Rock Bottom Remainders

The Rock Bottom Remainders

Company type	Charity supergroup
Industry	Music
Founded	1992 in Anaheim, California, United States
Founder	Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Defunct	June 24, 2012 (2012-06-24)
Fate	Disbanded following founder's death and tribute concert
Headquarters	Anaheim , United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Kathi Kamen Goldmark (founder), Dave Barry, Stephen King, Amy Tan, Al Kooper, Mitch Albom, Roy Blount Jr., Barbara Kingsolver, Matt Groening, others
Products	Music performances, charity fundraising

The Rock Bottom Remainders, frequently called the Remainders, was an American rock charity supergroup primarily made up of well-known published authors who played music as amateurs. Their band name is a nod to the publishing industry term "remaindered book", which refers to unsold books sold at discounted prices. Through their performances, the group raised a total of $2 million for charitable causes.

The lineup featured notable writers such as Dave Barry, Stephen King, Amy Tan, Sam Barry, Ridley Pearson, Scott Turow, Joel Selvin, James McBride, Mitch Albom, Roy Blount Jr., Barbara Kingsolver, Robert Fulghum, Matt Groening, Tad Bartimus, Greg Iles, Aron Ralston and honorary member Maya Angelou. Alongside them, professional musicians—including multi-instrumentalist and author Al Kooper, drummer Josh Kelly, guitarist Roger McGuinn, and saxophonist Erasmo Paulo—also contributed to the band’s sound. The group’s founder, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, passed away on May 24, 2012; following a tribute concert held in her memory, the band officially disbanded one month later.

History

Established in 1992 by Kathi Kamen Goldmark, who was a musician involved in book publicity, The Remainders emerged from her idea to assemble authors she met through her work into a musical ensemble. Their inaugural show took place at the American Booksellers Association convention held in Anaheim, California in May 1992. The Washington Post characterized this debut as "the most heavily promoted musical debut since The Monkees."

In his memoir On Writing, Stephen King described the Remainders’ performances as spirited yet musically unpolished, resembling a typical bar band experience, albeit elevated by skilled musicians like Al Kooper. King remarked that their concerts were enjoyable and accessible for modest ticket prices. Similarly, Dave Barry joked that their musical approach relied on uncertain chord progressions, highlighting their amateur status.

In 1995, the group performed during the inauguration of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

In April 2010, they embarked on the Wordstock Tour, organized by the Pearson Foundation and We Give Books, aimed at benefiting Haitian children and educational institutions.

Their final live appearance occurred on June 23, 2012, at the annual meeting of the American Library Association in Anaheim—the same city where they had first performed two decades earlier. This concert was co-sponsored by ProQuest and served to raise funds for scholarships in library and information science.

This concluding performance was recorded and subsequently broadcast on August 6, 2012, on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, featuring guest appearances by Stephen King and Dave Barry.

In September 2014, The Remainders revealed plans for a reunion at the Tucson Festival of Books scheduled for March 2015. On March 15 of that year, syndicated crossword creator Merl Reagle included puns referencing the reunion and members of the band in his Sunday puzzle.

Concerts

• 1992, Anaheim: American Booksellers Association convention
• 1993, six cities along the East Coast: 'Three Chords and an Attitude' tour
• 1995, Cleveland: opening ceremony of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• 1997, Miami: performance featuring Barry, Albom, Ridley Pearson, and Warren Zevon at Miami Book Fair
• April 23, 2010, New York City: Nokia Theater located in Times Square
• 2012, Anaheim: American Library Association convention
• 2002, Miami: outdoor show outside American Airlines Arena preceding Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band’s concert during The Rising tour

Guests

• Lesley Gore
• Tony Kornheiser
• Roger McGuinn
• Bruce Springsteen
• Warren Zevon
• Darlene Love
• Nestor Torres
• Frank McCourt
• Richard Belzer
• Garry Marshall
• Frank Pagano
• Daniel Handler
• Carl Hiaasen
• Douglas Adams
• Andy Borowitz
• Alan Cheuse
• Roy Peter Clark
• Margit Detweiler
• Tim Dorsey
• Tananarive Due
• Julia Glass
• James W. Hall
• Darrell Hammond
• Vicki Hendricks
• Michelle Kaufman
• Greil Marcus
• Les Standiford
• Gene Weingarten
• Jennifer Weiner
• Alan Zweibel
• Craig Ferguson

Songs covered

• "Werewolves of London" originally by Warren Zevon
• "Chain of Fools" featuring Amy Tan on lead vocals
• "Runaway" (Del Shannon) performed by Del Shannon
• "Gloria" as recorded by Them
• "If the House is a Rockin'..."
• "In the Midnight Hour" presented on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson with host Craig Ferguson, author of Between the Bridge and the River, on drums; Dave Barry was the initial guest
• "Louie Louie" known for its explicit lyrics
• "Rockaway Beach" cover version
• "Stand By Me" following Ben E. King's interpretation
• "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" led vocally by Amy Tan
• "Wild Thing," noted for a humorous moment due to Roy Blount Jr.'s offbeat vocals
• "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" rendition
• "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover," originally by Bo Diddley
• "You May Be Right" performance
• "Surfin' Bird" cover
• "Leader of the Pack," performed in Denver for then-Mayor John Hickenlooper
• "Charlie Brown" by The Coasters, played live in New York City at Nokia Theater (April 23, 2010)
• "Dock of the Bay," featuring lead vocals by Barbara Kingsolver

Discography

Various members of RBR contributed to the double album Stranger than Fiction, released under "Don't Quit Your Day Job" Records, which also includes musical works from other authors.

Books

Among significant works is Mid-Life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America with Three Chords and an Attitude (1994), authored by Dave Barry, Tad Bartimus, Roy Blount Jr., Michael Dorris, Robert Fulghum, Matt Groening, Stephen King, Amy Tan, and others, complemented with photographs taken by Tabitha King.

In 2013, members such as Mitch Albom, Dave Barry, Roy Blount Jr., Matt Groening, Stephen King, Amy Tan, and Scott Turow published the interactive ebook Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (Of Authors) Tells All, which blends essays, fiction, personal correspondences, multimedia elements, and quizzes revealing insights into their private lives.

Additionally, Dave Barry authored Lessons From Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog in 2019.

See also

• Band from TV, a comparable ensemble composed of television performers
• Cats Laughing, a band centered around writers