Oh man, did this bring back memories! Having grown up in Chapel Hill I pretty much recognize everyone mentioned, especially in the first half, which I overlapped (my heyday was REM, The Replacements, The B-52’s, and the rest of that first wave of Indie bands) until I pretended to become an adult and a responsible person with all the dull early nights that entailed. And while this is THE Chapel Hill scene, it will still be enjoyable to anyone who cares about music and its magic within a community, especially a supportive community which is what Chapel Hill was and still is. Two thumbs and two big toes, up!
A Really Strange and Wonderful Time by Tom Maxwell, (List Price: $30, Hachette Books, 9780306830587, April 2024)
Reviewed by Pete Mock, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina