Mike Henneberger’s book “Rock Bottom At The Renaissance” finally released yesterday. You can snag a copy of the book here.
We recently interviewed Mike about his mixtape memoir. Be sure to check out the interview and read our book review below!
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Captivating, Raw, and Relatable
The book chapters are titled after tracks from some of the scenes most notable artists: The Dangerous Summer, Jimmy Eat World, Alkaline Trio, and The Wonder Years. Some of the tracks go with the stories Henneberger shares and some of them were just on his mind or playing at the time he was writing this. The story takes place in a hotel where he is writing this memoir and reflecting on his life, telling stories from the past.
These stories make Henneberger vulnerable.
He uses conversational tone and inserts lyrics from these alternative songs to bring the reader into the hotel room with him. As I read the book, I felt like Henneberger was my friend. And, in some ways, I felt like he was me. Each story ties back to the theme of romanticizing the big city and doing whatever is possible to fill the void that many singles face during their lives. The book isn’t pretty, and the stories do not always have positive endings, but the book is powerful and raw. I cannot even imagine the guts it takes for anyone to come out and basically admit their faults in a text like this. Not only did I feel like the story speaks to people trying to fill an emotional and romantic void, but it speaks volumes to addiction as well.
While addiction is somewhat denied in the text, it constantly brings up drugs and alcohol (and often mixing the two) to numb the pain, live these life experiences, or write the memoir more efficiently. Either way, it is clear that in the past there has been a dependency on substances. Mike Henneberger’s Emmy-winning producer skills and notable journalism positions (Comedy Central, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Spin, and Vice) may give people struggling with emotional disconnect and/or addiction hope.
The book is shocking. There are some things you would never expect someone with such a reputation to be able to discuss in a personal memoir. But it is beautifully raw, honest, and speaks to the soul.
Be sure to purchase a copy of Henneberger’s “Rock Bottom At The Renaissance” memoir here.
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