Last Night at the Viper Room audiobook

Last Night in the Viper Room: River Phoenix and the Hollywood He Left Behind by Gavin Edwards is a Harper Collins Publication and was released in October 2013. I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.IF THE SKY THAT WE LOOK UPON SHOULD TUMBLE AND FALL"Chris Chambers was the leader of our gang, and my best friend. He came from a bad family, and everybody knew he'd turn out bad- including Chris."That was Richard Dreyfuss, narrating as the adult Gordie Lachance, described the character in Stand by Me that made River Phoenix a star.Last Night at the Viper Room is the story of River Phoenix. His unconventional upbringing, his real passion for music, and then fame and fortune, and death at the age of 23.River was actually his given name. His parents were in a hippie religious cult and their kids were totally cut off from society as most people knew it. River was eight years old and still had never attended school. He never did really attend a regular school. He didn't watch television or have the experiences most of us have growing up. He adhered to his parent's strict vegan diet and was an animal rights activist. Music was always River's first love and passion. Acting came along and he didn't take it all that seriously at first. He was his family's bread winner and acting was just a means to an end.River always had a band going and had even carried his guitar with him to the Viper Room the night he died.As his acting skills developed and he became more famous, it went without saying that River was heading for big things in his acting career. He really did have a natural ability as an actor. At the time of his death he was just on the cusp of really breaking loose. But, the more money he made and the more people in the entertainment business he rubbed elbows with, the more access to drugs became available. River had maintained his clean living lifestyle up to a point. Once he started using drugs he had no control over his indulgence. The Viper Room was a famous club on Sunset. It had weathered many changes over the years. The actor, Johnny Depp had a part ownership in the club and basically used it as a VIP club for all his famous friends. The place had a reputation for always having a full house. On any given night you could find Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, or Timothy Leary, or members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, models, actresses, and other entertainment personalities. On the night in question, River was out with his brother and sister. He was given a drink by a guitarist friend and he swallowed in one gulp. He overdosed on a what is known as a speedball, the same deadly combination of cocaine and heroin that killed comedian John Belushi. The story is a old one. Young, rich, and independent. The moneymaker for the family, and too many people looking the other way. I don't know if his upbringing or the people he knew through fame and acting were to blame for his downfall into drugs. The shocking allegations regarding the cult his parents were members of would be enough to cause severe damage in anyone. His isolation from society and constant relocation would also make it hard for someone to fit in. Having no real parental supervision, River stayed with other families, looked for a father figure on every job, and longed to be a part of something. Once people surrounding him began to suspect he had a real substance abuse problem, no one wanted to approach him about it, not even his own mother, who appeared more interested in being his manager than his parent. The night he died, people kept saying someone should call 911. But, they were all assured River was alright, while he was have seizures every twenty seconds and banging his head against the pavement.This young, beautiful man was just so incredibly talented and had so much promise. Despite his lack of formal education, he was so smart and caught onto things that others couldn't comprehend. Deep down in his soul, he was a good person or wanted to be. His thoughtfulness shone through even when he was out of his mind on drugs.Anytime I finish reading a book like this, I'm left feeling not only sad, but angry and frustrated. This was a person that people should have been watching. Someone that should never have fallen through the cracks. But, no one had the courage to step up to the plate. Yes, it is said that there were some attempts at interventions, but no one really took those hard steps that you have to with a drug addict, and on the night he died, people basically stood around and watched him die, more worried about saving his reputation as an actor than saving his life. The layout the author used to tell the story was really unique. I liked that fact that we went chronologically through River's life. It's just easier to see how things evolved that way. But, it was also interesting that the author set the stage for each chapter in River's life by reminding us of what was happening in that time in Hollywood with other young actors. Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Keanu Reeves, and Iona Skye. Also, the music scene was explained since River was often playing music and had a group he played with, and he was friends with Michael Stipe and Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers. River's association with Johnny Depp was minor and the two didn't know each other all that well. The media played up Depp's association with the club when River died on the scene.The author did fine job of telling this story. Again, it is always important when you take it upon yourself to write this kind of book, to not only do the research and interviews etc. But, also to keep yourself from leaning toward a certain view point. The author kept his own personal viewpoint out of the book and told the story of this young man's tragic life as it should be told.A very compelling read, and one I recommend to all who like performance arts books, non- fiction, biographies, or are a fan of this era of entertainment or if you would just like to remember River Phoenix. Overall this one is an A.

'I don't think anybody's necessarily ready for death' Depp reflected 'you can only hope that when it approaches, you feel like you've said all wanted you wanted to say. Nobody wants to go out mid-sentence' Sadly, we know many people do. Going into this I didn't know an awful lot about River. He is in Stand By Me, a film I love, and his ending was tragic. That was all I knew therefore this book was fascinating for me and I learnt a lot. I didn't realise the significance of the Viper Room or that Johnny Depp owned it. I didn't know about the friendship between Keanu Reeves and River. I didn't know River was born River Bottom, born into the Children of God cult and never went to school.  Like many who die young River fitted a ton into his short life and I enjoyed reading about it while hoping for the impossible, a different ending. I liked how the book would focus in on River for a few chapters then focus out onto Keanu Reeves, Johnny Deep. Christian Slater and Leonardo DiCaprio to put into context what was also happening in Hollywood at the same time. An extraordinary life, an extraordinary family, full of light and corners darker than we will ever know. A complicated and contradictory mind. A human, fully flawed and full of love. Four stars. At the time of posting this book is available on Kindle Unlimited. 

I graduated high school in 1993. The people, the clothes, the music, the vibe of that time is the first one I truly understood and lived. I found this book very interesting and I particularly liked how the author framed each part of River's life within the context of other actors/musicians etc. It set the scene pretty perfectly, I think. I remember the tragic death of River Phoenix and was enlightened to learn much more about his family and upbringing. I know that many didn't believe him to be a drug addict at the time due to his much publicized vegan lifestyle. I think this is why his death proved so shocking in 1993 to much of the world. Had he grown up now with the social media presence unavoidable, I think we might have just found his death tragic, but not surprising.

You would think after all these years I could read this and not get sad. Wrong. How can you not be sad over a life gone way too soon? What did I learned mostly from this book, was, That River had a kind and gentle soul and even with his drug use that did not go away. You can't help but wonder where he would be right now if he was still alive. You can't help but to want that.

(nb: I received an Advance Review Copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss)I remember watching the news on October 31, 1993. I didn’t usually watch the evening news—I was always either working or at happy hour—but this was a Sunday, so I was probably doing laundry and nursing a hangover. I remember watching the news on October 31, 1993 only because the anchor reported that both River Phoenix and Federico Fellini had died. It seemed oddly fitting that two such bookending film personae died the same day.Fellini was 73, and he’d enjoyed a long, celebrated career, winning five Oscars and creating a style so unique, it spawned its own adjective: Felliniesque. River Phoenix, though. My God, I thought, he was only 23. He had obvious talent, although most of his films didn’t show it, and he could have been one of the greats, if only…Gavin Edwards’s “Last Night at The Viper Room” fills in the “if only” in one of the best biographies I’ve read this year. In his day, River Phoenix was portrayed as “The Vegan James Dean,” and there was something Dean-like about him. Back in the late 1980’s and early 90’s, his story was fairly well-known. His parents were hippies who moved to South America as part of some weird cult, and they named their kids things like River, Liberty, Rain, etc. Also, River was a big environmental activist, plus a vegan and animal rights supporter. He spoke out against drug use, and seemed like a nice—if quirky—kid. The drinking was first. Then came the drugs: weed, at first, then cocaine, then heroin. Between his breakout in 1986’s “Stand By Me” and his OD just seven years later, River Phoenix spiraled hard into substance abuse. His appearance changed. The once strong, handsome young star showed up for auditions with his skin looking almost gray. His clothes were dirty and worn. Some of his last performances were almost unintelligible. His reputation in Hollywood was tarnished; he had trouble finding good films. Finally, he collapsed and died outside The Viper Room.“Last Night at The Viper Room” charts River’s short life, from his birth to nomadic hippie parents all the way to the bitter end.That’s what biographies do, but the wonder of “Last Night at The Viper Room” is that it does more than provide a truckload of facts. Author Gavin Edwards shows remarkable verve and style, taking this book far beyond the dry tedium of many biographies. Edwards wrote extensively for “Details” and “Rolling Stone” magazines, and his style here shows much of the hip, rock & roll journalism pacing one finds in a good, extended magazine piece. I was drawn-in to “Last Night at The Viper Room,” and before I knew it, I’d read it in one sitting. It is an addictive book. Edwards draws on dozens of sources and personal interviews for this work, and his documentation is fastidious. He portrays Phoenix’s life not only in a recitation of facts, but in anecdotal quotes from those who best knew the actor, those who worked with him, dated him, befriended him, loved him. In all of their stories, they express dismay at what they saw this talented young actor doing to himself. Make no mistake, this is a very sad book. River Phoenix had a short, tragic life. His family relied upon him to be the breadwinner. His Hollywood stardom was their golden ticket. River wasn’t always comfortable as an actor—he mainly just wanted to play his guitar and sing—but the money was too good. In some roles, he found a way to express himself through his art. Other times, he was just going through the motions. When he died, some people thought River Phoenix would be like James Dean, a handsome young star who died tragically young, but whose fame would live on forever through his work. That didn’t happen with River Phoenix. James Dean is still a legend; River Phoenix is an afterthought who died two decades ago. His life is immortalized, though, in “Last Night at The Viper Room.” From birth to death, it’s all right here. Even just for the few hours it took me to read this book, Gavin Edwards brought him back, and once again made me wonder what River Phoenix could have been, if only…Most Highly Recommended

I was madly in love with River. He was dreamy, talented & passionate. A little bit of me died with him, I think. So young, so tragic with his little brother at his side, so sad. After reading about his upbring & the pressure put on him to provide for the family, it is no wonder that gorgeous and promising young man turned to drugs.

After reading this beautiful book, I sobbed like a baby. I couldn't control how overwhelmed I was by my emotions when it was all over. And for days after I'd go through my normal routine with this aching empty feeling and every day I would realize that it was because of this book. I felt this awful feeling because I felt like I had lost my best friend after finishing this book. I felt that I had gotten to know River Phoenix so well through this book that his death, twenty years later, had touched me on such a personal level I felt it breaking my heart over and over. This book is a work of art. It not only delves into River Phoenix's life, but into the lives of others who were starting out at the same time (Leonardo DiCaprio and Keanu Reeves, for example) and the world they were all growing up in. I highly recommend that everyone read it.

Sad of course, but also as entertaining as a train wreck. Not sure about the roots of River's problems, but was disturbed by someone's observation that most actors are on drugs. It's sad to think how little support these young actors received: they get big pay cheques, but no counseling on how to handle difficult roles and maintain healthy boundaries. Perhaps the train wreck is all just part of the big entertainment package of Hollywood.A fast read, and Edwards's pop culture observations can sometimes be a little sweeping or glib. Same sex attraction or kissing are still taboo in an actor's career, apparently, and I had to check when this book was published. Years after daytime soap operas all had their first gay kisses, so it seems that this writer's fingers are not on that particular pulse.

I was a huge fan after watching Stand By Me. He became one of the most intriguing figures in Hollywood. River was a clever boy but undereducated. Living with his hippie parents, he had to beg for money at a very young age. His affiliation with Children of God cult might contributed to his latter depressions. Too many eerie detailed moments before his death, like when Johnny Depp's band P playing a song mentioning River Phoenix, he was just outside the club having seizures.A recommended read if you want to learn about Hollywood pop culture in the 80s-90s.

River Phoenix. What potential cut short by drugs. Reading this took me back to high school and college and the grim reminder that my friends and I had watched Sneakers the night he died and we woke up the next morning to find out he had died. This book reads quick, almost like a really long magazine article and works to place Phoenix in line with other, still-living, celebrities who still pace about Hollywood. I enjoyed reading more about Phoenix and some of the ugly truths that were hidden from Tiger Beat and teen magazines. I think the most appropriate phrase to describe Phoenix in this book was that he was over-intelligent and under-educated. He had passion for the earth and was roped into acting by his family. He was an extremely troubled person but it made him a performer. I liked this book for the nostalgia throwback to the early 1990s. But, as I have said over and over, no matter how many times you read The Great Gatsby, Gatsby still dies at the end. Same goes for River Phoenix.Drugs are bad and they did him in and that's all you can really say. And the only person not named in this book? The guy who handed River Phoenix his deadly last speedball cocktail at the Viper Room.I recommend this easy read of a sad topic to anyone who wonders what River Phoenix means or meant in the great scheme of this world.

I was drawn to River the first time I saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade when I was 6. He Capitivated me for those 11 minutes at the start of that film. As I grew up and dived head first into his short catalog, It was hard not to imagine what his career would of looked like in the 21st century when you see how great a career Leonardo DiCaprio has had in the years since his tragic passing. This book, page by page becomes sadder as we get nearer to the inevitable conclusion. This kid was full of demons from his weird beginnings so it's not too shocking to see why he might of wanted to escape.. I wish we could of seen what he could of become. As sad as this book is I kept reading hoping that he'd figure it all out. I rated this 5 stars because his life albeit short was as wild and exciting as those 11 minutes that capitivated a young six year old in 1993. Sadly, not knowing that he passed that same year.