At their commune north of Austin, Texas in May 1975 the four members of the Akard Drearstone Group begin to feel the onslaught of national fame as twelve-year-old Jan Pace, daughter of a commune couple, falls in love with narcissistic, paranoid bassist Jim Piston. Lead guitarist Akard Drearstone invites country musician Bill Dunn to play rhythm on the group's psychedelic masterpiece, "Overturned Runway," but narcs raid their concert, kidnap Dunn, and kill him. On his wedding night, contemplating the dissolution of his hours-long marriage to Exponentialist philosopher Michelle Morgan, the group's manager Harray Andreall finds Dunn's body packed in ice on the second floor of the barn. Though he tries to convince the sullen members of the group that their musical experiment is worth continuing, Harray's boss has been arrested on murder charges, the record company is near collapse, and Harray is dumbfounded to discover another killing perpetuated by a second band he manages.