Closing the Zoo

By Stefon Mears

Jimmy "Snake" Silver -- shredding guitarist of the Zoo, and the last torchbearer of a dying sound. Still living on the proceeds of his big hit single.

Jimmy's bandmates -- late for rehearsal. Again. And they arrive bearing bad tidings.

Jimmy's band teeters on the brink. He'll do anything to save it…

"Closing the Zoo" -- a modern tale of the passions and pressures facing career musicians. From Stefon Mears, author of The Patreon Collection and the Edge of Humanity series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thousand Faces Publishing
• Release date: Jan 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386226857

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Closing the Zoo

Closing the Zoo

Stefon Mears

Thousand Faces Publishing

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Also by Stefon Mears

Eyes closed, Jimmy's fingers slithered over the fret board of his sunburst orange Gibson Les Paul. It was just him so far, alone in his basement studio, so he didn't bother going into the soundproofed booths on the other side of double-paned glass. Instead he played in the control room, where ten thousand dollar studio monitors patted displaced air against his skin while the sweet sound of the licks assaulted his ears.

Too much distortion for this song. But that didn't matter just now. Just now Jimmy's whole being was in his calloused fingertips as he played. Bending notes here. Sliding them there. Exploring the lead line of Tommy Gun rather than regurgitating what he once played in that rented studio.

Jimmy Snake Silver had to have played this solo ten thousand times in the eight years since that song was the first single off of Injector. Their first album. Critics still said it was their best.

Fans argued the point.

Or at least they used to.

Big finish coming. A little faster, then sustain. Faster yet, then sustain. Slam the final chord--

Silence. Imperfect silence. The final notes harmonized tinny and clear from Jimmy's fret board. But nothing from the monitors.

Jesus, Jimmy, said Dave Badger