Headz

by J.J. Colagrande

Thelonious Horowitz is the next big thing, the Bob Dylan of his times, and he's feeling uninspired. In the past, traveling to music festivals always lifted his spirits. With his band playing a gig in a few days, he decides to leave New York to venture to Oracledang, the biggest and baddest musical festival of the summer. A diverse cast of ten characters, living in New York, Miami, and San Francisco, round out the novel. In Headz, everyone comes together at the music festival in Chicago, where paths converge for a summer event none of the characters will soon forget, and a show few will get to see. "J.J. Colagrande's first novel is a cause for rejoicing. He is a natural writer, and will be an inspiration for other young writers to tell their stories as well as he tells his. He knows about the contemporary music scene because he is part of it. He has the rare combination of being an informed and perceptive listener and a brilliant writer. Buy his book. You won't be disappointed!" —David Amram, author Collaborating with Kerouac "This book would appeal to anyone interested in understanding the unique tang of a restless, questing generation." —James W. Hall, author Hell's Bay and Magic City “The marvel of his gritty and propulsive first novel, Headz , is that right out of the gates, J. J. Colagrande has staked claim on a wild new territory of ecstatic music and young love in a time of hedonism. A guest at the movable feast that is The Show, Thelonious Horowitz, a stranger in his own land, idealist and musician, travels across America to find himself or to lose himself, he's not sure which. So hop in, but strap on your seatbelt and hold on to your top hat. The road's a little bumpy up ahead.” —John Dufresne, author Requiem, Mass. “ Headz gets inside the next generation jam band scene and turns it back out. It moves like great music in your brain and keeps you groovin' until the last page. Tune in, turn on, and pick up this book. —Peter Conners, author Growing Up The Hallucinated Confessions of a Teenage Deadhead

198 pages, Paperback

First published March 13, 2009

Reviews

[Anne Stoddard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually read this book in the car on a road trip to a music festival back in 2009. Because of the premise, I really, really wanted to like it--especially since I had toyed around with the ideas of both writing festival fiction and writing a memoir of my first music festival experience. I did, for the most part, enjoy it, and I liked that the story was told from the perspective of different characters from different locations and with different backgrounds, who all ended up connected in the end...but, well...as a whole the book fell a little short of my expectations. The ending seemed so abrupt and a little callous. Still, I would consider reading another book from this author if it was written in a musical setting since I do enjoy live music and event experiences.