Everybody Wants Some Read Online Free PDF

Pasadena, Roth insisted they learn soul jams that could move the dance floor, like James Brown’s “Cold Sweat” and KC & the Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight.” As late as 1976, Van Halen would still pull off a left-hand turn like Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious.”
    Eddie still felt frustrated when the covers sounded too much like Van Halen, not enough like the originals. Part of the problem was that Roth never bothered to learn the words—he faked the rhythms pho-netically and improvised the rest. As he recalled one of his colorful uncles telling him, “Dave, the key to success is sincerity. Once you can fake that, you’ve got it made!” The band would fight over the set list outside the venue until the last minute, but when they hit the stage it was all smiles and high fives.
    Sensing opportunity in upscale San Marino near Pasadena, they struck up a band business spray-painting house numbers onto curbs for five bucks a pop. Appearing on doorsteps in blue overalls holding stencils, they informed housewives of an obscure and imaginary city requirement for visible street addresses. The proceeds from this quasi-scam went straight back into the band to buy gas, drumsticks, and guitar strings.
    Van Halen never heard of a basketball court or a basement too small to jam. They played in a parking lot to publicize the opening of a new supermarket. This around-the-clock commitment became a pain in the ass for bassist Mark Stone. Unlike the Van Halen brothers, for whom school was a promotional opportunity, Stone was a straight-A student with career aspirations beyond this backyard rock band. Obviously, he had to go. The fall from local celebrity to face in the crowd was difficult for him. “For a long time, it really hurt,” Stone said.
    During the spring of 1974, Mike Sobolewski was invited to become part of the Van Halen gang. He apologized to his bandmates from Snake, and then bounded away to join the offputting Roth and the friendly Van Halen brothers. Sometime between leaving the high school marching band and meeting David Lee Roth, good-natured Mike Sobolewski became known as Michael Anthony, a crazy bass wildman, one step closer to the musical all-star team. “When my father found out I’d joined, he got really angry and kicked me out of the house for dropping out of school,” Michael said.
    Besides bringing a rumbling bottom-end sound that complemented Alex’s thunder perfectly, Mike was also an unrivaled backup singer. His uncanny high-end harmonies expanded the available range of cover songs, and eventually crafted the Van Halen sound significantly. More coveted for the time being, however, was a system of light pedals he rigged to play using his feet. He met the requirement to help the band’s career by advancing their stage show.
    With the addition of Dave Roth from Red Ball Jets and Michael Anthony from Snake, Eddie and Alex had swallowed the local competition. Van Halen now featured the main guys from the three most happening bands in the region. Possessing more than just musical ability, they were outgoing people who knew how to use a telephone, how to draw a crowd, and how to put on a great show. Plus they all had great smiles.
    Billing themselves as “the pride and joy of Southern California,” Van Halen were a homegrown grassroots phenomenon whose popularity grew by word of mouth. As it was for the local hardcore punk bands Black Flag and the Germs, and later Sunset Strip glamsters Guns N’ Roses and Poison, the grapevine was all-important in the spread of the band. They ruthlessly promoted their appearances with cheap ads in local news cir-culars, and especially through flyers and handbills. Before a show, the hustling Van Halen would put thousands of hand-drawn flyers printed for a penny apiece into every locker in local high schools—and not just their high schools but also the dozens of others within an hour’s drive.
    The backyards were better than the bars for building a fan