling out’ to pay the rent. It’s all here, from the hotel barroom gigs to the stadiums, the sound studios of legendary status to sleeping in your practice space. And underneath it all, like the steady thrum of a bass, is the muse, the ‘high’, the addiction of your need to play music.
The stories read with a rhythm worthy of a great piece of music. The pace, collectively and individually is that of a symphony. Thought provoking, emotionally moving bring tears of loss and joyful laughs the next moment. The stories and the plot – all fiction must have a plot – seem to write themselves. They don’t seem contrived or made up, but pulled from the lives of real road worn musicians. And the characters, ah the characters. I know these guys. I have shaken my head at some of them and punched out others. I have high-fived them on dive-bar stage, and bought them drinks at the Ramada Inn at 2 am. I’ve sabotaged their gear and sat in awe of what they could do with a piece of wood or brass.
Power Ballads is a keeper, so treat it well when you receive it. you’ll want to pull this one down from the shelf over and over again and revisit it from time to time.
Then read this book because that isn’t how it goes. Will Boast, winner of the prestigious Iowa Short Fiction Award, bestowed on a first time author for short fiction by the Iowa Writers Workshop has written a collection of stories that are powerful, moving and explore the real life of a musician. From the moment you are bitten by the muse, to that moment you first play in public. From your first paying gig, to the ego of the other players that will compliment your life.
The stories also explore the complications a musicians life takes on with relationships, romance, his own ego and priorities. The necessity of ‘selling out’ to pay the rent. It’s all here, from the hotel barroom gigs to the stadiums, the sound studios of legendary status to sleeping in your practice space. And underneath it all, like the steady thrum of a bass, is the muse, the ‘high’, the addiction of your need to play music.
The stories read with a rhythm worthy of a great piece of music. The pace, collectively and individually is that of a symphony. Thought provoking, emotionally moving bring tears of loss and joyful laughs the next moment. The stories and the plot – all fiction must have a plot – seem to write themselves. They don’t seem contrived or made up, but pulled from the lives of real road worn musicians. And the characters, ah the characters. I know these guys. I have shaken my head at some of them and punched out others. I have high-fived them on dive-bar stage, and bought them drinks at the Ramada Inn at 2 am. I’ve sabotaged their gear and sat in awe of what they could do with a piece of wood or brass.
Power Ballads is a keeper, so treat it well when you receive it. you’ll want to pull this one down from the shelf over and over again and revisit it from time to time.
May 31, 2012
A great collection of beautifully wrought linked stories.
November 13, 2023
I would not have guessed the author partially grew up in Ireland, as these stories feel very urban and American, but then again, I know there is a really strong music tradition in Ireland that maybe informed them. The stories span decades and weave a number of Chicago musicians, amateur or otherwise, together. I appreciated the story of the touring musician's wife the most; I like how these were stories mostly focused on dyads but unique ones: father-son, friend-friend, mother-daughter, boyfriend-mom, ex-boyfriend/ex-boyfriend.
The last story truly surprised me! I thought it was a great end to the two main characters' time together even though one of them was not present.
The last story truly surprised me! I thought it was a great end to the two main characters' time together even though one of them was not present.
October 20, 2025
I really liked these short stories. This is not a format I generally read, but I very much enjoyed the stories of these working musicians.
July 14, 2012
At first, I was really excited that this was a compendium of non-fiction. I was less jazzed once I realized it was fiction, but it reads so easily that I quickly didn't care. The stories are good, though they tend to all be a little dramatic. It took me until the last chapter to realize how (most) everything was tying together, but that's probably me being thick; that said, it's so ridiculously unlikely that all of these mini-dramas happen in one person's life that ... I'm left with my eyebrow raised. Even parts of the more predictable tales, like "Mr. Fern, Freestyle," have dramatic flourishes that feel contrived.
I don't mean this as a slam, really: it's good story-telling, the insight into musician psyche (especially in "Dead Weight" and "Beginners," though I'm always a sucker for things like "Mr. Fern, Freestyle") is spot-on, and you're left wanting more.
In a lot of ways, it reminds me of sketches around Nick Hornby's Juliet, Naked, insofar as the humanity of the characters is drawn out of the interior personal arc(s) that is/are happening. But unlike Hornby's portraits of musicians (and fans alike), the protagonist in this, even considering his character viewed through his and other lenses, is ... not likable. Almost unrelatable, in his shallowness and inability to resolve his own lack of emotional connectivity to the world or anyone else in it. Perhaps that was the point, though some of the stories are lost on me then, if they aren't around the central theme of being a musician.
Still, it's impactful enough to leave you wondering if all musicians are in some way confined to one of these fates, to some degree.
Thank goodness it's not non-fiction.
I don't mean this as a slam, really: it's good story-telling, the insight into musician psyche (especially in "Dead Weight" and "Beginners," though I'm always a sucker for things like "Mr. Fern, Freestyle") is spot-on, and you're left wanting more.
In a lot of ways, it reminds me of sketches around Nick Hornby's Juliet, Naked, insofar as the humanity of the characters is drawn out of the interior personal arc(s) that is/are happening. But unlike Hornby's portraits of musicians (and fans alike), the protagonist in this, even considering his character viewed through his and other lenses, is ... not likable. Almost unrelatable, in his shallowness and inability to resolve his own lack of emotional connectivity to the world or anyone else in it. Perhaps that was the point, though some of the stories are lost on me then, if they aren't around the central theme of being a musician.
Still, it's impactful enough to leave you wondering if all musicians are in some way confined to one of these fates, to some degree.
Thank goodness it's not non-fiction.
May 12, 2011
When I first opened this book, I thought I had perhaps been given the wrong book. The first selection is the story of a tuba player in a local polka band which is the complete polar opposite of “Power Ballad” which has its own unique connotations to anyone that lived through the eighties. I continued on, though, and quickly realized that was the point of this book – to take music industry people from all walks and all points in their career and give us a snapshot of what their real lives are like. At this it excels phenomenally. For anyone interested in music, this book provides a wonderful foundation of what lives are really like underneath all the glitz and glamour of rock stars that we usually hear about. The highs, the lows, the struggles and successes – it’s all here for the reader to submerge themselves in. Written in what feels like individual diary entries, each chapter brings you close to the person and allows you insight into their world as no other book I’ve read has ever done. If you are interested in music or just curious of how real musicians live and work, then I highly recommend you try this book.
December 5, 2011
a fine collection of short stories all about modern usa music. the first story is a delight of southern wisconsin "bar" scene of the not-so-long-ago old days, and little tim plays the tuba and he and his dad hang out at the bars/cafes/community centers so maybe he can sit in a few sets, which he does, but to the detriment of the old timer tuba player and little tim gets a lesson in the hard world of gigging musicians, even if it;s just cheesy polka music for the local german, polish and czech farmers. he learns only one can be in the spotlight at a time, and he wants to be that one. In the following connected stories tim grows up, switches to drums, goes to jazz school, tries to be a rocker, becomes a hired hand for various and sundry rock bands, has bad luck with women, jazz career, family, friends, women, fame, bandmates, rock career....beautiful and accurate evocations of rock music in bars, halls, venues, european gigs, and the often vacuous world of pop rock. from hipster indie to casino gigs with ghosts, all things modern world of rock music. winner of the iowa short fiction award 2011. (coulda been 5 stars but the few final stories kind of fell short :(
August 27, 2011
Power Ballads gets two stars because I'm a self-loathing member of the American M.F.A. community. I've stopped abiding some of our stranger beliefs, like that short stories should be related by theme. That half a page of unidentified dialogue is just "something he'll grow out of". That you're not a man until you've dead-lifted 250 lbs. of foreshadowing.
People like me thus can't make it through Power Ballads without frustration and, ultimately, the kind of existential cracking only mended, in this case, by Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. I grant you, it's really unfair to write a review in the light of whatever book you read immediately before or after...except that I had the chance not to read more of my community's writing and didn't take it.
People like me thus can't make it through Power Ballads without frustration and, ultimately, the kind of existential cracking only mended, in this case, by Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. I grant you, it's really unfair to write a review in the light of whatever book you read immediately before or after...except that I had the chance not to read more of my community's writing and didn't take it.
February 3, 2012
These stories feature the lives of working musicians, their disappointments and frustrations and moments of collaboration and transcendence, whether toiling in obscurity, selling out, or remembering past glories. Tim, a drummer that drifts from band to band, and his sometimes girlfriend, Kate, recur in many of the stories. I found this collection to be consistently strong across the board, no real clunkers for me, but my favorite stories were probably "Sidemen" about the wife of a constantly touring musician, "Mr. Fern, Freestyle" about an aging choir director and his reluctant involvement with a trio of aspiring rappers, and "Lost Coast" which features a rock critic's visit to his dead brother's friend.
April 28, 2014
These linked stories are intertwined in the best ways. Tim, a drummer (which resonates with me), shows up as the protagonist in two stories, and peripherally in two others, including the final, Coda. His girlfriend Kate is in three at various levels too. But mostly, the stories are a nod and a toast to the working musician, the sideman (and one is called Dead Weight), the ones the spotlight barely makes it to. Chicago is on display here; characters either live there, or used to. Des Moines is mentioned, as is Milwaukee!
The writing is funny, odd, and true. Like the musicians I played with back in the day. The University of Iowa Press does it again with its Short Fiction Award.
The writing is funny, odd, and true. Like the musicians I played with back in the day. The University of Iowa Press does it again with its Short Fiction Award.
June 19, 2012
Really promising work. Boast proves that writing doesn't have to be elaborate to be powerful. The simplicity of his language and sentences is astonishingly effective. The worlds he creates are three-dimensional. If you're at all familiar with musicians, the characters are accurate to a T and totally recognizable. All of this praise and still at times I wanted more.
About half of these stories deserve four stars. The other half deserve three. I guess my rating is a silly stand against grade inflation.
About half of these stories deserve four stars. The other half deserve three. I guess my rating is a silly stand against grade inflation.
September 9, 2011
I really loved this book - I loved how the stories were related, but featured different main characters (and one was a standalone). I thought the characters were so incredibly well-developed, which can't be easy in a short story. Also he got the amateur/struggling musician atmosphere down.
Finally there's a part in one of the stories that literally made me EEP in surprise. I was at the laundromat when I read it - good thing the dryers are loud!
Finally there's a part in one of the stories that literally made me EEP in surprise. I was at the laundromat when I read it - good thing the dryers are loud!
March 8, 2013
Will Boast’s Power Ballads is ten inter-related short stories about life in and around music scenes, and just out of major airplay and chart rankings. Whether they play jazz, polka, rock, folk, or a hybrid genre, many of Boast’s characters put music first and people second. Some of the most compelling stories are from the perspective of those friends and family members who come second to the music. I’m on the lookout for more of Will Boast’s writing.
July 25, 2012
Gorgeous, semi-linked, story collection about music and musicians. Boast writes about the art itself and its transcendence with a kind of wiry beauty, but doesn’t allow his waxing poetical to overshadow his keen sense of character and his little knife-turns of plot. An incredibly strong collection from a new writer to watch.
Update July 2012: And now we're publishing him! Hurray!
Update July 2012: And now we're publishing him! Hurray!
December 19, 2012
Maybe 4 1/2 stars, but I loved it and love that it's about working musicians. Kate was so annoying, though. But I did feel sorry for her. I really did. I love books of shorts with returning characters.
July 26, 2012
Incredible collection of short stories that will stay with me for a long time... and made me homesick for Chicago circa 2002. Looking forward to more from Will Boast...
December 20, 2013
A nice collection of short stories.
October 12, 2014
Very different yet refreshing read. Good writing.
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