Reviews

Love This Book!
By Spikey

Wake Me When It’s Over is the first book to come out that covers the New York music scene from which The Strokes, Interpol, and The National emerged. It takes up where Please Kill Me ends and is an excellent read! But Wake Me When It’s Over is more than a collection of rock-n-roll stories; it’s a story about one man’s connection to music and how that connection merged with the interests of the people who make that music.

The author’s journey takes him through the indie rock world and he eventually collects a fascinating collection of experiences with musicians and bands as diverse as Elliott Smith, Joey Ramone, The Jesus And Mary Chain, The Psychedelic Furs, The Sugarcubes (with Bjork), The Strokes, Interpol, The National, The Hold Steady, and the list goes on…

There is also a great part of the book about the NYC comedy scene of the late 1990s from which Marc Maron, Louie CK, Sarah Silverman, Demetri Martin, and many other prominent comedians first developed their craft as part of the Monday night Eating It comedy series.

Highly recommended!!!

Born To It…
By W.P. Ariola

Music is a very powerful element within our human existence. Our connection to music is visceral. The strength of its connection to the soul widely varies from person to person. Rob’s connection was born unto him, he could not avoid it, it filled him and he nurtured it.

Rob provides a great review of his journey to date. Wake Me When It’s Over is a ‘Rob centric’ tale of an exciting era in music; a post punk New York with an industry as well as a music lexicon in transitions.

This is a great tale; feels like you need a campfire and a few beers!

An Honest, Moving Account Of A Man And His Life
By A.D. Inglis

The author paints a vivid, warm picture of family life in Brooklyn, of college days and gigs, of dive bars and venues, of love and loss, and some of the more principled people who move around in the music business. He writes with a conversational ease without pretense or grandising. A fine book written with honesty. Highly commended.

NYC Music Scene…
By Ralph McKenna

Wake Me When It’s Over is really well written; a good read!  I enjoyed it because I went to see some of the bands profiled in this book when they played in Boston. Rob has put into words what these people were like and has given us insight into the human side of things. Rob does a good job of weaving his life story, the ups and downs… If you’re into this era in music, this is a must read!

An Inside Look At A New York Music Scene
By Keith A. Hopkin

I spent a lot of time at Luna Lounge on Ludlow Street ever since Rob started booking my band. I have great memories of performing and hanging out there. Booking, watching, and mingling with thousands of bands in the New York City area, Rob has a really unique perspective. If you’re at all intrigued about it (or any local rock scene) from the eyes of a club owner, it’s worth the read!

Have A Listen And Read This Book!
By Greg

I love this book; candid and sincere while conveying NYC music history wrapped in the emotional highs and lows of Rob Sacher’s life. A true report from the front lines of an important, fertile music scene that connected listener’s and performers, enabled in the venues that Rob provided with his undying commitment to music! Read and listen!

Great NYC Time Capsule
By Jim Wood

I was in several bands that played at the Luna Lounge at both of its locations but even if you’ve never been to New York City, you will still enjoy this book, for the values of DIY and independent thinking carry over everywhere. Rob writes in a casual style; a great time capsule for the NYC music scene of the late 90s.

A Great Piece Of History; Poetic And Hard To Put Down
By Julian

I just finished Wake Me When It’s Over and have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it! Lines like “you see, I have had a sadness inside with which I’ve lived my life, almost as if I knew the end that would be coming and that it would not be good” and “is heartache an investment in sadness from which we draw no dividends but the interest we earn from experience?”, are among many I found to be poetic.

I wish I had grown up on the Lower East Side of your time. The bars you owned there played an unforgettable part in the life of the city. Joey Ramone and Elliott Smith seemed like two people who poured their everything into life; I enjoyed reading about them.

There is so much that can be said about this book. I hope a wide audience will get the privilege to read it. Wake Me When It’s Over is a piece of history, no doubt!

The Story Of My Life Too
By: Jared

Rob Sacher’s story about the Luna Lounge and his history as a NYC rock club owner is practically the story of my life too. I was there for most of it, well the Luna Lounge part. The mid to late 90s was an incredible time in NYC music history and the Luna Lounge was really the epi-center of it. Luna was the only club in NYC that truly nurtured bands and gave them a home where they can grow and reach their potential. I was in a band called Youngster, and if it were not for Luna, we would have never had the success we had at the time. Even though we always remained local, it was the built-in community at Luna Lounge that provided us with a fan-base. We played some really amazing shows at Luna, and it was the energy of the club that we fed on.

Rob’s writing style kind of reminds me of Brighton Beach Memoirs and creates an almost Woody Allen New York set in my mind. Even if you’re not familiar with Luna or the Mission, this is a great read.