After cutting his teeth as a drummer with the musical misfits of his high school, Jacob Slichter formed a bond with two other friends that would eventually grow into the band Semisonic. Who could forget the smash single "Closing Time," a runaway hit in 1998 that thrust Jacob and his band into the international spotlight and helped them sell over two million albums? But with instant fame came instant musical and personal chaos, during which Jacob Slichter had to learn several essential things: how to pose for the mandatory "in front of brick wall" photo shoot, how to look angry and unapproachable for the A&R guys, how to answer a German radio interview question, and how to deal with the feudal system that is the backstage tour hierarchy.

So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star is a hysterical and witty look at what happens just before and during one's fifteen minutes of fame. Jacob Slichter takes readers on a step-by-step journey of his evolution from fledgling drummer to worldwide performer and proves to be the perfect guide—feisty and humbled — to the inner workings of the music industry and instant celebrity. So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star speaks to all of us who dream again and again of rock superstardom and shows how one kid can go from picking up a pair of drumsticks to picking up a platinum record.