Ok, maybe this is a little much, but once I started watching Is Everybody Happy? I was completely addicted. And so were all my friends that played in rock bands. Not to give it away, but the story follows the Michigan band Bless You Boys as they embark on a “make or break” tour chasing their dreams of rock stardom. I’ll tell you right now, as far as I can tell this is not some Tim Heideker-style parody. This is all serious stuff. Especially the shows at Hot Topic in the mall. (Full disclosure, my band Watershed once played a Hollister Store in a shopping mall so it’s not like I’m above that sort of thing.)
Shout out to mega-drummer and renaissance man Jon Wurster for putting this on my radar while he was a guest on the Rock Docs podcast. I have proposed we fast track this flick for our monthly film series Reelin’ & Rockin’ at the Gateway Film Center, but in the meantime, enjoy it right here as your Saturday Night Special on Pencil Storm.
Bonus clip! If you google Is Everybody Happy? it’s a bit of work to track down the documentary above. However, it’s very easy to watch 300 different versions of David Hasselhoff singing a song called “Is Everybody Happy?” Oddly enough, I don’t think this is a joke either. Go figure.
No, your eyes do not deceive you; YES, that is KISS’ Mark St. John shredding on guitar in this video.
(editor’s note; It is truly TERRIFYING to me that this many different videos of this song exist on YouTube, or in the universe at large.)
.