Events › Behind the Music Book Club

A book club for music fans: band memoirs, studio histories, genre guides and more. See online event calendar for details

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If you like digging into backstories as much as listening to music, join us to discuss music-related books,  documentaries, podcasts and more. 

Because no one wants to spend time reading a book they don't like, there is no assigned title. Instead, you choose a book (or documentary, podcast, article, zine, etc.) that fits in with a monthly theme. When we get together, we'll all share the stories, songs, and clips we found. This kind of book club is a great way to get reading recommendations and discover new bands.

May's Theme: It Came From Ohio

Ohio has a rich music history: bands, scenes, studios, radio, and even its share of tragedies. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

King Of the Queen City: The Story of King Records by John Hartley Fox (available as an eBook, a print copy can be reserved through SearchOhio)

Cudi: The Memoir by Scott Mescudi (available in print and digital formats)

We Want the Funk (Documentary available on DVD and streaming on Hoopla)

Small Town, Big Music: The Outsized Influence of Kent, Ohio on the History of Rock & Roll by Jason Prufer (available as an eBook, a print copy can be reserved through SearchOhio)

WMMS: The Rise of the Buzzard (This is a digital exhibit created by clevelandhistorical.org.)

The Who: The Night that Changed Rock (Documentary produced by WCPO 9 about the disastrous 1977 concert in Cincinnati)

Cheetah Chrome: A Dead Boys Tale From the Front Lines of Punk Rock by Cheetah Chrome (available as an eBook, a print copy can be reserved through SearchOhio)

Tracey Chapman: A radio piece with Chapman from NPR and a New York Times interview: Tracey Chapman Wants to Speak for Herself

If you need help getting any of these titles or want assistance finding something on a particular artist or topic, contact the club facilitator, Cas.