In a tight spot during his combat tour in Vietnam, Henry vows, "If I survive this insane war, I will live out my dream." That dream of playing in a rock 'n' roll band slowly fades as five years pass. He is closing in on thirty. He's married. He runs a service business, with customers that include a state-run halfway house. On the job there, by happenstance, he encounters two young convicted felons. The three play a song together and Henry's long dormant vow awakens.
Thus begins the turbulent rise of what becomes the Mad March.
A guitar slinging debutant from Grosse Pointe joins, making the quartet as unlikely a rock band imaginable.
Angst and anger fuel their fast, furious songs. Trials abound. Self-doubt spreads like a brush fire. The band quickly unravels, splitting like an atom.
Apart, all that's left are questions.
Henry: How far does one go to keep a dream alive? How difficult is it to keep the faith? Christine: How much backbone does one need to overcome convention. How do you get to do what you love? Gretchen: How do you reinvent after giving up? How do you know when to trust?
Melissa: How do you grow up? How do you spread your wings?
Henry won't let the band die. From the start he is convinced that "there is something there" in the music they make. In a last gasp reinvention, they regroup. Helping hands reach out, an entourage as offbeat as they are: an aging talent scout, a grieving widow, a motorcycle outlaw, a thirteen-year-old fan.
Together, the Mad March take to the road. Doubters (what the hell was that?) and haters (girls can't play guitar) jeer them at every gig. But magic reigns, too - showstoppers that transcend their wildest expectations.
Rob Espenscheid, Jr. weaves a humorous, irreverent, and heartwarming tale of rock 'n' roll ambition, obscurity, and a final shot at greatness. One band, one tour, one month -- New York to LA and all the stories in between.
