You Think You Hear: A Novel

Synopsis

Lou Farren loves two things in life: rock and roll and his friend Cree, a beautiful drummer in a pop band who has no idea how he feels. Adrift in a post-college world of boring computer jobs, Lou agrees to be the roadie for the Day Action Band, a brilliant but unknown ensemble made up of Cree, bassist Joey, and Lou's best friend, Tim, on guitar. Opening for the Radicals, a British group with a single climbing the charts, the band travels coast to coast, moving closer and closer to fame. As Lou drives the Day Action Band's van, sells their T-shirts, and mediates their arguments, he learns what it's like to stand just outside the spotlight. He watches Tim charm women from the stage, sees Joey achieve the coolness he's always wanted, and tries unsuccessfully to look away when Cree falls into a tour romance with the lead singer of the Radicals. Every night Lou sits at a table in the back of the club, envying his friends and facing the idea that his life might be significant only for its relationship to theirs. When the band comes close to breaking up, Lou is forced to confront what he really wants for them, and for himself. Reminiscent of Nick Hornby'sHigh Fidelity,Matt O'Keefe's hilarious and poignant debut is the story of a young man coming to grips with the distance between his dreams and his reality.You Think You Hearis about unrequited love, a romance with pop music, and the search for moments in life as satisfying as a perfect song.