Divine weeks

Most of us go through a stage in our life where we really want to do or try something, but most of us never take that step. 33 Days tells the story of a group of Southern California rock band members who took the plunge. Three of the four members had never been alone on July 29, 1987 when they got into a rented van and left Los Angeles for a national tour. They had no idea how they would be received or what effect the trip would have on each of them.

Bill See, the book’s author and singer / group leader, felt the need to break away from an unhappy family life and believed that at the age of 22 he was ready to let his music help others break through their own problems. . . For three years, his band, Divine Weeks, had been playing in the Los Angeles area. They had been received well enough that Bill knew they could become a national name.

His closest friend, Rajesh Makwana, was the group’s guitarist and he was having a really hard time leaving his Indian family. His culture did not happily accept his association with the band. Raj had also been the subject of much ridicule both in England before the family moved to the states and then in this country. Bill was the best and closest friend she had ever had. So Raj definitely agreed with the idea of ​​the tour, as the music had been the best release of his somewhat unhappy life.

Another of Bill’s close friends was George Edmondson, who was not only the band’s bassist, but had been dubbed by some as the best bass player in the Los Angeles area. George was also excited about the trip because he had also gotten a bit depressed with his college life and wanted Divine Weeks to become a national name. However, although he was unhappy with college, he still had plans to go to graduate school and had become quite serious with a young woman.

Dave Smerdzinski was the fourth and final member of the group. Somewhat older and used to living alone, he had recently joined the group and had become a powerful force due to his nature, his ability to play drums, and his showmanship.

Ian Bader was the road manager of the group and practically the stabilizing influence and caretaker of all of them.

For 33 Days they traveled through the western part of the country giving concerts in all kinds of spaces you can imagine. The shows were held in front of some crowded houses and some very small groups, but everywhere they were well received and built a large following.

However, they also had many problems and not everything was as easy as they had imagined. Food, lodging, and general travel expenses were hard to come by for a virtually unknown new band when they started.

Each of the individuals grew a bit on their own and they definitely grew as a group as their music and style spread not only across the country, but also on MTV and other outlets.

There are many, many references to rock songs of the time, as well as groups that were idols for Divine Weeks. Sometimes it seems necessary to be a fan of music and participants to fully enjoy 33 Days. The author also tends to lose the thread many times because he moves from the present to past events without always taking clean pauses.

It is an easy read and quite enjoyable though, as the reader makes the journey alongside these excited young musicians in their van as they travel through the rock music venues of yesterday’s scenes.

Book provided by Bill See and Bestsellersworld.com