The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music

I bought The Storyteller in hardcover for my husband this past Christmas for three reasons - Brad likes Dave Grohl's music, he only reads nonfiction and .... I wanted to read it too. I'm selfless like that. So, after over 11 weeks of impatiently waiting for Brad to finish reading (he's still not done - he's 'savouring it'), I decided to listen to the audiobook. Life is too short to wait for my favourite slow reader ... and I get the savouring aspect.  

This is an amazing memoir and hearing Dave tell his story in his own words and voice was the icing on the proverbial cake. I obviously know his music and the bands he's been in and enjoy his music but admittedly I'm not massive Nirvana or Foo Fighters fan. But Dave is one of those celebrities whose career and success I've casually followed from afar. In this memoir he proves he's a cool guy, family man, musical genius, and mama's boy (oh my heart!) and the type of guy I'd love to sit and have a beer with (or copious amounts of coffee). It is with a very heavy heart that this review is posted on the day that Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away. Fans are devastated and my first thought was 'Poor Dave!' because of their long friendship.

This memoir includes tales from Dave's childhood, his early start in music (surprisingly without formal training) to his days with Scream, Nirvana and Foo Fighters and includes anecdotes from the road and interactions with the MANY famous people he's met along the way. Dave proves he is an amazing storyteller, all-around down-to-earth guy whose talent and humility shine through. He lives up to his 'Nicest Guy in Rock' moniker. 

Whether you get the hardcover for the pictures and/or the audiobook to hear Dave tell his story himself, get your hands on a copy of this book for a fan-friggintastic romp through Dave's rise to fame while doing the impossible - remaining a modest, talented, cool, and relatable guy. Highly recommended. 

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Author: Dave Grohl

Genre: Memoir

Type and Source: eAudiobook from public library

Narrator: Dave Grohl

Run Time: 10 hours, 35 minutes

Publisher: HarperAudio

First Published: October 5, 2021

Opening Lines: Sometimes I forget that I've aged.

Book Description from GoodReads: So, I've written a book.

Having entertained the idea for years, and even offered a few questionable opportunities ("It's a piece of cake! Just do 4 hours of interviews, find someone else to write it, put your face on the cover, and voila!") I have decided to write these stories just as I have always done, in my own hand. The joy that I have felt from chronicling these tales is not unlike listening back to a song that I've recorded and can't wait to share with the world, or reading a primitive journal entry from a stained notebook, or even hearing my voice bounce between the Kiss posters on my wall as a child.

This certainly doesn't mean that I'm quitting my day job, but it does give me a place to shed a little light on what it's like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, walking through life while living out the crazy dreams I had as young musician. From hitting the road with Scream at 18 years old, to my time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, jamming with Iggy Pop or playing at the Academy Awards or dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, drumming for Tom Petty or meeting Sir Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall, bedtime stories with Joan Jett or a chance meeting with Little Richard, to flying halfway around the world for one epic night with my daughters…the list goes on. I look forward to focusing the lens through which I see these memories a little sharper for you with much excitement.