Book Review: The Rise of the Mad March

 

 

THE RISE OF THE MAD MARCH

by ROBERT ESPENSCHEID JR.

New Adult / Coming of Age / Friendship

Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing

Pages: 374

Publication Date: May 9, 2025

SYNOPSIS

This one is for all the rock bands who never headlined the big stage, who never needed protection getting to the limo, who never made any money, who never got signed, who had no answer to the cry of “why aren’t you guys famous?” It’s for those who wrote killer songs never heard on the radio, who never made a Rolling Stone cover—or even a mention inside. It’s for those whose collars were always blue, who were promised this and wound up with that, who always opened and never closed.

America, 1973. Christine on lead, Henry on rhythm, Gretchen on bass and Melissa on drums. A chaotic rise, fighting amongst themselves, battling self-destruction, finding their sound, learning to trust, finding a helping hand, overcoming convention (girls can’t play guitar) to become one band, on one tour, for one month – New York to LA and all the stories in between.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rob Espenscheid, Jr. is a Connecticut native and a 1966 Wake Forest College graduate. After an Army RVN stint in 1969, Rob pulled up stakes and moved to the rural Midwest, settling in southern Iowa in the early 1970s. Prairie life provided a career tuning and repairing pianos from cattle country small towns to collegiate concert halls. When not tinkering on a piano, he can usually be found either on a golf course or working on a manuscript. In 1998, family connections led to a move, with his wife Sharon, to Smithville, Texas.

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REVIEW

Review: The Rise of the Mad March

The Short Story: An entertaining tale of the chaotic beginnings of a punk band

My Review: It’s the early 1970s, a time of change and upheaval. The music industry has no idea what is coming! The Rise of the Mad March is the story of a piano tuner, two felons and a college student who come together to form a band. As the story unfolds, it jumps back and forth between the period of their formation and their first tour. Some chapters are in the form of interviews with band members.

Henry, the piano tuner, is the magician who makes the band happen. I enjoyed his drive, devotion and belief that it would all work out in the end. His first female bandmates are a pair of felons, biding their time in a halfway house. The trio soon picks up a fourth member, an abused college student. Together they slowly gel into something magical.

In the latter half of the book, when the band embarks on a chaotic cross county tour, they encounter many of the big names of the 1970s: Billy Crystal, The Ramones, Lita Ford and more. From dive bars to baseball parks, the Mad March makes their presence felt on the music scene and the emerging punk genre. I really enjoyed the scene where the band plays at Comisky Park, during a White Sox game. I will say, I wish there was more of a feel of the 70s to the story; it felt almost out of time, but despite that I really enjoyed the story.

There is a lot to take away from this book. The joy of doing what you love, pursing your passion, belief in yourself, supporting the people who support you. There are life lessons to be found between the pages, if you care to look. Otherwise, it’s a fun, fast tale with a bittersweet ending. I loved it.

 

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