“Our show for our fans ain’t have a thing to do with their show for theirs.”
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The Final Revival of Opal & Nev recounts the story of a musical duo and their struggles to rise to fame and maintain a presence in an era where a racially mixed group was not the norm. Nev adores Opal from the moment he meets her and would do anything to make their partnership successful. The truth of how far he would go is recounted throughout the story of their rise and fall in popularity.
The story is narrated in a series of interviews and news clips with all of the parties surrounding their musical career. Opal and Nev each tell their own stories to Sunny, the editor of a music magazine who is also the daughter of their former drummer. A drummer who is killed during their most famous show and the circumstances that lead to that death and the repercussions of it are the meat of the story. We see the harsh truth of prejudice and racism in their day to day interactions with their label, other musicians, their fans and one another. The truth that defined their success and every aspect of their lives after stardom is slowly revealed and will leave you shaking your head in frustration.
The last third of the book dragged a bit for me. I am not sure I get some of the allusions to Daisy Jones other than in narrative style. Daisy was all about drama and attitude while this story dealt with real substantial cultural issues.
If you started a band, what kind of music would it be and what instrument would you play?
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