The story takes place in a neighborhood bar in Sarasota, The Dead Superstar Bar, a bar like no other. The place definitely lives up to its name, with dead superstars like George Harrison coming to perform nightly. Founded and established by Harvey Dowd with the help of his friend Conor, it’s a one-of-a-kind bar that features only music produced in the 1960s by dead musicians. What begins as a fantastic tale with a hint of nostalgia slowly becomes a mystery when none of the characters know how the bar came to be in the first place. This book shares so much trivia, and details about each musical band introduced to the audience during the daily night performances that it reads nothing short of an encyclopedia on music history.
The Dead Superstar Bar is an entertaining story packed with information and tidbits of music history in the form of a paranormal mystery novel. Although the author has undoubtedly done a respectable amount of research to compile such an enormous quantity of trivia and facts about each band or musician before introducing them to the stage in the bar, it can feel a bit like a music history lesson. However, for those who love reading about the strange facets of the life of a superstar, it is bound to be fantastic entertainment.
What is interesting to note is the odd anecdote behind the protagonist’s name, Harvey, as being given after the name of the six feet three-inch pooka that features in the 1950 movie of the same name. In terms of nostalgia for a time that has passed us by and for the once famous celebrities we have almost forgotten now, this story seems to bring them to our memory and help us reminisce about them, almost like the peculiar silent character of Elwood in the film. Overall, it invites us to take a pleasant journey into the 60s world of music.
The Dead Superstar Bar is a captivating contemporary fantasy novel with metaphysical characters that give the story its unique draw and mystery. Like the music of the 60s, this novel will remain with readers, make them smile, and make them wonder just what could happen next.
OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Dead Superstar Bar" by Michael J Nohe 5 out of 5 stars.
You might know the original composer of Liverpool Football Club's anthem, "You Will Never Walk Alone," but for me, it was exciting to learn about him in this novel, The Dead Superstar Bar. If you are like me, I believe you will be curious as well. As the title implies, the book explores the "golden oldies" of the 1960s hit songs. It includes bands such as The Beatles, The Lettermen, The Temptation, The Kinks, The Who, and so on.
The novel features paranormal experiences and humorous comments detailing how Harvey Dowd decided to open a bar after his retirement and brought in his childhood friend to help out. Harvey decided to name the bar The Dead Superstar Bar to exert his authority as the original idealist, and in this bar, they will typically explore the hit songs of the 1960s era. He contracted with Imagine and Dan to anchor the live band performance every evening. On the day the bar opened, Imagine started the show when George Harrison, one of the Beatles' band members, strolled onto the stage and performed. It was like a dream to Dowd, his friend, the workers, and even the customers on the seats.
Out of his curiosity, Harvey approached Mr Harrison for an explanation, and he promised him more fun-filled days ahead with different dead superstars coming to perform live on stage. How did this happen? How were they able to see this dead superstar playing live on stage? Join me on this curious journey to unravel what is going on at The Dead Superstar Bar.
I need to commend the super talent that the author displayed in writing this book. This book explores a varying philosophy of life that will give you reasons to think about your life. At various points, I had to pause reading to pen my opinion about these philosophical beliefs. The humorously layered conversations provide comic relief and make my reading experience smooth. When Harrison played on the first day of the bar's opening, the suspense began to build, and I found myself wondering how the book would end. And I was surprised because it wasn't anywhere near my prediction.
One of the philosophical discussions I enjoyed was the fact that everyone does have horrible moments, but in the end, everyone does find peace. Another fact of the century is that people must die before they can be celebrated. I find this to be true because of the different experiences that I have had.
The author used the novel to also campaign against substance abuse. One of the themes of the concert had the artists, who died quite young as a result of substance abuse, perform. Even though I might not agree with some points raised by the author regarding heaven and hell, I salute his views on this topic and appreciate how he clearly explains the idea or inspiration behind this novel.
I believe the author also promotes the possibility of a clean performance among artists without drugs. Before I finished this book, I created a new playlist called "The Oldies." It was inspired by the song list I encountered while reading. The playlist includes songs by George Harrison, Marvin Gaye, Cass Elliott, The Yardbirds, The Searchers, The Dave Clark Five, The Animals, The Hollies, The Monkees, The Rolling Stones, and others.
The book was delivered in simple English, and the message is relatable. The book is properly formatted and numbered. You will find trivia and fun facts about these artists in this book. Many things you might not know about them are in this book. I relish my moments knowing these facts. There is nothing I disliked about this book. I found a few errors, which made it look professionally edited. For the reasons I mentioned earlier, I will rate The Dead Superstar Bar by Michael J. Nohe 5 out of 5 stars.
