Word: bottlecaps
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Gomez's protagonists, a young rock band called Bottlecap, are a lot like him. Mark, the singer and guitarist, bassist Gary and drummer Steve start off writing and practicing songs in a shack on the out-skirts of their hometown of Kitty, Virginia. They play their first gigs to tiny crowds in the little bars in Kitty and surrounding areas and slowly build up the slight recognition that could be mislabeled as a following. Just before the beginning of Geniuses of Crack, Mark is approached by an A&R man from a new, alternative record company that wants to sign...
Gomez started out writing and self-publishing a fanzine called Our Noise, an interrelated series of short stories which introduced the world to the fictional Bottlecap. The stories were sold through mail-order and at Tower Records stores and became somewhat popular. Bret Easton Ellis, the celebrated young author of Less Than Zero, stumbled onto Our Noise and brought Gomez to the attention of publishing companies. The 'zine was subsequently adapted into novel form and published in 1995. So we meet Gomez in much the same position as his fictional alter-egos: on the verge of either big-time commercial...
...wonder then, that Gomez so accurately describes the fear and frustration that comes with the big opportunity Bottlecap is presented. Just as their first major label recording attempt will either rocket them to stardom or ship them back to minimum wage jobs in Kitty, so too will Gomez's second novel either open a door to a career in writing or relegate him to obscurity...
More than just identifying with Bottlecap's precarious position in the entertainment industry, Gomez's own personality seems to shine through in almost every character and situation. The third-person narrator is just a thin cover for Gomez to make explicit comments about his characters or settings. It's hard not to wonder exactly how many of the funny little stories in the novel actually happened to Gomez or one of his friends at some point...
...novel seems to set Bottlecap up for another sequel. While the plot is mostly resolved, we are left wondering what will happen to Gary, Steve and especially Mark in the years to come. Will their record sell? Will they become rich and famous? The same questions can be asked about their creator. Will Geniuses of Crack find the twenty-something audience that will appreciate the allusions and references? Will these same twenty-somethings be willing to shell out $12 for a paperback? Only time will tell, but it is clear that Gomez, too, deserves a sequel, and there...