Chapter by Chapter features me reading one chapter of the selected book at the time and reviewing it as if I were reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.
Well, here we are. Last time we saw Pocket Vinyl complete their quest to play 50 states in less than 50 days, unofficially breaking that record. The final time: 44 Days, 13 Hours, 50 Minutes. Remember that the duo Devon Allman and Donavon Frankenreiter went for a 49 state tour in 2023 while the official record was held by Adam Brodsky. So if accurate, it means they actually win, but due to the requirements to get recorded by Guinness it’s unofficial.
However, we can’t end there. We saw them complete their tour in Hawaii, but in 45 days (rounded goal) we also saw them go through the stresses of the tour, throat issues, and the ups and downs of each venue and place to sleep. Elizabeth especially chronicled the toll it was taking on her sanity. That means we have to see how they got over what they went through so that they’re still together and still touring and performing today.
This is also the chapter where we finally get to the misprint of the “Misprint Edition”, the reason I even have a copy because the dude who ran the comic store thought I’d like it. Turns out he was right. Due to this misprint they had to redo all the copies, but because they already had a huge stack of the misprinted books they opted to give them out in the hopes of getting good reviews. In addition to my comic store they gave them to libraries and those “give one/take one” street libraries, printing out the corrected page and shoving it into the book. Was that necessary? We’ll find the answer to that as well as we look at chapter 11, the final chapter of this graphic novel.
Well, things started out okay. After a few days in Hawaii to recuperate (which was more being a tourist than resting), they finally return to Seattle to get their car and get home before her grandmother’s birthday. They also take the time off before returning to the internet for all the well wishes and congratulations. The route is all planned, but they didn’t plan on Mr. Periwinkle (I didn’t know a car could get a doctorate because now they’re calling it Dr Periwinkle unless I’ve been reading it wrong all this time) suffering from breakdowns. First the engine goes, which costs $100 to replace, and then something else goes wrong, which costs $600 (they’re not even telling us how much the new hotel stays are), and then it turns out the engine wasn’t in as good a shape as they were told. Were they scammed? Don’t know, not assuming anything.
They find out that a used engine, and frankly $100 sounded cheap to me, would cost as much as a used car and they agonize over it a bit before deciding they love their car too much. I can relate. I used to have a Mazda Protegé and it’s still my favorite car. I miss it, but everyone told me fixing the exhaust system would cost too much and ultimately not be worth it. Now I’m second guessing and Mazda doesn’t even make that model car anymore, but whatcha gonna do? They opt for the engine. That car has been with them through this and every tour before this. I don’t know if they still have it.
This area is also where the misprint comes into the scene, a repeat of a few pages prior. The printed out version in mine is smaller than the rest of the pages though the paper itself is roughly the same size as the printed pages. I guess that leaves extra room for the message that this is where the misprint comes in (seeing the map back home and grandma twice would have been my first clue, actually). It is an important part of this part of the story, so at least they did this. Was it enough to do a full reprint and giving these up for free? I guess ultimately it’s up to them.
On the plus side, they find a mechanic who has an engine for the same price (if paying in cash) as the one with more mileage they would have gotten at a junkyard. Apparently Japan’s rules on car repair are such a pain that people often just go with a new car, and the gently used cars get sent to the US and other countries. (I wonder if I could get a Protegé if I wasn’t broke? Ah well, my car is still good.) They end up staying at a friend’s house, but they really just want to go home.
More help comes from the fans. Not through a Go Fund Me but for asking for an actual thing to buy. Elizabeth made an image of the 50 states with each painting she did at each show in that state, and people wanted to buy a print. The preorders paid for the car repair, so rather than lose the profit they made from the tour they get a restored Dr. Periwinkle and probably some extra money. I love that. I wish I had something people wanted to buy. I’d feel better if I could offer something. It’s one of the lesser reasons I want to get back into videos or find a way to offer Patreon rewards so I could try that again. Maybe if things calm down in my life, as I’m putting together a decent work schedule finally, that could happen. It’s good that the fans helped out not (just) with charity but finding a way everyone could benefit. Based on the image in the book it does look like it would make a good art piece. Sadly there is no section of the website dedicated to this tour or even this book. So I can’t see the actual piece. You can, however, get the properly printed book (sorry, the good one isn’t for free) from their Etsy store as of this writing.
They missed her grandmother’s birthday, but they finally made it home. This is not where the happy ending comes in. I’ve life disruptions screw me up, from being shoved to the night shift at work to…2008 and 2016. It messes your groove up, so I’m not surprised that Eric ends up having a panic attack on stage. That’s on top of not being able to sleep because they’re biological clocks got used to a chaotic schedule, having to get orders filled and new music created, and getting to the point where they ask each other permission just do something relaxing or fun for a change. The panic attacks leads to them getting therapy, and as of the ending of the book they’re still a little messed up. I hope they’re better now. The final part of the chapter is a depiction of climbing the mountain, Elizabeth equating their goal to Mt. Everest, but as they climb up others help them to get to the top. Was it worth it? That’s not the right question to them. The rest of the mountains just seem a lot easier now.
There will be a final report, per usual, over on The Clutter Reports next Sunday, but here’s a short take: I’m really glad I was given then. It might not be my usual genre of reading or music, it’s a graphic novel that was easier to review in the Chapter By Chapter format I usually use for prose novels, which we will return to next time, but overall this was a fascinating look at a real event through the eyes of the couple making it. It’s a neat behind the scenes look at indie performances and pushing towards a goal. Misprint or not, I’m glad I read it and will probably read it again in the future.
Next time: I’m trying to choose between revisiting a previous Star Trek novel for the sequel or that dinosaur book they made a movie out of. What do you think?
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