And the Crowd Goes Mild

Ever wonder what it's really like to be a working musician? Not the stadium-filling rock star or the tortured genius in a Netflix biopic—but the guy loading his amp into a hatchback at 1 a.m. after playing "Sweet Caroline" for the thousandth time. In And the Crowd Goes Mild, guitarist and bandleader B.D. Lenz pulls back the curtain on the hilarious, frustrating, and unexpectedly heartfelt world of the everyday musician. Equal parts absurd and inspiring, he shares decades of stories no one tells you when you first pick up an instrument: empty venues, road mishaps, and the quiet math musicians do to convince themselves this is still a good idea. Laugh-out-loud funny and quietly reflective, this book explores persistence, creative identity, and learning to laugh when things fall apart. It's a love letter to the grind—and to everyone stubborn enough to keep chasing it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: B.D. Lenz is a guitarist, composer, and producer based in northern New Jersey. The New York Times has noted that "part of the reason for his accessibility is that he not only fuses jazz and rock, but he complements it with the warm chords of funk, soul, and rhythm and blues." He has released more than a dozen albums as a leader featuring some of jazz's biggest names, has played in nearly every kind of band imaginable, and has produced recordings for both emerging and established musicians across many genres. A seasoned performer with an international following, Lenz's music has appeared in hundreds of television and film placements worldwide, including Breaking Bad, Young Sheldon, Catfish, and Chicago Fire. He tours extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and the UK as a solo artist, sideman, and with his long-running trio. When not on the road, he can usually be found composing for Gramoscope Music or writing about the music business as a columnist for AllAboutJazz.com.