33 Days: Touring In A Van. Sleeping On Floors. Chasing A Dream

ABOUT Bill See

Bill See
I am a longtime indie rock musician and lead singer for Divine Weeks who put our three records.  The journals I kept on tour are the source of my new book, "33 Days: Touring In A Van. Sleeping on Floors.  Chasing A Dream." 

Description

A coming of age, indie rock memoir of Divine Weeks' first tour in the summer of 1987 by van. Five guys in their early 20's, first time out on their own.   No roadies, no soundman, all they have is their music and their friendship.  They set out on the road to discovery to drink in all they could and maybe sell a few records.  They grew up instead.

I wanted to capture a now or never moment in our lives. Take a shot at making the band work or leave it all behind and go your separate ways. And I think every one of us has that moment at our own personal crossroads where we have to decide to either live our dreams or give up and regret it for the rest of our lives. I wanted to write a book that made you sit up in the middle of your life and ask yourself, you know, 'did I fire my shot?' Hopefully the answer is yes. And if it is, be gentle on yourself and don't get hung up on whether you 'made it' but how much taking the shot is worth because so many of us have to reconcile we played it safe. Instead of reaching for the sweetest fruit that's at the top of the tallest tree, we clutched the trunk of the tree and never moved. It's like that moment when you just get out of college and you're trying to decide whether to take your buddy up on his offer to go backpacking in Europe or do you take that job at your uncle's insurance company. 33 Days, at its core, is a cautionary tale about the perils of sitting on your dreams. Now is the time, because if not now, then when -- ever?

“Bill gives you a good picture of what it was like to be in a band, on tour, loving music and hanging out in LA in the ’80s. I was there as well, and I can tell you that it’s all true — this was our life, our reality. It certainly takes me back and reminds me of why it all mattered so much at the time.”  Steve Wynn, The Dream Syndicate

“What Bill See articulates so perfectly in 33 Days is the realization that life moves at light speed, and there’s never a better time than the present to turn dreams into reality.  The circumstances may be tough and the window of opportunity small, but See appreciates that if rock ’n roll is the gateway to happiness, then let the music play.”  Stuart Levine, Variety

“Bill See thoughtfully and effectively captures the pathos and promise that fuels a young musician’s dreams and punctuates the grit and grandeur of life on the road with his poignant and nuanced memoir.” – Spencer Proffer, Music Producer and Media Architect.

“At once universal and deeply personal, this is a coming-of-age story for the D.I.Y. 
generation. Read this and know what “indie” was when it still meant "independent."
 – Conrad Heiney, Substitute Live Journal